In 2014, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard‘s first international tour included the Australian band rock band quickly navigating its way through America for the first time. They played dive bars for an audience of sometimes 20 people or less and scrolled for deals on Craigslist for secondhand amps.
“Things have changed drastically,” said bassist Lucas Harwood on a recent video conferencing call.
At the time of our interview, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard were preparing for shows in Tennessee. The group has been out on its USA Residency Tour, and unlike its early tours in the states, this time around they’re able to bring their families along and soak in the scenery by staying in small cozy cabins in the woods near a lake. The North American leg of this tour ends with a marathon three-hour set at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on June 21.
“It’s super beautiful, very green and lush,” Harwood said of his current spot. “It’s nice, and this whole tour is a bit different like that because we’re in each city for a few nights, and we get to set up base, and we’re not constantly moving. We’ve only played one show, but it already feels very different from our usual touring style.”
The contrast between how the band toured then and now is emblematic of how far the band has come from its early D.I.Y. touring years to topping event lineups. Last year, the group started their fall tour with a headlining performance at Desert Daze, America’s most prominent psychedelic rock festival in Perris.
That tour marked a milestone for the band, who performed at the largest North American venues of their career, which included a show at the 9,500-capacity Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside Denver, Colorado. On this run, the band sold-out a trio of shows (two in the evening and one early show) at Red Rocks, on of which was a special extended performance as the band delivered a three-hour marathon set with jam sessions, deeper cuts and a playful…
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