Grammy winner Greta Van Fleet to make tour stop in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday

Isaac Hamlet, Des Moines Register
·4 min read

The last time Greta Van Fleet came through Des Moines, the four-person hard rock band played to a room of 700. Five years later, they're playing for a stadium that can seat more than 14,000.

“It was all happening so quickly, and we were constantly traveling because we didn’t live anywhere. We couldn’t live anywhere because we were on the road for 200-something days of the year. It was just insane," said Danny Wagner, the band's drummer, reflecting on the group's rapid success since the last time they were in Des Moines.

"At the time we didn’t really have the ability to process it because we just had to keep going and keep showing up.”

At 7 p.m. on Sept. 21, Greta Van Fleet — a rock band out of Frankenmuth, Michigan — will appear at Wells Fargo Arena, 233 Center St., part of the Dreams in Gold Tour, partially named for the nine-minute final track on "The Battle at Garden's Gate."

The last time central Iowans would have seen the group locally, Greta Van Fleet's single “Highway Tune" was topping charts and the band's first album "Anthem of the Peaceful Army" was less than a year off.

The upcoming visit comes on the heels of Jake Kiszka, the band's guitarist, recovering from a recent battle with pneumonia that hospitalized him earlier this year.

"He pretty much, overnight, came down with a really bad case (of pneumonia). It was really scary at the time," Wagner said. "Jake’s healthy again, which is great. We’re all healthy again at the moment."

From Wooly's to Wells Fargo Arena with 'SNL' and a Grammy in between

The last time Wagner recalls performing in Des Moines was 2017 when Greta Van Fleet headlined a sold-out show at Wooly's. Back then, having the 683-capacity Wooly's as one of a string of sold-out clubs was a feat for the up-and-coming group.

“(There’s) so much going on around you but at the very center of everything it’s very calm,” Kiszka told the Des Moines Register at the time.

Since then, Greta Van Fleet was awarded a Grammy for Best Rock Album, performed for (and with) Sir Elton John and played on "Saturday Night Live."

Bassist Sam Kiszka, drummer Danny Wagner, singer Josh Kiszka and guitarist Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet perform at Wells Fargo Arena in September.
Bassist Sam Kiszka, drummer Danny Wagner, singer Josh Kiszka and guitarist Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet perform at Wells Fargo Arena in September.

The band's musical catalog has also naturally expanded with more hits such a "When the Curtain Falls" and "Black Smoke Rising."

The group's latest album — "The Battle at Garden's Gate," released early last year — was mostly finished when the pandemic hit in 2020, according to Wagner. The band only created two songs, "Caravel" and "The Barbarians," rounding out the album after COVID came to the U.S.

The downtime during the pandemic not only forced the group members to really reflect on how far they've come since they started playing in high school circa-2012 — but also let the band relocate and refocus.

"We all moved during the pandemic to Nashville to try to stay around each other, to stay productive," said Wagner. "Constantly writing, constantly rehearsing, keeping that music pumping through our veins.”

More: What are the top-selling musical performances at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand so far?

What's next for Greta Van Fleet?

As for what's in the future for the already renowned rockers, Wagner noted that — while the band's already performed on five continents — he'd like to play more of the world. He mentioned east Asia and the Middle East as places he'd like to bring their music to as the 20-something-year-old band members continue to grow as musicians and people.

Fans can also expect a third studio album, perhaps sooner rather than later.

"We have been spending the last six months or so curating a new album, and it’s been going really well. It’s nearing completion which is wonderful, and that’s kind of new information for people," teased Wagner, making mention of work being done for a vinyl release. “Keep your eyes peeled, that should be on the way soon.”

Tickets for Greta Van Fleet's concert are available from $49.50 to $79.50 and can be found through iowaeventscenter.com.

Other upcoming concerts around Des Moines

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Des Moines Register. Reach him at ihamlet@gannett.com or 319-600-2124, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Greta Van Fleet returns to Des Moines to perform at Wells Fargo Arena