I ask you! Did you ever get so excited after seeing a concert of a band that you couldn't sleep at all afterwards? It happened to me when I saw the New York based outfit IZZ doing their first concert in the Netherlands. I can even say their first full show in Europe. What this seven piece unit brought to the stage is something which words hardly can describe. But when you are going to write a review about the concert that followed their performance at the Night of the Prog Festival in Loreley, Germany there is no escape from it. So I have to try anyway. So here it is!!! Enjoy!!!

Paul Bremner, John & Tom Galgano (►more pics)

Right from the start when the band announced on their Facebook page an additional concert to their NOTP show, I knew I had to see for myself how they would climbed the stage at The Music Hall located at the CREA Cultural Student Center in Amsterdam. Why you might ask yourself? Well because they are for me one of the best bands coming from the U.S.A. without any doubt. Their music, which is a mixture of the music made by bands such as of Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, The Beatles and Spock's Beard, grabbed me by the throat right from the start when they released their wonderful debut Sliver Of A Sun in 1998. On this album the two brothers and multi- instrumentalists John Galgano (bass and acoustic guitar, vocals) and Tom Galgano (keyboards, vocals) laid down a musical foundation that is still so much alive today. Throughout the years they managed with their band to climb to a higher level after each album release. On stage they have no problem to copy their sometimes complex music the best possible way. Something which me and the spectators present found out ourselves after a more than two hours long set.

Anmarie Byrnes & Laura Meade (►more pics)

While playing all those excellent songs they pushed the rhythmic complexity a step further. They do this with an excellent bassist, the earlier mentioned John Galgano who sometimes sounded like the late Chris Squire and who handles the bass in Renaissance as well. And with two great drummers and percussionists; Brian Coralian and Greg DiMiceli. You could hear that the polyphonic female vocals in particular are euphoric and engagingly intoned. Laura Meade (wife of John) and Anmarie Byrnes (wife of Tom) are two excellent singers which brought the band musically to an even higher level. And when they sang together with their husbands they created outstanding harmony vocals. On stage each individual instrument really set standards in its own way. You could follow each one and discover an incredible wealth of exciting twists, crazy ideas and devoted joy in playing. And the real mastery of IZZ is that all of these many individual ingredients came together to form a wonderfully harmonious and melodic whole. The band knew how to bring their trademarks to bear in both short pieces and epic compositions and offered a flood of ideas. Hard to believe how all of this is wonderfully packaged in accessible melodies.

During the songs performed from each album the band has released, it was obvious that here was a band playing at the top of their game. Showing the audience that they were going on full gear. Because they knew that some of them had waited so long to see them playing their favourite songs for the very first time during their first full show in Europe. I will not go into detail about which songs were performed. But each composition just blew me away when played it in a perfect way. The guitar solos by Scotsman Paul Bremner were a treat for my ears.

Brian Coralian and Greg DiMiceli (►more pics)

Just like the synthesizer solos by Tom on his single keyboard. Also outstanding were the vocal parts by all of the four singers. Laura, Anmarie, Tom and John sounded alone and together just perfect. Bravo! The short drum solo by Brian and Greg at the end of the set has to be mentioned as well. You could tell that there was no rivalry between them and as brothers they provided a true musical spectacle. Which was off course enjoyed by the audience who therefore gave them well deserved applause. Just as the band got after they finished their set with the track Late Night Salvation, taken from their in 2005 released album My River Flows.

Of course it wasn't the end of the show. The band returned with the short instrumental The Mists Of Dalriada. Taken from their second album I Move released in 2002. A tune written by Paul and sounding like an Celtic traditional. For this song Tom stepped away from his keyboard to play on his acoustic guitar. It was a perfect way to end an amazing concert.

A concert which was for me personally the best concert I had seen so far in 2024.The whole band just blew me away with their excellently played songs. Lets hope they will blow me away many more times in the not so far future. I'll forgive this amazing band for keeping me awake through the whole night, it was it worth all the way! IZZ are and will remain a phenomenon in the progressive rock scene on their excellent albums and most of all during their amazing performances on stage. It just doesn't get any better!

Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen)