Nearly 13 years into a career that spans 26 studio albums, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is well on its way to becoming a once-in-a-generation band.

This genre-hopping psych rock experimental six-piece from Melbourne, Australia, has redefined DIY and built its fanbase on near-constant output—much of it free—and relentless jammy rock shows. Locally, King Gizzard went from being the very first band on the FYF 2015 Sunday lineup to headlining Hollywood Bowl in 2023 and Kia Forum in 2024. That’s where it kicked off the second leg of its largest North American tour to date Nov. 1, marking K.G.’s second 3-hour “marathon set” here in two years.

If you’re unfamiliar with Gizz, now’s the perfect time to dive in. Think of them as your new favorite boy band (with guitars) and stan a fave. Choose from Stu Mackenzie (vocals/guitar/synth), Ambrose Kenny Smith (vocals/keys/harmonica), Joey Walker (guitar/vocals), Cook Craig (keys/guitar/vocals), Lucas Skinner (bass), and Michael “Cavs” Cavanaugh (drummer).

They dropped “Flight B741” over the summer—a stompy love letter to classic rock guitar tones and gang vocals—and already have “Phantom Island,” featuring a 28-piece orchestra, in the queue. Though the discography seems overwhelming, it’s akin to a musical mood ring. Something always fits the vibe. Plus, if you start at the beginning and move your way through, you can clear it in less than a month. Wait until December and make an advent calendar out of it.

You can dive into their epic performances, as the band is streaming EVERY SHOW OF THE TOUR FOR FREE LIVE on YouTube and releasing the full audio recordings (and stems), also for free, days later. What keeps things interesting is that the band doesn’t repeat songs from the last time they were in your city or on consecutive days at the same venue. During the first 3 shows of the Cali tour, they played only 1 repeat, performing over 58 songs within 3 distinctively varied sets.

KIA FORUM, LOS ANGELES | NOV. 1, 2024

Six of the band's most crushing metal songs were aired within the first 9 songs of the set, kicking off this performance with a thunderous energy that left the mosh pit frenetic. Where the band excels in its 3-hour format is in blending and weaving through songs across the discography, leaving easter eggs for sharp ears throughout the soundscape.

This whipped up the most excitement in the runs through “Slow Jam 1” (with “Am I in Heaven?” tease) -> “This Thing” (with “Am I in Heaven?” tease) -> “Am I in Heaven?” (with “Hell’s Itch” tease and “Slow Jam 1” quote) and—towards the end of the set—the bouncing “Ice V” with teases of “The Lord of Lightning,” which came in full a couple songs later.

The band surprised beloved concert audio bootlegger Mystery Jack for his 90th Gizz show when they brought him on stage to lead in with a gritty vocal intro on “Nuclear Fusion,” while current Suicidal Tendencies (and former Slipknot) drummer Jay Weinberg jumped in for drummer Michael Cavanaugh on closer “Le Risque” (with his wife Chloe delivering the song’s signature “Let’s Riiiiiiiide”) adding star power and oomph to the finale.

RADY SHELL, SAN DIEGO | NOV. 2, 2024

Gizz in the marina, ACOUSTIC, during the rain? Yes, please! Featuring seven acoustic debuts, the band unraveled a beautiful work of art and love throughout a set that found them mining new territory with stripped-down runs through the electronic and metal parts of their discography.

Fans of the oft-forgotten acoustic(ish) album “Paper Mache Dream Balloon” were rewarded with “Dirt,” “The Bitter Boogie,” and “Sense,” which was timed perfectly with the evening’s heaviest downpour, cleansing faces and souls in the process.

“Magma” and “Iron Lung,” from 2023’s “Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava,” were stunning, unexpected highlights, while the blend of “The Silver Cord,” "Theia,” and seminal “The River” proved to be the hottest moments of a totally chill night.

VINA ROBLES AMPHITHEATRE, PASO ROBLES | NOV. 3, 2024

While the band used the start and end of the set to rock (with highlights including “Doom City,” "Hypertension,” and “Rats in the Sky,) the star of the show was undoubtedly “THE TABLE.” Brought out toward the middle of the set, King Gizzard’s newest stage addition is a table on wheels packed with analog synths, which allows them to re-invent sections of their catalog and play its sole electronic album “The Silver Cord” live.

This mass of machines, cables, and microphones is one of the most exciting things happening in live electronic music right now, and watching frontman Stu Mackenzie take on the Han-Tyumi persona when he gets behind the table is hypnotic. With 5 members playing off the table simultaneously, plus a live drummer, it brings to mind elements of dance shows from artists including Underworld, Soulwax, Richie Hawtin, LCD Soundsystem, and Pretty Lights.

Though time constraints forced the band to cut the “Mind Fuzz” suite from the setlist, the Paso show will go down in Gizztory for featuring the debut of “Intrasport,” a house-influenced tambourine-splattered disco bop from 2020’s “K.G.,” which fans have been clamoring to hear live since the table’s arrival earlier this year.

Flipping back from electronic to metal after a searing run through “Set,” the band finished with a brutal onslaught: “Converge,” into “Gaia,” with “Gila Monster” and “Motor Spirit” sandwiched in before a final reprise of “Gaia” brought the three-night run full circle, starting and ending with enough crunchy, pummeling riffs and fills to leave me satisfied until they return to Southern California next year at Rady Shell (and a rumored stop at Hollywood Bowl) in August 2025.