IN CONCERT: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Forest Hills Stadium - August 1, 2025 (Orchestra Show)

Aug 8

Concert review by Beau Croxton, all photos by Tommy Krause

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

Last weekend, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard returned to Forest Hills Stadium in NYC for two knockout shows. The prolific Australian sextet has had a very fruitful relationship with the historic stadium since 2022.

On their current leg of their “Phantom Island Tour", the band has joined forces with conductor Sarah Hicks and numerous orchestras across North America for performances of their new symphonic-rock album, Phantom Island, in full. Additionally, the sets also include some stellar orchestral renditions of classic songs from their back-catalog, dating back to 2014.

On Night 1, the band’s wholesome and cult-like fanbase (aka The Weirdo Swarm) was decked out in all sorts of gear, ranging from Petrodragonic Apocalypse T-shirts to full-on wizard costumes. The band has created a very fun and inclusive environment where fans from all walks of life can feel safe and free to let their freak flag fly high– and it's a very beautiful thing. It's always interesting to see the different psych-rockers, hippies, metal-heads, and other fans come together to celebrate this diverse and prolific band.

As DJ Crenshaw wrapped up his opening set, the sun started to fade to a warm glow over the concrete walls of the stadium. Before King Gizzard hit the stage, a young fan proposed to his loved one in the front row of the bowl – it was a lovely moment and good omen for a very special night.

For this show, the band teamed up with New York’s own Orchestra of St. Luke’s. The 29-piece orchestra arrived first, to plenty of fanfare from the audience. The band, accompanied by conductor Sarah Hicks, then walked out to receive a thunderous roar of full-stadium applause.

Band leader Stu Mackenzie exclaimed “We love you so much! So happy to be here. One of our favorite places in the world”.

PHANTOM ISLAND

The album’s title track– “Phantom Island” kicked off the evening with a goosebump-inducing orchestral intro. In a live context, the hype of this opening was surreal— you could really feel the stadium’s eager excitement as Sarah Hicks led the orchestra into a cinematic build. As the orchestra swirled into its crescendo, it was intercepted by Michael Cavanagh’s killer disco-groove. The groove got everyone dancing and cheering, and the brass sections burst out triumphantly. The stadium (and Stu Mackenzie) cheered so loudly with excitement after the first portion of the song, that the group had to wait a beat before Ambrose Kenny-Smith could begin his thunderous outro verse. He prowled forward and commanded the stage like some psychotic evangelist. Every time Kenny-Smith takes the mic off the stand and runs free, his stage presence is electric.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

“Deadstick” was a soulful showstopper that delivered infectious classic-rock with campy brass arrangements. Mackenzie was free to show off his stage moves in his silly-but-awesome 80’s teal-green jumpsuit. Kenny-Smith took it home yet again with his bluesy verse– he sang at the top of his register until he was red in the face… Respect!

“Lonely Cosmos” sent the crowd into a trance with sleek and beautiful string arrangements, and it was even more cinematic live. Cook Craig, Ambrose Kenny-Smith and Stu Mackenzie all traded verses over this stellar, gorgeous, Bowie-esque cut from the record.

“Eternal Return” was one of the most impressive live renditions of the record, with a truly triumphant intro. Stu Mackenzie’s slide guitar and the grandiose strings of the orchestra soared in its spectacular lead-in. Cook Craig's opening verse paired with the strings created a serene moment of beauty. The way the verses progressed from that point was truly unique and psychedelic.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard/ Sarah Hicks and The Orchestra of St. Lukes live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

“Panpsych” was extra peppy and playful live— and complete with ultra hippie-dippie verses by Mackenzie and company. “Spacesick” was very grand, especially Walker’s psychedelic bridge-section, which veered into epic, interstellar, Bowie-style classic rock. When the track concluded, Stu Mackenzie cued the crowd to deliver roaring applause for Sarah Hicks and The Orchestra of St. Lukes.

On “Aerodynamic”, Mackenzie sang “This moon speaks to me this night/ she says follow my light”, under a beautiful moon that hovered over the stadium in the hazy night sky. It was a special and picturesque moment that was lifted by classic-rock-radio nostalgia and a sweeping string section.

“Sea of Doubt” demonstrated King Gizzard are very capable of melancholic and heartfelt moments— especially Ambrose Kenny-Smith's verse, which (emotionally) hits like a truck. Live, this song felt even more like the beating heart of the record.

“Silent Spirit” was just as swanky live — showcasing the smooth and tender bits of the album. The orchestra sounded incredibly rich, with its muted trumpets and strings flirting between Mackenzie’s verses. It was incredible to witness the dark and exotic guitar solo, and the chemistry between the band and the orchestra.

"Grow Wings and Fly” was perhaps the most transcendent moment, and it was played with a heightened tempo and giddy enthusiasm. It's one of the group's most uplifting and beautiful tracks, and it served as a joyful rave-up before the throwback part of the evening.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

TRUST IN THE RIVER

After they wrapped Phantom Island, The orchestra took a 20 minute break to catch their breath. The band stayed onstage to deliver a relentless rendition of “Magma”. The song's tempo grew to a propulsive, machine-gun-like speed thanks to the insane drumming of Michael Cavanagh. There’s a reason the track has a large reputation in their live show, with their fans perpetually chasing the ultimate rendition…it’s always explosive.

One of the most exciting parts of the evening was seeing old King Gizz classics from their back-catalog reimagined with the orchestra. “The River” was jazzed up significantly, with strings reeling in, flutes frilling in the negative space between Mackenzie’s verses, and brass harmonizing in big-band arrangements. It’s one of the band’s most essential songs, so it was a very special moment for their most die-hard fans.

“Crumbling Castle” (from 2017’s Polygondwanaland) was the undoubted orchestral highlight of the evening, as it's a major, all-time Gizz track like “The River”. The medieval, minor-scale orchestral arrangements provided a tasteful grandiosity that truly felt larger than life. Catching this song live is just about the zenith of the King Gizzard live-experience, but it has now been transcended with this theatrical orchestral rendition. The stoner metal-style outro was performed solely with drummer Cavs and the orchestra, and it was a stunner. That moment was extra special, as the band doesn't perform that last bit of the track very often.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

“This Thing” has synth-stabs that are already perfectly suited for orchestral arrangements, so it worked perfectly. The most impressive and surprising part of “Mars For The Rich” (besides inciting crowd surfing at an orchestral show) was the string section locking in with Lucas Harwood for his bass solo. The solo was fully supported by bowing bass and strings, and it was tightly performed to his speedy bass-licks.

Guitarist Joey Walker shouted “Free Palestine, motherfuckers!” loud and proud before the band kicked into one of their most intense and kick-ass tracks. “Dragon” is a very gnarly, loud and technical prog-metal masterpiece by the band, so it’s the last track you would expect King Gizzard to choose when incorporating a 29-piece orchestra. But they pulled it off masterfully, and it was just as monstrous as the original. The strings elevated the middle breakdown section, and the orchestra provided serious drama.

Between “Crumbling Castle” and “Dragon” it's clear that any sort of medieval, proggy, orchestral-metal album would be unreal from these lads, and hey–with how prolific they are, it could probably happen sooner than you think.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live at Forest Hills Stadium by Tommy Krause

“Iron Lung” had elegant orchestral flourishes, with the strings weeping over its minor-scale foundation. Kenny-Smith always kills on this tune, with his lively Mick Jagger-style rock-out about halfway through. It was a great fan favorite to close the show.

Ever since King Gizzard got back on the road in 2022, they have significantly expanded their massive following due to their prolific jamming, improvisation, and their ability to offer a unique experience every single night by switching up the setlist . But here in 2025, it’s clear that they can also deliver one of their most breathtaking performances by getting tighter, instead of looser. They really locked-in to their dedicated setlist and these carefully curated arrangements to deliver incredible performances with these expansive orchestras.

I’m no casual– I’ve seen King Gizzard more than a dozen times, but I can say that their orchestra show was one of the most special and incredible shows I’ve seen from the band.

While most King Gizzard shows thrive on adrenaline, this show excelled with stunning, goosebump-inducing moments. The band’s orchestral-fusion adds a whole new dimension to their sonic universe, and one can only hope that they expand on this approach down the line. It's no wonder why King Gizzard’s fanbase will follow their every move so passionately– when a band keeps outdoing themselves like this, you have to see it to believe it.

Check out the setlist and king-sized Gallery by Tommy Krause below!

All photos of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard by Tommy Krause

( @_tommykrause_ )