Review: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Has Made a Historic Mark on Music

"The novelty is not lost on us, being here," Stu Mackenzie told a packed Ford Amphitheater on August 8. He and his King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard bandmates appeared to be having the time of their lives. Members of the audience definitely were.

It may sound hyperbolic, but King Gizzard is one of the top contemporary bands in the world right now — if not the top. The prolific six-piece, which formed in Australia in 2010, stopped by Colorado Springs on tour for its 27th album, Phantom Island, before heading to Buena Vista for Field of Vision, its festival that runs from August 15-17. And the band provided what was, without a doubt, the best concert I've witnessed in my life.
But first, we were treated to opener DJ Crenshaw, who was spinning vinyl ranging from X Ray Specs to the Stooges while stagehands arranged a complex setup for the headliners. As the sun set, members of the Colorado Symphony took their seats as conductor Sarah Hicks took her place. The Phantom Island tour includes a collaboration with a local orchestra at each stop, bringing the symphonic album to life.

Ahead of the tour, Mackenzie told me that Phantom Island was one of his favorite releases so far, particularly because it was about "passing the mic" between the members. It stemmed from what was meant to be a one-off show with an orchestra, "but then we thought, 'Well, hang on, if we're doing a show, we may as well make some new music,'" he said. (Yeah, making a complex album in collaboration with classical musicians is so casual.) But, as Mackenzie noted, "we wanted to see what we could get away with in that world."
A lot, apparently. Once Gizz lands on an idea, the members master anything necessary to bring it to fruition. Never have I seen a band employ such a variety of genres in a single show so seamlessly — but whether metal or blues or psych rock, all of it rides an underlying tone uniquely identifiable as Gizz. At this show each musician was incredibly tight, and they were all in sync with one another as they constructed a vortex of sound that the audience happily dove into headfirst.

The first set comprised the band performing Phantom Island all the way through with the symphony, and it was mind-blowing to think that the two groups hadn't rehearsed together for months: Each song was a crisp, soaring rendition of the recorded track. Ambrose Smith showed off his powerhouse vocals with an enigmatic presence, whipping around the stage during the ending verses of the title track before diving into "Deadstick," a fan favorite. A family in front of me danced together, each member singing along in the others' faces as Smith finished it off with a dizzying harmonica solo.
The symphony was a major complement to the band, making this tour an exceptional collaboration between what many would think are incongruous genres. Rock-driven instruments smoothly blended with harps, flutes and violins to create a capacious swell of sonics, breathing life into extended intros and outtros. And the collaboration between the bandmates was impressive, as well — the album really was about passing the mic. Cook Craig bounced between vocals, keys and guitar for "Loney Cosmos," and Mackenzie and Joey Walker both delivered guitar solos on "Eternal Return," the notes sailing on a gust of wind through the venue before the symphony exhaled the psychedelic outro. Walker's vocals were a highlight of "Panpsych," but his guitar had a woman near me clutching both sides of her face, saying, "How? How does he do that??"
It wasn't just the sound; the poignant, introspective lyrics each member contributed seem to flow through you and stick like molasses. They were uplifting, too, boosted by the cinematic qualities of the orchestra that the band dosed with psychedelia. By "Grow Wings and Fly," a trippy jam saw the violin section weaving with Walker and Mackenzie's guitars, reaching an entrancing movement both complex and effortless.

After playing through the album in its entirety, things got weird — in the best way possible, of course. With the stage awash in red lights, the band began playing the wickedly driving "Self-Immolate" off its 2019 metal album, Infest the Rats' Nest, as symphony members took a break backstage. As unique as it was to see Phantom Island played live, this was the Gizz people were waiting for, making teases to "Perihelion."
The songs chosen for the second half of the two-hour set were clearly chosen for a reason. This band isn't afraid to share its opinions and take a stance on global issues, whether recently taking its music off Spotify after seeing the company's CEO invested in AI-powered military software systems and weapons, or being vocal about the war in Gaza. And from "The River," which kicked off the set, to "Iron Lung," which finished it off, King Gizzard reminded us of our self-agency — and provided a space to hear despondent frustrations personified in song.
"The River," off of 2015's Quarters!, is more of a psych-rock jam, but it wasn't long before everything got heavy again, as King Gizz went into the ten-plus-minute "Crumbling Castle," which gets increasingly darker and bombastic as the lyrics cover an apocalyptic devastation brought by the worst of human nature. The orchestra was back on stage for this, with flutes creating an ethereal effect as Mackenzie and Walker's guitars entered a volcanic exchange that charged the audience into a frenzy before the band took a short break backstage, this time with the symphony maintaining the atmosphere for the crowd. Throughout the show, each moment was filled with sound; drummer Michael Cavanagh and bassist Lucas Harwood were like machines, maintaining beats and grooves that coursed through the venue. When Gizz returned, it was time for Smith to break out the harmonica again as the band began "This Thing," a bluesy song off 2019's Fishing for Fishies that drove a foundation for "Mars for the Rich," an encapsulation of the members' searing talent that constructed almost a Mobius strip of sound, swirling to a shattering peak.

"Now it's time for 'Dragon,'" Mackenzie told the crowd. "Bit of a theme here."
"Dragon" is one of the band's most popular songs, a highlight from 2023's PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation. It sounded like a rallying cry and the audience acted accordingly, somewhat like the Uruk-hai to Saruman as he encourages the horde to attack Helm's Deep. Horns were in the air, heads were banging, people were crowd-surfing.

Before the band closed the set with "Iron Lung," the members took a moment to speak to the crowd. When they asked how many people were coming to Field of Vision, the majority of hands shot into the air.
"Well, everyone be sure to come out to do acid with my mom," Smith said. "She's almost as crazy as me." (Yes, his mom is indeed leading an "acid yoga" class Saturday morning at the fest.)

"And don't forget drag night!" Mackenzie shoutet.

Of course, this band would throw a festival that includes a celebration of drag and encourages doing psychedelics with a member's mom at a yoga class. There truly isn't another act like it. We tend to trick ourselves into thinking that there's always an "artist of a generation," a Bob Dylan-style archetype that makes a true revelatory impact outside of soulless pop music or music industry-built groups. But when it comes to King Gizzard, there's no trick — we're bowing down.

See more photos from the show below: See more concerts on our Denver concert calendar.