Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison, CO)
06/07/23
If venues were made for the sole purpose of a single band to take its stage, the ancient stones of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in northern Colorado could only be home to the 6-headed monster that is King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Hailing from Australia, the psychedelic-rock band began the first of their 3-show-run at the historic Red Rocks while on the second of four stops of their “USA residency” tour this summer. With the band only touring through 4 venues within the U.S., fans traveled far and wide to see them perform.
On the evening of the band’s first show in Colorado, concert-goers arrived in ponchos, expecting a night of unforgiving weather. Thankfully, the rock gods seemed to know King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard would be onstage shortly and the skies cleared in perfect timing.
After the opening band, Kamikaze Palm Tree, performed during the last moments of sunlight, day turned to night and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard burst onstage, starting out with hardcore “Gaia” then seamlessly transitioning into “Motor Spirit.” The night continued with current crowd favorites such as a reimagined version of “Sense” as well as deep cuts including “Down the Sink.” The band also played the soul and jazz-infused “Hate Dancin’” and “Astroturf” from one of their three most recent albums from late last year.
What is unique about being at a King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard show is how their songs blend into one another so organically, creating a sense that their live show is not just a series of songs, but one endless musical experience. The band even seemed to make room to improvise and build off of the existing set list, adding levels of nuance and charm to their live performance. There is a reason why fans travel great lengths to hear the psych-rock sextet live and why their live session vinyls pack the shelves of record stores.
The night wrapped up with an electrifying performance of a trio of songs from the album, Nonagon Infinity, and a newer song, “Iron Lung,” to bring the night to a triumphant end. With the titan of a venue being packed to the brim on a night that was meant to be quite stormy, the nationwide pilgrimage that took place on this night proves that this Australian psychedelic-rock band has made its mark around the world.
