King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard paid a visit to Music City last night and delivered another thrilling performance at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.
Despite wishful thinking from fans, the evening did not include an appearance from Nashville-based bluegrass firebrand Billy Strings, who just wrapped up his own summer tour and recently sat in with Phish when the jam juggernaut passed through his hometown. Billy and the King Gizzard boys shot the Gizz together in Sweden last summer, so fans were at least partially justified in expecting a visit from Strings. Less predictable was the collaboration that actually did occur toward the end of the night.
After finishing off an eruptive “Supercell” with a quick but forceful drum solo, Michael “Mickey Cavs” Cavanagh came out from behind the kit, still winded from his explosive display.
“Alright we’re gonna do something that we never really ever do,” Joey Walker announced. “Mickey’s got a stunt double.”
“We got a special guest, a very special guest,” Mickey said after catching his breath. “His name is Jay Weinberg! He’s one of my all-time favorite drummers, and he’s going to play ‘Perihelion’ for us.”
Mickey proceeded to sit down in a chair on the stage, kick back, and enjoy a beverage as he watched one of his favorite drummers rock out with his band.
Weingberg got his start subbing for his father Max Weinberg in Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band. He joined heavy metal giants Slipknot as the replacement for longtime drummer Joey Jordison in 2014 and was a member of the band for nearly a decade until his sudden and controversial firing in November 2023. He now plays with Suicidal Tendencies.
The selection of “Perihelion” was perfectly suited to Weinberg’s pedals-to-the-metal drumming style, and his spiral headbanging added authenticity to the tune from 2019’s thrash metal-inspired Infest the Rats’ Nest.
“Dreams do come true,” Walker shouted as the audience cheered at the end of the tune.
“Can’t leave without hitting the gong,” added Ambrose Kenny Smith. Weinberg obliged before giving Mickey a big hug and exiting the stage.
The band followed up the surprise sit-in by gathering around the synthesizers for the live debut of “Chang’e” before closing the show with “Extinction”.
Watch King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard play “Perihelion” with Jay Weinberg, click below to check out photos from Nashville courtesy of photographer Christian Stewart, and scroll down to view the full setlist.
Next up for KGLW is a three-hour Sunday “marathon set” at Chicago, IL’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island. Find tickets to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s upcoming U.S. tour dates here. Stream pro-shot video of each tour stop via the band’s YouTube page.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard With Jay Weinberg – “Perihelion” – 8/31/24
[Video: Bootleg Lizard]
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Chang’e” (Live Debut) – 8/31/24
[Video: Bootleg Lizard]
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Setlist [via kglw.net]: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Ascend Amphitheater | Nashville, TN | 8/31/24
Set 1: Evil Death Roll, Field of Vision, Mirage City > Raw Feel, Black Tooth, Work This Time, Le Risque, I’m In Your Mind > I’m Not In Your Mind > Hot Wax > I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, Slow Jam 1, Motor Spirit, Gila Monster, Supercell, Perihelion[1], Chang’e[2], Extinction
Footnotes:
[1] with Jay Weinberg on drums
[2] Debut; with intro jam
Show Notes: Evil Death Roll contained You Can Be Your Silhouette and Field of Vision teases. Field of Vision was dedicated to the city of Nashville. Raw Feel contained a Witchcraft tease. Black Tooth was played for the first time since 2022-10-02. (118 show gap) Le Risque was dedicated to Johnny Cash. I’m Not In Your Mind featured Ambrose on sax. Hot Wax contained a Am I In Heaven? tease. After I’m In Your Mind Fuzz, Stu thanked Trey [Anastasio] because a fan threw a shirt on stage of the Phish logo with the letters altered to say Gizz. Slow Jam 1 featured Ambrose on sax and Hypertension and Witchcraft teases. Perihelion featured Jay Weinberg (formerly of Slipknot) on drums. Chang’e contained an intro jam with Extinction quotes and the song itself contained Witchcraft quotes. Extinction contained an Intergalactic (Beastie Boys) quote.
