King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with Stonefield and Orb at the Danforth Music Hall

Photographs from Neil Van

What’s in a name? A lot if you are stuck in my some-times irrational brain. It has worked for and against me in the past, but has also drawn me into some delights I might not have discovered if it wasn’t for their ridiculous names.

In the case of Australia’s King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard the name was the first punch to get my attention. Their three-guitar, two-drummer lineup really sealed the deal for me to dive in.

The psych-rock 7-piece have been ridiculously prolific in their short existence having just released their 9^th album, Flying Microtonal Banana after 7 years in existence. I hopped on for last year’s Nonagon Infinity and aside from one listen to the new album, I’m largely ignorant of their recorded output, but I had high hopes.

At a packed Danforth Music Hall, the band was greeted with a rapturous roar when they hit the stage indicating good things to come.
While the band doesn’t hit the ground running, they started the crowd off light sonically but with projections akin to a retina-searing Chemical Brothers gig.

The venue held the band’s sound nicely and the crowd was very enthusiastic with a healthy mosh pit thriving over the course of the evening. By the time they got to current single and already-crowd-favourite “Rattlesnake” the promised face-melting was delivered followed by blistering trio of Nonagon Infinity highlights that really brought the show’s intensity to the next level including “Evil Death Roll” and “Gamma Knife”. It is the first time I’ve seen flying cartoon alligators. At a concert.

The band was clearly in their element lapping up the sweat and adoration while admiring the room itself. After 90 minutes, it was over with no encore. We wanted it, we might have needed it but we didn’t have to have it. The exemplary and excited crowd happily shuffled out a little exhausted but very reinvigorated.