There are some moments in music you will never forget. One that I recall vividly was the first time I heard Led Zepplin IV with my best friend. From the moment I heard “Hey hey mama” in “Black Dog” I was blown away. These guys were hard, they had great drums, an amazing singer, a great bassist and some of the best guitar riffs I had ever heard. After hearing Zepplin IV three of four times I ran out the following week and blew my entire paycheck on Led Zepplin I, Led Zepplin II, Led Zepplin III and of course Led Zepplin IV. That summer became the summer of Zepplin, and I ended up destroying my Houses of the Holy cassette tape because I played it too much. That set me back an additional $15.
My fascination with led Zepplin landed me concert tickets to see Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in 1998, and boy was that an experience. A huge venue, two of my music idols, Robert Plant belting out all of my favorite Led Zepplin tunes and Jimmy Page playing guitar like no ones business. I can still remember the 20+ minute Kashmir solo they did, and how it brought chills to my body. They were true roll & roll pioneers, and I think they did as much for music as any other music legend. They also inspired me to learn how to play guitar, and for that I am crazy thankful!
Two weeks back my buddy called me up and asked if I wanted to go see Jason Bonham’s Led Zepplin Experience. For those that don’t know, Jason Bonham is the son of the late Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham. I can’t turn down any show that has Led Zepplin associated with it, so of course I said yet. This turned out to be the right choice, and the show was absolutely amazing. Let me share some of the awesomeness with you.
There wasn’t an opening band, and it turns out one wasn’t needed. Jason and his fellow musicians made the evening an intimate tour through Led Zepplin history, and along with playing a wide variety of Led Zepplin songs he also shared various pictures and home movies that his family had made. He also worked through the entire Led Zepplin collection, playing songs from Led Zepplin I - Led Zepplin IV, as well as tunes from Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti.
I don’t think a true Zepplin fan could ask for a better setlist. They started the night off with the “Immigrant Song,” and followed it up with timeless classics like “Rock & Roll, “Your Time Is Gonna Come,” “Thank You,” “Moby Dick,” “Over The Hills And Far Away,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” “When the Levee Breaks,” “Kashmir,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and one of my personal favorites “Dazed & Confused.” Every song was spot on, and when I closed my eyes I could almost picture myself at a Led Zepplin concert. Jason and his bandmates were THAT GOOD, and are some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever seen live (I was in awe with their guitarist, their vocalist sounded just like Robert Plant, and Jason was AMAZING on drums).
I’ve already mentioned that the show was killer, so you know I’m going to give it a 10/10. So what were the HCMs (Holy Crap Moments) from show? Was it The killer drum solo Jason did during “Moby Dick?” Was it the the guitar heroics on “Stairway To Heaven?” Or was it the amazing keyboard and bass work done during “Dazed & Confused?” I really can’t say, since everything sounded so good. You could see the artists love for Led Zepplin, and that poured out into their instruments. This is one of the best shows I’ve been to in a long time, and I’d like to thank Jason and his band for such a magical evening. If you are a Led Zepplin fan you need to catch this one. It’s the best $20 you can spend (If you don’t think so check out some of his videos on Youtube). :)