Doc Sprocket
*********
Last night I went down to Massey hall, in the heart of Downtown Toronto, and treated myself to "Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience".
Helluva show, I must say! For those unfamiliar with the finer points of trailblazing classic rock (what's wrong with you???), Jason Bonham is the son of deceased Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham. Like his father, Jason Bonham is a very accomplished drummer, and the Led Zeppelin Experience is sort of a step beyond even an elite tribute band because of the association.
Massey Hall is a fairly intimate venue (2765 seats), built in 1894.<---That's not a typo, it's a historic building! The accoustics are wonderful, and the audio engineer for the night really had it's number.
Because the focus was on Bonham, Jr, the drums were turned up a bit more than normal- but believe you me, hearing that amazing drum-work thundering away was NOT a problem! The kit sounded every bit as big as it looked, and the guy REALLY did his old man proud!
The music was interspersed with Jason telling stories of memories of home life with his legendary father, and even clips of old home movies from his childhood- very touching!
The bass player was solid with great meter, but otherwise unremarkable. The other musicians, though- Wow! The singer (who really looked like Bruce Willis to me) was just hitting the vocals right out of the park- impressive considering Robert Plant's vocal range. On some songs, he also played accoustic and electric guitar.
The keyboardist did an admirable job of filling in for John Paul Jones. ! I don't know who he is, but he mastered the keys to an uncommon degree. In "keyless" passages, he also filled in with various guitars and a lap steel.
No Zep tribute of any level could be considered complete without a lead guitarist capable of "pulling off" Jimmy Page. Head to head, I'm sure Page is unmatched in his raw ability- but for the purpose of this show, "good enough" doesn't quite cut it. This guy was good! Versatile, quick, and accurate, but laid back, even falling nicely into off-time stuff when needed. He even pulled off the freaky Theramin stuff in the middle of Whole Lotta Love.
The set list was terrific- Although I find it hard to imagine a Zep set list that wouldn't be terrific. They did a great list of the greats- Titles like Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You, The Immigrant Song, The Ocean, Black Dog, No Quarter, The Song Remains The Same, Rock And Roll, and my all-time Zep favourite, Kashmir. The list goes on, and there were no disappointments.
As you would expect, the finale performance was Stairway To Heaven. The crowd was invited to sing along, and the deep choral effect did nothing to detract from an otherwise wonderful rendition.
There was a minor technical glitch in between tunes, and I did detect a goof in Kashmir- but live happens. Anyone who's ever performed before an audience knows this all too well.
If I had to rate this concert out of five stars, I'd be all over Ebay trying to find an extra star! If any of you classic rock aficionados get a chance to experience Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, do so- trust me!
Helluva show, I must say! For those unfamiliar with the finer points of trailblazing classic rock (what's wrong with you???), Jason Bonham is the son of deceased Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham. Like his father, Jason Bonham is a very accomplished drummer, and the Led Zeppelin Experience is sort of a step beyond even an elite tribute band because of the association.
Massey Hall is a fairly intimate venue (2765 seats), built in 1894.<---That's not a typo, it's a historic building! The accoustics are wonderful, and the audio engineer for the night really had it's number.
Because the focus was on Bonham, Jr, the drums were turned up a bit more than normal- but believe you me, hearing that amazing drum-work thundering away was NOT a problem! The kit sounded every bit as big as it looked, and the guy REALLY did his old man proud!
The music was interspersed with Jason telling stories of memories of home life with his legendary father, and even clips of old home movies from his childhood- very touching!
The bass player was solid with great meter, but otherwise unremarkable. The other musicians, though- Wow! The singer (who really looked like Bruce Willis to me) was just hitting the vocals right out of the park- impressive considering Robert Plant's vocal range. On some songs, he also played accoustic and electric guitar.
The keyboardist did an admirable job of filling in for John Paul Jones. ! I don't know who he is, but he mastered the keys to an uncommon degree. In "keyless" passages, he also filled in with various guitars and a lap steel.
No Zep tribute of any level could be considered complete without a lead guitarist capable of "pulling off" Jimmy Page. Head to head, I'm sure Page is unmatched in his raw ability- but for the purpose of this show, "good enough" doesn't quite cut it. This guy was good! Versatile, quick, and accurate, but laid back, even falling nicely into off-time stuff when needed. He even pulled off the freaky Theramin stuff in the middle of Whole Lotta Love.
The set list was terrific- Although I find it hard to imagine a Zep set list that wouldn't be terrific. They did a great list of the greats- Titles like Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You, The Immigrant Song, The Ocean, Black Dog, No Quarter, The Song Remains The Same, Rock And Roll, and my all-time Zep favourite, Kashmir. The list goes on, and there were no disappointments.
As you would expect, the finale performance was Stairway To Heaven. The crowd was invited to sing along, and the deep choral effect did nothing to detract from an otherwise wonderful rendition.
There was a minor technical glitch in between tunes, and I did detect a goof in Kashmir- but live happens. Anyone who's ever performed before an audience knows this all too well.
If I had to rate this concert out of five stars, I'd be all over Ebay trying to find an extra star! If any of you classic rock aficionados get a chance to experience Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, do so- trust me!