King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, black midi @ Forest Hills Stadium

by Kevin McGann | Oct 26, 2022

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at Forest Hills Stadium (photo by Kevin McGann)

In their relatively short history, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have built a huge following and a rabid fan base that will follow them from city to city not unlike the Dead. And like the Dead, there is a growing collection of bootleg live albums and people comparing shows as no two shows are alike. They’ve also managed to put out 22 studio albums since 2012, with four of them being released in 2022 alone and another one (or two) due before the year ends. To say they are prolific is the understatement of the year.

This past Friday when KGATLW hit Forest Hills Stadium for what was the FHS’ last show of the season, it was actually my first time seeing them. Announcing that drew a few gasps from fellow photographers who, just like their fans, started naming all the shows they’ve seen. And by night’s end, I could see why. With a music catalog as diverse as any one band could have, the night was a mix of jam, funky, soul, metal mayhem. And with a video screen backdrop that displayed an ever-morphing collage of tie dye visuals it again recalled the peace and love generation but for the digital age.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at Forest Hills Stadium

Warming up the crowd that night was London’s black midi. They’ve also built a large following in just the past three years since signing to Rough Trade Records and releasing an equal number of studio albums. And while midi’s sound is more akin to Squid than KGATLW, they too have an eclectic style that finds them exploring different avenues of music with each release. The band consists of Cameron Picton on bass, synths and shared vocals along with Georgie Greep on guitar who paced the stage like he was ready to pounce at any moment. And anchoring the band is drummer Morgan Simpson who is just an absolute beast on his kit.

After Friday’s performance I can now join in the chant and tell people to go catch a King Gizz show if they haven’t before. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Scroll down for setlist, fan shot videos and pics of the show (photos by Kevin McGann)

black midi setlist: Speedway, Welcome to Hell, Chondromalacia Patella, Sugar/Tzu, Eat Men Eat, John L, 953, Slow

King Gizzard setlist: The Dripping Tap, Magma, Lava, The Garden Goblin, Honey, Sleep Drifter, O.N.E., Gaia, Hell, Magenta Mountain, Iron Lung

black midi

KGATLW

black midi, Sal Valentinetti, Sarah Squirm @ Central Park SummerStage

by FTA Staff | Jul 26, 2022

black midi at Central Park SummerStage (photo by Ellen Qbertplaya)

black midi just released their brand new album, Hellfire, and made a few stops in the US in support of it before heading right back to Europe for more festival dates. On this very quick trip they played three shows in the States, including a free show at Central Park SummerStage on Sunday 7/24. The sweltering heat wave that had engulfed the city didn’t slow the band down at all or the very excited fans, who reveled in the band’s unique blend of noisy, jazz-twinged indie math rock. Hitting seven of the album’s ten tracks, they also mashed a cover of LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” into an intro of “Eat Men Eat,” changing it of course to “black midi is Playing Central Park.” Free ice cream and ice pops were given out at their merch tent which saw long lines of enthusiastic fans throughout the night.

The lineup for the show was an eclectic mix, with a stand up set from SNL featured player Sarah Squirm kicking off the night. Her set was aided by a number of visuals and leaned hard into the body horror comedy she is known for. She also led a guided meditation (with help from Bonnie Baxter from Kill Alters) that was, shall we say, definitely interesting and just a little bit bizarre. She was followed by Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti of America’s Got Talent fame. He performed a set of classic standards like “New York, New York,” “I’m Just A Gigilo,” and “My Way,” delighting the audience who chanted “SAL! SAL! SAL! SAL!” at the conclusion of his set. A mosh pit also broke out which may just have been a first for the lovable crooner from Bethpage.

black midi setlist: 953, Speedway, Welcome to Hell, Sugar/Tzu, The Race Is About to Begin, Lumps, Still, Eat Men Eat, Chondromalacia Patella, John L, Faster Amaranta, The Defence, 27 Questions, Slow

Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Ellen Qbertplaya)

SARAH SQUIRM

SAL “THE VOICE” VALENTINETTI