September 25, 2008
Perhaps you’ve heard of Robert Plant. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, most boomers know that Robert Plant was the sexy, screaming voice of rock legends, Led Zeppelin. After the break-up of Zeppelin in late 1980, Plant has enjoyed many years of a successful solo career with several hits like, ‘Big Log’ and ‘I’m in the Mood.’ Plant has just turned 60.
Enter Alison Krauss, the bluegrass queen of country music. I remember reading about Alison Krauss back in the 80’s when she won the fiddling contest at the 13th Annual Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, KS, while in her teens. They were calling her a prodigy and hailing her as the future of bluegrass music. They were right. She has won more Grammy’s (21), than any other woman in music and in the top seven of all-time Grammy winners. She is 37.
Last October, when their collaboration was announced with the release of “Raising Sand”, the music world was turned on its ear. What? Robert Plant and Alison Krauss? How could that work? They come from two completely different genres of music. The album turned out to be very interesting, musically pleasing, and received good reviews. End of story.
Oh no, not end of story.
Tuesday night I went to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in concert. My husband and I actually bought two tickets at full price, $65 a piece, (not terribly outrageous) and settled into our seats in a lovely outdoor amphitheatre on a beautiful cool, clear night. We spoke with people we knew before the show, everyone seemed to be filled with anticipation as to how good this concert was really going to be.
From the moment the band of five highly skilled Nashville musicians, led by producer/guitarist T Bone Burnett, picked up their instruments and began the opening strains of ‘Rich Woman’, the first track on “Raising Sand”, we knew we were in for a real treat.
Out from the shadows, Alison Krauss, a wisp of a girl, petite and lovely in a knee length floral dress and fishnet stockings with her long golden hair, stepped into the spotlight and began singing the first verse into her microphone. Robert Plant, on the other hand, dressed in black shirt and leather pants with his distinctive curly locks, slowly crept up to his microphone, as if he were sneaking up unnoticed, and joined her in song.
What ensued for the next two hours was pure magic.
They rolled through 22 songs in all that ranged from most of the material from “Raising Sand” to several Led Zeppelin numbers; cloaked as bluesy banjo picking renditions, sung almost in a whisper. At one point early on, Plant stepped back to background vocals or left the stage entirely, while Krauss sang several numbers alone, including an amazing a capella version of “Down to the River to Pray” from the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ soundtrack.
He returned to the stage to join her once again, but clearly made it her show, acquiescing to her at every turn. Much to the dismay of the truly hard-core Zeppelin fans, who kept wishing Plant would break into full-blown rock and roll. He didn’t. The duo had a very sweet chemistry on stage, a real mutual admiration that seemed almost smitten-like at times.
They closed the show with the Zeppelin tune, “When the Levee Breaks”, which seemed very appropriate for these times and a song called, “I’m a One Woman Man” by Johnny Horton. Then told the cheering fans, they wish they didn’t have to leave. We heartily agreed.
When the group left the stage and the house lights came up, most people were in awe. We saw a friend of ours in the aisle and he had a glazed look and said, “Well, what did you think?” My husband replied, “I liked it!” As several others we knew walked by, we all agreed the show exceeded our expectations and was probably our favorite show of the year. Now I get why he turned down the Zeppelin tour.
I have included a YouTube clip of their version of the Led Zeppelin hit, ‘Black Dog’, filmed at this show. There are songs from their other shows on YouTube, as well, and plenty of clips of interviews if you want to learn more. Click here for tour dates.
Setlist: Rich Woman, Leave My Woman Alone, Black Dog, Sister Rosetta, Through the Morning, So Long Goodbye to You, Fortune Teller, I’m In the Mood, Black Country Woman, Earlier Baghdad, Trampled Rose, Wildwood Flower, Down to the River to Pray, Nothin’, Battle of Evermore, Please Read the Letter, Gone Gone Gone, In the Pines, Don’t Knock, When the Levee Breaks, Killin' the Blues, I’m A One Woman Man
Until next time, rock on and be excellent to each other… Penny
Comments
talisheek (anonymous) says...
we tried to catch them at jazzfest this year and couldn't make it work. i was so bummed. really hope to catch them live. thanks for story!
September 30, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
didee56 (anonymous) says...
This was great.As I said in(gray hair blog) I am so glad I came back to this site. I will be looking for this CD. Great listing in the car instead of same o stuff. I feel very behind the times. Was terribly sick last yr&1/2 and am finally able to join the world again. Thanks.
October 21, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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