To celebrate the one year anniversary of Greta Van Fleet’s legendary Red Rocks shows, I’d love to walk down memory lane with all of you.
We are going all the way back to September 2019. Now, I’d like to start off by saying that I’m a firm believer in divine alignment. I believe that by trusting your intuition and pursuing what your soul calls you to do, the direction of your life can change within an instant.
I’ve never been the type to truly dive into the deep end. Growing up, the word spontaneous wasn’t a part of my vocabulary. In the past, I've desired to travel and explore this world, however, I always made up excuses. After having a heart to heart with my mother on whether or not I should go, she told me, “Angel, you have got to live your life. Travel as much as you can and pursue whatever makes you feel alive.” As she poured her words of wisdom upon me, it was settled.
I was going to fly 862 miles for a band. Something I had never done before.
After that, everything seemed to fall into perfect alignment. At a rapid speed, I pulled out money from my savings. I paid for my concert tickets, scored a flight for $90 roundtrip, and secured a place to rest my head at night. Before I knew it, I was on my United flight staring out my window at the land below me. That was the first time I had ever traveled alone. Truthfully, I enjoyed the solitude. I was soaring through the clouds and John Denver’s calming voice was keeping me company.
As soon as the plane landed, my heart fluttered and I felt a rush of adrenaline. After a few minutes, I finally got off the plane. I sped walked my way to baggage claim, met up with the wonderful people I was staying with, and hopped into an Uber. From then on, the Colorado adventures commenced. Around mid-afternoon, we made our way to a park where we were having a meetup. This was the first “meet up” I had ever been a part of. As time went by, a handful of music lovers began to show up. The atmosphere was full of love and light. Guitars were strumming as we had great conversations and raved about the following night. Around the end of the meetup, we walked down a path that led us to a spot where we all listened to ‘Age of Man’ together. Once the song began, we all stared off into the glorious hills and shared a moment. Absolutely no one spoke a single word. Josh’s voice was the only sound that traveled throughout the atmosphere. My eyes filled up with tears as I came to the realization that I was exactly where I was meant to be.
As the sun began to set, we made our way to the Origin hotel for another gathering. Let me tell you something about this specific meet up. That night, I eagerly walked towards the area where the event was taking place, and immediately I was welcomed with open arms. Before finding “my people”, I had always been a wallflower. Someone who watched people live their lives, but stayed on the sidelines. That night, things changed. I grabbed a margarita at the bar, conversed with a bunch of sweet souls, and let my guard completely down. Although I was surrounded by “strangers”, I quickly began to view them as family. Every single person had a special glow upon them. Their love for music was contagious and you could feel it in your bones. Greta Van Fleet’s lyrics were flowing out of the mouths of every single person in the room. I thought to myself…
“this is only the beginning.. wait until tomorrow.”
The following morning, I woke up with the deepest butterflies in my stomach. I remember glancing at my reflection in the mirror and having to remind myself that it all wasn’t a fever dream. I turned on some tunes, got dressed, and headed out the door. I was in an Uber by 7am and made my way to the beloved venue. As I chatted with my driver, all I could think was
“IM ABOUT TO MEET SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS!”
“WE ARE SEEING OUR FAVORITE BAND TOGETHER!”
“IM SEEING GRETA VAN FLEET TONIGHT!”
As soon as we approached the venue, my eyes widened and my mouth fell open. It took quite some time for me to process what was right in front of me. I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. Everything became REAL within a matter of seconds. Immediately, I messaged my friends and let them know that I had finally arrived. As I entered the venue, I found myself in awe yet again. For a moment, time stood still as I took the deepest breath and sat down to cherish such a historical place. All you could hear were the morning birds, and the sounds of the crew setting up the stage.
As I observed the stage from the top of the venue, I began to envision all of the musicians that had performed there. John Denver, The Grateful Dead, and The Beatles are just to name a few. The very thought of my favorite guys performing there next made me unbelievably proud. I could imagine how the band and their loved ones must have felt. After spending quite some time soaking it all in, it was time to find my girls. I had never been so determined to find people in my whole life. After walking down a million steps, and taking a few turns... I found them. I ran with all my might and hugged them tightly. Embracing the people that I had formed a deep bond with and actually being able to look them in the eyes was unbelievable to me. We went from being “virtual friends” to “real-life friends.” We were all ecstatic to be together and to encounter the magic that Red Rocks beholds. Throughout the duration of our day, we were all in a daze. We pranced around the venue like it was our second home and we had the best time doing it. We took a multitude of pictures and spent time enjoying each other's company.
As the sun began to set, it was time for doors to open. My heart was pounding as I sprinted behind my friends. Getting to our spot was hazy and my breathing was irregular. All that our hearts desired was to grab ahold of the rope. Once we did, we lost our absolute minds. I glanced at the stage, held the rope in my hands and we all looked at each other with huge smiles. I’m more than certain the security guard believed we were out of our minds. However, we were on cloud nine.
The night began with the wonderful Shannon and the Clams. In my opinion, I believe they were incredible openers for Greta Van Fleet. The immaculate vibes they gave off during the duration of their set still stick with me to this day. I thoroughly enjoyed swaying back and forth to their songs. Songs such as ‘Ozma’ and ‘The Boy’ hold that special place in my heart. Once Shannon and the Clams exited the stage, the butterflies in my stomach came back. I took the time to turn around and look out at the entire venue. IT WAS A PACKED HOUSE. You could just feel every single person's anticipation.
After a good half hour, the lights went dim and David Ruffin’s, ‘My Whole World Ended’ began to play. What I felt at that moment in time, I had never felt before. The tears began to flow and my heart was overjoyed. Within a matter of seconds, they were going to be standing before me. The first person I saw was Josh, and he ran out with white roses in his hands. Josh threw the white roses, and I will never forget being fixated on one specific rose as it twirled toward me. As the rose landed on my chest, I was in a state of shock.
“GOOD EVENING!”
Josh yelled at the top of his lungs. Jake began to shred whilst Josh welcomed the crowd. He had the widest smile on his face. You could just tell that Josh was soaking it all in and cherishing the moment. He had a glimmer in his eye that showed how elated he was. There’s something about the way Josh wails that never fails to send shivers down my spine. His vocals carried all the way to the top of the venue and reverberated off of the rocks.
The opening to ‘The Cold Wind’ brought the crowd to an uproar, and it was within seconds that the crowd was jumping around without a care in the world. Every single soul inside of the venue was engulfed by the power of music. We all became unified as one that night. From start to finish, they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Danny’s drum solo during ‘Safari Song’ was unbelievable. You could feel the drum beats rumbling inside your chest. I was absolutely floored at how he played. Watching it online is one thing, but actually witnessing it with your own two eyes is a completely different experience. There is a reason why he is called the heartbeat of the fleet. He is such a treasure and a passionate musician.
Throughout the course of the show, my spirit was bubbling up and over with exhilaration. What sets the Red Rocks shows apart from all the rest was the cosmic energy both nights carried. It was honestly one of a kind and the energy exchanged between the crowd and the band was out of this world. Night one, Josh was notorious for his speeches. He dedicated ‘The Music Is You’ to his beautiful mother, Karen Kiszka. As he stood and sang in the center of the stage, I couldn’t help but envision John Denver looking down upon him smiling. The atmosphere was warm and the pure love that transpired was palpable. I know that’s a moment they’ll remember for a lifetime.
Before Flower Power, Josh gave a quick speech and he said, “We feel you and I hope you can feel us too.” I’ve never felt deeply connected and beloved by a band before them. Josh, Jake, Sammy, and Danny could sense the electricity and passion from the crowd. In return, they poured out their love and admiration right back to us. During Jake's solo in ‘Flower Power’, Josh made his way over to our section. We all began to yell his name whilst blowing kisses and waving at him. I’ll never forget calling out his name and making direct eye contact with him. His aura was shining brighter than the sun and his eyes pierced through the core of my being. That moment will replay in my head for as long as I live. The way he interacts with the crowd and makes everyone feel valued is truly beautiful.
Moment after moment, I found myself breathless. During ‘Age of Man’, I vividly remember gazing upon the starry night sky as Sam played the keys. Sam goes into a trancelike state when he plays his instruments. There is such a profound passion that takes over his body when he’s in the moment. The music flows through his fingertips. My eyes wandered over to the shining red rocks and the “it starts in the toes, travels throughout the body and goes out the head” moment happened to me. I began to feel incredibly grateful that I was alive. To have breath in my lungs and a heartbeat. To be surrounded by thousands of kindred spirits who love music like I do. This is where I bring up divine alignment again. Trusting in the universe and following the music led me to that very moment in time.
It was destiny.
One part of the show that scarred me in the best way possible was ‘Black Flag Exposition’. You can never truly prepare yourself for Black Flag. Especially if it’s your first time seeing it live. To feast one’s eyes on Jake Kiszka shredding for the gods is intoxicating. He wields his guitar like a sword and has the crowds undivided attention. That young man is truly living out his life purpose. He was born to be the guitar man and he’s a legend in the making.
As the night continued, I thought to myself “it couldn’t get any better than this.” Oh, how I was sorely mistaken. Once the encore arrived, the levels were turned up a notch. The exploding uproar that traveled throughout the venue carried right into ‘Lover Leaver (Taker Believer)’. This performance was one for the books. For a moment, it felt like I stepped into a time machine and went back in time to the 1970s. Greta Van Fleet is a solid reminder of how Rock n’ Roll isn’t dead. To this day, it’s still living and breathing among us. The show concluded with Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) blaring over the sound system. Their rendition is groundbreaking and a rock n’ roll masterpiece. The band waved their goodbyes to the crowd and made their way backstage.
I had to take a hot minute to gather myself. What we had just experienced was extraordinary, and I was allowing myself to soak it all in. When we were ready, my friends and I grabbed our things and started to head out. Little did I know, fate was going to lead us to Karen Kiszka herself. My friends and I had the honor of cherishing a few minutes with her. Seeing my best friend Em and Mama Kiszka having a touching moment warmed my heart. Karen gave the most tender hugs and had such a warm glow upon her. When she speaks to you, her words are genuine and from the heart. She makes you feel instantly comfortable and at ease. I’ll always cherish the time we had. We briefly spoke about how proud we all were of the boys and how terrific the show was. Once we said our goodbyes to Mama Kiszka, we exited the venue.
Although I had one more night under the stars ahead of me, my friends were actually leaving the following morning. I truly never wanted the night to end. I gave all of them the strongest squeeze and told them how much I loved them. After I left the venue, I made my way back to the Origin. My soul sister, Ariana sang ‘Anthem’ whilst Rex played the guitar. We were all coming down from our post-concert high. Basking in the glory of all that we had just experienced. That night at the Origin is where I formed a deep bond with my friend Ariana. We spent ages talking about music and our lives. There were no awkward pauses or moments of tension. Everything just flowed seamlessly. It’s beautiful to me how music can lead you to individuals you were always destined to cross paths with. How can an old soul from Australia and a music lovin’ gal from Texas become best friends instantly? The power of music.
Day two arrived, and I made it to the venue ready to thrive one more time. That day, I waited in line with completely different people and was on the other side of the venue. Still, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the whole day. I could hear soundcheck crystal clear. Being able to hear the band play from outside of the venue was a completely different experience. I began to imagine the outside of the venue the night prior. Red Rocks must have illuminated and shined bright for all of the city to see. I spent the day anticipating what was to come in the evening time. I desired to feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins. Once the time finally arrived, “concert Angel” came back for round two. The setlist was exactly the same, but that didn’t make the show any less special. I felt unbelievably blessed to spend another night with my favorite band.
Those unforgettable three days I spent in Morrison, Colorado changed me. I know many will have questions and say,
“How can four young guys from Frankenmuth, Michigan change your life?”
“Why would you spend your hard-earned money on a concert?”
“Why would you fly _________ miles for a band?”
Some might even go to the extent and say that I’m wasting my time or I should be living in the “real world.” Well, I have a response to all of that. Greta Van Fleet was there when I lost all of my hope. When I was at my lowest point, their music found me. ‘Flower Power’ is the song that gave me the freedom and the courage to start over again. To truly start living again and not take a single day for granted. I spent my hard-earned money because I knew deep down inside that Red Rocks was meant to be my first encounter with them. Let me tell you something, it was worth every damn penny. I flew 862 miles with peace in my heart knowing that I was going home. Where is home? Home is where the music is.
For as long as I live, I’m going to be on the road following the music. Wherever that may take me. I’m looking forward to meeting brand new people and exploring this big world. I await the day I can be inside of a venue and be a part of something bigger than myself.
When the entire crowd is singing a song word for word, and an artist goes silent. I live for those moments. The look upon their face when they come to the realization that their words have touched more people than they can fathom. It’s heavenly. Live music is a bonding experience that ties people together for a lifetime. We enter venues one way and leave completely different. Live music can heal the hearts of the broken and restore hope the lost.
As my lovely friend Rex says, “it’s our responsibility to spread the message of peace, love, unity, and equality to every person we come in contact with.” I firmly stand by that. Every single day, my mission is to be a beacon of light to somebody. To always root for the underdog and be a listening ear to those who feel unheard. This band, their message, and their music is an influential reason why I’m the person I am today.
Thank you,
Greta Van Fleet.
For everything.
Your music will always be a huge part of who I am.
Happy One Year anniversary to the Red Rocks shows.
I’m hopeful that you’ll be back there again someday and we’ll all be united once again.
To many more years of rock n’ roll,
Angel Evans