Administrators sam_webmaster Posted September 16, 2015 Administrators Share Posted September 16, 2015 Robert Plant brings retooled zep hits to Molson AmphitheatreBy Jason MacNeil, Special to Postmedia NetworkIt's been nearly eight years since Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant performed together. And while Page has spent a large chunk of the interim restoring the iconic band's back catalogue, Plant continues to press forward on a seemingly endless musical adventure.Such was the case Tuesday evening at Toronto's Molson Canadian Amphitheatre where Plant and his eclectic supporting cast the Sensational Space Shifters thrilled a sizable but far from capacity crowd for 100 minutes. The biggest difference this time around was how liberally Plant sprinkled the set with reworked, retooled Led Zeppelin classics.Plant, 67, got things started off perfectly with Trampled Under Foot, the groovy boogie number from Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti. Happy to give fans what they wanted, the singer belted out the tune before offering up Turn It Up from his latest album Lullaby and...The Ceaseless Roar.It was obvious though the ups and downs depended on where Plant was in the set. As interesting as new, Celtic-tinged tunes such as Little Maggie came off they didn't register as strongly with fans judging by how many kept sitting. This changed quickly whenever Plant unearthed gems such as the delectable foot-stomper Black Country Woman with the singer on harmonica or the swampy, re-imagined Black Dog.Perhaps the greatest asset was his band, one that easily lived up to its name. A handful of times throughout, guitarists Justin Adams and Liam “Skin” Tyson followed Plant's blueprint perfectly, morphing from rustic Mississippi blues to rock to folk in the span of a few fleeting moments. This was particularly true on No Place to Go which veered seamlessly into a tasty portion of Dazed And Confused.Another highlight was The Rain Song which slowed things down roughly halfway into the show. Here Plant, Tyson and keyboardist John Baggott created some magic that both Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones would probably deem worthy.While professing his love of Toronto, Plant also gave a shout out to Jack White who Plant said was “giving some people some s—” and dedicated The Lemon Song to him. The reference regarded the verbal tussle White had earlier in the week with The Black Keys' Pat Carney.Near the homestretch Plant and the seasoned sextet weaved through a medley of I Just Want to Make Love to You, Whole Lotta Love and Who Do You Love? The mash-up was loved by all as Plant waved his hands in the air, which the crowd quickly mimicked. This paled however to the encore which melded Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down with In My Time of Dying.With the end in sight on this night, Plant put a pretty bow on the proceedings with Rock and Roll, the warhorse that had some Cajun flair to it courtesy of multi-instrumentalist Juldeh Camara.Opening for Plant was Seattle garage rock group The Sonics. While dressed like they just left their insurance office, the '60s group brought to mind The Stooges and MC5 with their powerful, punchy brand of rock.http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/16/robert-plant-brings-retooled-zep-hits-to-molson-amphitheatre--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Crowdalbum photos:https://www.crowdalbum.com/album/55f7d7586170703f72001c62/Robert-Plant-and-The-Sensational-Spacemakers_20150915Aesthetic magazine photos:http://aestheticmagazinetoronto.com/2015/09/16/photos-robert-plant-toronto-led-zeppelin/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An ageless Robert Plant continues to defy odds, mesmerize audiences without Led ZeppelinJohn Racovali, National Post | September 16, 2015It’s past my bedtime and it’s probably past Robert Plant’s too.But at 67 Plant is defying the need for deep sleep, both on Facebook (where his demise proved to be a hoax Sunday) and at Molson Amphitheatre, where he brought the Lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar tour after cancelling a June 15 show.“I woke up this morning and found that I had more of a similarity with a crooning Kermit than my normal Golden self, so heaps of apologies,’’ Plant said at the time.Apologies accepted, especially after Plant and the six-man Sensational Shape Shifters turned the frog into a prince of a 100-minute show.Plant mesmerizes on stage, flinging tambourines around, twirling the mic stand like a dance partner and convulsing head to toe with each power chord. He’s an old school showman.Mercifully free of any McCartney waver, Plant’s forceful voice pierces the driving drumbeats and it’s easy to forget he’d be a pensioner in Canada.If your notion of Plant comes from when he cracked the mainstream consciousness— former frontman for Led Zeppelin or Grammy-scooping duet partner with Alison Krauss for Raising Sand — you’re only just scratching the surface of his preternatural talent.Plant has shaped and reshaped his career since Zeppelin’s debut album in 1969 (particularly after going solo in 1982) without turning into a sad parody — enjoying a success that has allowed him to resist a Zeppelin reunion.(He famously dismissed the few songs performed with Zeppelin survivors at Live Aid in 1988 and at Atlantic Records 40th anniversary as “sleeping with your ex-wife but not making love.”)As the signature cascading curls suggest, Plant has aged gracefully and you can credit the vitality to a sense of musical adventure that includes recording two songs in 1972 with bandmate Jimmy Page in India with a Bollywood orchestra.The best example Tuesday was Plant starting straight up the Zeppelin classic Black Dog (“I don’t know but I’ve been told/ a big-legged woman ain’t got no soul”). He ignited his devout fans and fell silent so that the amphitheatre could be heard singing full throat.But Plant wrested the tune back and shape-shifted Black Dog from rock to tribal beat and away went the Space Shifters into Afro-Celtic improv with Gambian musician Juldeh Camara coaxing incredible sounds from the single string on his nyanyeru, a West African fiddle.The Space Shifters are Camara, guitarists Justin Adams and Liam Tyson, keyboardist John Baggott, bassist Billy Fuller and drummer Dave Smith.And Plant turns them at fluid full throttle — slow/fast or hushed/rafter-rattling or African/Celtic — often content to step back and enjoy the genre-crunching ride from rock to tribal and back. Most breathtaking was Adams’ percussive solo on a super caffeinated version of Crawlin’ King’s Snake.Plant closed with a tribute to the black gospel music that influenced him, a soulful rendition of ‘Satan, your kingdom must come down’ shifting into My Time of Dying, bringing the show to a mystical finale. http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/music/an-ageless-robert-plant-continues-to-defy-odds-mesmerize-audiences-without-led-zeppelin-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS CONCERT REVIEWby: Ritchie YorkeMagnificent is one of several words that readily come to mind in describing the performance at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto last night (Sept. 15) by Robert Plant and the Sensational Shape Shifters.Plant and his band were in dynamic shape as they rolled through an impressive set of nine re-worked Zep pillar-pieces and a handful of S. S. S. tracks (from the current album Lullaby and ...the Ceaseless Roar)including a new tune entitled Crawling King Snake.The show was highlighted by stellar musicianship and some awesome solo stretches.In an amiable conversation after the show, Robert told me that following four more shows, the Space Shifters would be taking a chill out on the performing agenda for the rest of the year.The former lead singer of Led Zeppelin has three separate musical adventures on the go at present – the Sensational Space Shifters, a renewed duet relationship with Alison Krauss and a body of work recorded under the name of The Band of Joy. The S. S. S. Have been performing together for three years as part of the 35 year post-Zeppelin career which Robert has maintained with class and distinction.Following is the set list for the September 15 Toronto concert:Trampled Under Foot Turn It Up Black Dog Rainbow Black Country Woman SpoonfulThe Rain Song No Place to Go / Dazed and Confused The Lemon Song Little MaggieCrawling King Snake Whole Lotta Love / Who Do You LoveEncores:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of DyingRock and Roll– RITCHIE YORKE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyGirl Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I often wonder if there's 71 year old British gent with free time on his hands, one who knowssome of the songs in Robert's set list. Perhaps he knows them by way of the guitar...I know the answer to this. Shhh let me just keep my head in the clouds pretending this couldhappen. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted September 17, 2015 Administrators Share Posted September 17, 2015 Author Ritchie Yorke celebrated the release of the online ebook version of his Led Zeppelin biography by presenting a hard copy edition to singer Robert Plant in Toronto.photo: Led Zeppelin Webmaster Sam Rapallo, Robert Plant and author Ritchie Yorke)[Toronto - September 16, 2015] Plant was performing with his band the Sensational Shape Shifters at the Molson Amphitheatre on Tuesday Sept. 15, the same day as Yorke's ebook was launched through his website, ritchieyorke.com.It will also be available on other platforms in the near future.Yorke, who was in Toronto to oversee the launching of his new book on John and Yoko Lennon's War Is Over If You Want It peace campaign. ``CHRIST YOU KNOW IT AIN'T EASY : JOHN AND YOKO'S BATTLE FOR PEACE.'' The ebook will be published on October 9, which would have been John Lennon's 75th birthday.There has been four separate editions of Yorke's Led Zeppelin biography, and it has been published in several languages, including Japanese, German, English and Yiddish.It was first released in 1976. It had sold more than a quarter of a million copies internationally.Yorke produced his book with the assistance and co-operation of manager Peter Grant and members of Led Zeppelin. It was the first book about Led Zeppelin.Yorke is credited with having been the first media person to publicly forecast the massive North American success of Led Zeppelin. He had been sent an advance white-label copy of the band's first album by his friend and mentor, Jerry Wexler, executive vice president of Atlantic Records.He responded very positively to the band's first album and subsequently introduced each of Zeppelin's Toronto appearances (including the Rock Pile, O'Keefe Centre and Maple Leaf Gardens).Bass and keyboards player John Paul Jones recently described Yorke as Led Zeppelin's ``champion'' in its early days.-- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/see-robert-plant-perform-led-zeppelin-classics-onstage-in-toronto--video/54060 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 I wonder what happened at Lockn' Festival. There were supposed to be two unique sets, but they looked not that different...As to the concert...Thinking it would save time, I took public transit to the show on Tuesday. Left at 7pm. Got to my seat at 9:18pm. Unreal. Luckily, the band started at 9:20, huge relief, didn't miss a note! Overall, it felt like a more spirited performance compared to the one at Massey Hall on their previous stop. Some of that has to do with the venue - Molson Amphitheatre is much larger and they had a whole general admission section where people are standing and more enthusiastic. It's always a bit awkward and slightly deflating when there' are seats at the front and people start sitting down for an unfamiliar song.Robert and the Space Shifters seemed to feed off of the extra energy, which was great to see and experience, given this is the last part of their tour. Part of that were the factors above, but also, people are more familiar with lullaby tracks and so much positive buzz has been generated as the shows have rolled along and picked up steam. As for the concert, well, spectacular! (if a bit short...). An energetic Trampled Underfoot brought a roar from the crowd and set the tone for a blazing show; funky grooves with a swagger. Black Country Woman was a great surprise! Fans seemed to respond more enthusiastically to the new material even if the old catalogue always pleases the masses. Loved all three; they were made for playing live, wish they'd included more.The Rain Song was beautiful and it felt special to witness, even if personally it was a bit bittersweet. It's a good thing that the piano doubled the acoustic guitar parts because lighter, softer sounds tend to thin out rather quickly - the acoustics at MA are not the best. Still, despite that and a touch of feedback here and there, Robert (who brought out some suave dance moves) and the band sounded amazing. Another highlight was the vocal harmonies in SYKMCD. Such a striking contrast from sounds they conjured with all the weaved instruments throughout the night. There's something hypnotic and deeply resonant about just the voice that connects on another level...It seemed that Juldeh was included in more songs this time around compared with the Massey Hall show, which was great to see. His instruments (well, Justin and Skin had a variety, too) added such beautiful intricate textures to the sound, so that even familiar songs called for attentive listening. The medleys and solos were mesmerizing. It's a cliche now to say that their sound is beyond category, but it's true and probably one of the highest compliments.Now for the people. Different performances have different rules of etiquette. Concerts - Beer? Check. Halfling happy leaf? Check. Personal space versus consideration for fellow fans? Hmm.... Even first timers quickly pick up cues from other concert goers. Or not. Sit the fuck down! the man, clearly a concert veteran behind me, bellowed. Well. What to do? I turned around. Big guy. Shit. "Not you," he said, smiling as he put his hand on my shoulder. Then with a swiftness belying his age, he jutted forward and yelled at the oblivious couple in the front row. He tapped them on the shoulder, told them off in proper pirate vernacular, and yet, it was as if it never happened. Onwards they went, swaying and bopping not in time with each other or the beats. WASPY people can't dance. I'm not one to talk, but at least I know when to sit the fuck down. After the show, I ran into and caught up with a couple of friends, which was great. A shared experience with true blues is always better Yorke's article states they'll stop touring after this stretch of concerts is finished, and a well-deserved rest it is, but I hope Robert meant it when he said, 'See you soon." This is a rare musical brotherhood and hopefully will continue, but in what manifestation, we'll see...p.s. from Yorke's article above - "The former lead singer of Led Zeppelin has three separate musical adventures on the go at present – the Sensational Space Shifters, a renewed duet relationship with Alison Krauss and a body of work recorded under the name of The Band of Joy. " This reads awkwardly (no offense to Ritchie Yorke). I read it as what's happened up to this point, yes? Or is there another duet with Alison in the works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemouse Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I was wondering about the two different concerts as well. It sounded like a massive undertaking and I wonder if it just did not click in the rehearsal time they had.This is intriguing about the other projects could The Band of Joy be a reworking of the band he had in the US but with UK musicians. That would feed Roberts desire to connect to the blues in a more traditional form.The break from the Sensational Shape Shifters would also make sense as I believe John Power is trying to get the band Cast creating again and Skin was part of that band so wonder if live dates or any recordings are on the cards.You get the impression Robert is hankering for a change again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 19, 2015 Author Share Posted September 19, 2015 I thought that for Lockn' Fest it might've gone the way of alternate collaboration(s) with yet more varied musical styles incorporated, but that it fell through. Just conjecture. Seems to me that if they'd promisef alternate sets, they'd have delivered unless it was something they couldn't control, like someone else backing out for whatever reason. Either that or it was the worst pun about 'alternate'... Some videos from the Toronto show can be seen in this link: http://bravewords.com/news/robert-plant-performs-led-zeppelin-classics-in-toronto-fan-filmed-video-available New York's up next, although there's precious little about last night's show at Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY (17-9-2015). A blurb and some photos for now: Robert Plant at the Capitol Theatre (A Gallery)September 18, 2015Fresh off the heels of two performances at Lockn' Festival in Arrington, VA, Robert Plant brought his band the Sensational Space Shifters to the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. The former Zeppelin frontman dazzled the crowd with tunes from his latest record as well as reimagined Zeppelin classics like "Black Dog," "Whole Lotta Love" and a closing "Rock and Roll." Scott Harris shared some photos from the show. See the rest of the photos here: http://www.relix.com/blogs/detail/robert_plant_at_the_capitol_theatre_a_gallery/comments/#8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrledhed Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 I was there in the front row as I was the previous year. While this tour has been very energetic, this band has run its course. I'd like to see him either do something completely new after he takes a break, or go back to playing his 1980s and 1990s solo music with a new band (of course LZ reunion would be better). The blues and Zep covers are worn out. The only interesting tracks that I liked were the ones from the new album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackDog71 Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 I'm going on the 23rd in Chicago. Looks like JD McPherson is the opener. I believe he used to be a school teacher. Had a hit a few yrs ago Northside Gal. Should be a great show!I'll be at this show as well. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be my second time seeing Robert. I'm glad it's with the SSS again. Enjoy the music! I know I will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 I'll be at this show as well. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be my second time seeing Robert. I'm glad it's with the SSS again. Enjoy the music! I know I will. Let us know what you both think of it As per request, here are the rest of the photos from the Capitol Theater gig: http://www.relix.com/blogs/detail/robert_plant_at_the_capitol_theatre_a_gallery#3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 Capitol Theater, from another site:September 18th, 2015 Photos :: Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters w/ Sean Rowe :: 2015.09.17The Capitol Theatre Photo GalleryPhotos by: Scott Harrishttp://www.thecapitoltheatre.com/2015/09/18/photos-robert-plant-the-sensational-space-shifters-w-sean-rowe-2015-09-17/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemouse Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Thank you as always for the photographs and reports. That Theatre space looks amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Robert Plant at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom: What You Can Learn from a Tireless LegendThere are lessons to be absorbed here, people.September 19, 2015 4:56 PMRobert Plant (Maria Ives for Radio.com)By Brian Ives Neil Young famously said, “‘Heart of Gold’ put me in the middle of the road. Traveling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch.” It’s a sentiment thatRobert Plant can surely appreciate.That quote went through my mind a few times last night and Plant and his latest backing ensemble, the Sensational Shape Shifters, tore through a powerful set at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.Plant’s own “Heart of Gold,” or Harvest, if you will, is his six-GRAMMY-winning 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss, Raising Sand. It was a stellar achievement, and a great album worthy of the kudos it received, and the new audience it gained.But it should have surprised exactly no one when he backed out of a follow-up album; keep in mind, this is the guy who seems uninterested in a Led Zeppelinreunion, despite the fact that it would surely be worth tens of millions of dollars to him.His eventual follow-up, 2010’s Band of Joy, kept him in the Americana vein, but brought him to much weirder places. He was headed for the ditch which Young evoked. Still, he’d been accepted by the Americana scene; and was working with the likes of Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott and Patty Griffin (the latter of whom he was rumored to be romantically involved with). It would have been understandable if he made Austin or Nashville his retirement home, both geographically and creatively.Which brings us to his most recent project, last year’s Lullaby And… the Ceaseless Roar. He left America, and Americana, for Europe and a more progressive, experimental sound. He’s been touring for about three years with the core band from the album, and this particular collective seems to really suit Plant. They play the new songs with the swagger of a band who knowsthey’ve done something great (and are unconcerned about the critical or commercial reaction to it). They love playing his old songs, but they don’t play them with the reverence of guys who grew up on “triple shots” of Zeppelin on “Get the Led Out.” Like Plant, they play those songs with the curiosity of artists who are looking to see just how far they can stretch the canvas that they’re painting on.Last night’s set was mostly made up of Lullaby songs and updates of Zeppelin classics; there were also new takes on blues standards: “Spoonful,” “I Just Want To Make Love To You” and “Crawling King Snake.” Most of Plant’s pre-Lullaby discography was ignored, other than his take on the traditional “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down” (which he recorded for Band of Joy).The setlist also reminded me of Young; Young doesn’t shy from his catalog, but doesn’t feel bound to it, or to any particular parts of it. He may play “Heart of Gold” on a given night; he might not. He doesn’t care how you feel about that choice, either. Young, and Plant, seem to incorporate music from their respective catalogs into their set lists based on how those songs fit in with the current project (or current mood). What it isn’t based on is radio play or number of downloads.If you want to go see Led Zeppelin songs performed faithfully, you can check out Lez Zeppelin or Led Zeppelin 2 or any other number of tribute bands. But if you want to see the singer of Led Zeppelin sing those songs with passion and creativity, do make it a point to see Robert Plant inconcert. Or go on YouTube and find recordings of him reimagining “Trampled Underfoot” with disco guitar; a slowed down “Black Dog”; “Dazed and Confused” with a Celtic breakdown; or a take on “Whole Lotta Love” that’s even weirder than the original.And there’s a lesson to be learned there, and not just for musicians, or even artists. You don’t have to be tethered to your past, but you can still honor it. You can recognize your history with pride, without being bound to it. You may appreciate the past more when you’re not always living in it.Your story doesn’t end when you’re 40, or 50, or 60. You can make crazy moves, change the way you’re doing things, and bust out of your comfort zone. Listen to music you’ve never listened to before. Go to a restaurant that serves food you’ve never tried. Hang out with people who don’t know that well. Learn a new skill. Your story isn’t over.I interviewed Plant back in 2002, and when discussing why he ended his ’90s collaboration with Jimmy Page, he said [and I’m paraphrasing] that he didn’t have a lot of time left, and he only wanted to be involved in projects that he really had passion for. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his career as an artist playing old hits in hockey arenas.Even though Mr. Plant seemed acutely aware of the passage of time 13 years ago, his discography since then has been frankly, great, and it’s not unreasonable to expect a few more excellent efforts before the last page of his book has been written.Which leads to a final lesson for the guys in the Sensational Shape Shifters: it’s been a great tour, and you’ve done a great album. But Neil Young’s pals in Crazy Horse might tell you: don’t get too comfortable.~I have to mention here that the opening act was the Sonics, a legendary Seattle proto-punkband from the ’60s ( you may have caught them in Dave Grohl’s Sonic Highways documentary series). They recently released their first album in nearly five decades. The original lineup disintegrated around the time Zeppelin was getting together in the late ’60s. Expectations for a band like this must be managed.So, how were they? They killed it! And the lessons to be learned from them are that your story is never over until you’re six feet under. And also: garage rock bands should all have saxophones. Finally, if you have a chance to catch this American treasure, who are still an amazing live band against all odds, do yourself a favor and do it.http://radio.com/2015/09/19/robert-plant-hammerstein-ballroom-review/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackDog71 Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 Let us know what you both think of it I'll be sure to check back in after the show. I only wish I was close enough to get some of the amazing shots you got at your show. I have decent seats, but nothing that good. Or maybe you just have a really amazing camera. LOL!Either way, I can't wait, and thanks for the response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 ^^Enjoy the show:-) I wished he was coming back to this area! Last Best Show: Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters at the Blue Hills Bank PavilionBy: Jed GottliebYes, Robert Plant pioneered heavy metal. But Led Zeppelin’s Golden God also reworked Celtic folk, repurposed Delta blues and made world music rock music. He has always been in the mood for a melody. As long as it's not the same melody he's sung for 40 years.While I would have liked for him to traverse more ground with his outfit Band of Joy, he told me ahead of his last trip to Boston the group had too much talent to stick around -- “They were all virtuoso songwriters and musicians. Everyone had to go and do what they had to do. They had records to produce or write or play on,” he said.Thankfully his sonic travels with the Sensational Space Shifters have proved even more interesting.Last night at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, the Mighty Rearranger showed off his skill for twisting tunes. Plant doesn’t only voyage from song the song. He embeds epic journeys into each number. For just over an hour and a half, in front of a Sunday packed house, he and his band of six merry men rambled. And we rambled on with them.Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” started with EDM, slid into acid rock and landed in rural Africa. “Dazed and Confused” felt as raw and evil as ever until the band flipped the song upside down and suddenly transported us to a Gambian street party -- thanks to Juldeh Camara and his one-string fiddle. “Little Maggie,” a traditional American song Plant learned from hanging out with his friends in Texas and Tennessee, featured a breakdown of new wave synthesizers and barn dance clapping.But nothing wandered like “Black Dog.” The legendary war horse crossed the Atlantic bridging urban British and rural American blues; it leap over the Strait of Gibraltar linking Moroccan folk and shimmering Ibiza discotheque grooves.Whether it was led Zeppelin classics (and there were a lot of those -- Trampled Under Foot! The Rain Song! Whole Lotta Love!) or new stuff (which nearly got the cheers the old material enjoyed), the band kept trekking, kept evolving. I've seen Plant play with three different bands in the last decade. This one explores like no other. And unlike so many of his peers, Plant moves forward artistically with every tour. Anthony Bourdain, you're a novice, come ride shotgun with Robert for a while and experience expeditions like nothing you've seen before.http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/guestlisted/2015/09/last_best_show_robert_plant_and_the_sensational_space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators sam_webmaster Posted September 22, 2015 Administrators Share Posted September 22, 2015 Live Review: Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters at Boston’s Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (9/20)The Led Zeppelin frontman is happy to honor the past on his own termsby Edward Dunbar | September 21, 2015 Photos by Maria Alejandra MataLate last year there was a rumor going around that Robert Plant turned down a sum to the tune of one billion dollars to reunite Led Zeppelin. While that story turned out to be fabricated by the UK gossip rags, it was powerful because people actually believed it. That’s how great the demand is for a Led Zeppelin reunion 35 years after the band’s initial demise. A billion dollars seemed like a bargain for perhaps the most sought-after reunion in rock.Refusing to reunite Zeppelin is still an admirable stance for Plant to hold. After all, the main crux for Zeppelin’s dissolution was the death of John Bonham, one of Plant’s longtime friends whom he knew for years before they formed Led Zeppelin. So, despite a few semi-reunions including a “Page and Plant” tour and album in the ’90s and a one-off reunion show in 2008 in honor of the late owner of Atlantic Records, Plant seems set on keeping the Led Zeppelin legacy intact.After seeing him with The Sensational Space Shifters, it’s difficult for me to understand why. Plant still has the same vitality and energy that initially catapulted Zeppelin into the upper echelon of ’70s acts. His set list still includes a good number of Led Zeppelin songs, with a few picks from his solo career peppered among them. I’ll admit there were moments when I closed my eyes and imagined Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones up on stage with him. Many grew up with the images of Page’s double-neck EDS raised high into the air before the “Stairway To Heaven” solo, JPJ’s dexterity in playing lead and bass on “Trampled Underfoot”, or Bonham’s extended solo in “Moby Dick”. It isn’t so much that The Sensational Space Shifters are unworthy — they did an incredible job of molding these songs into their own personal shapes — but that all four members of Zeppelin were iconic in their own way.While Zeppelin’s towering triumphs will always follow Plant, that isn’t to say he hasn’t carved out his own legacy after the band. Newer songs like “Rainbow” still crackle with the same excitement that marked Plant’s earlier work, but are finely tuned to match his maturing sensibilities.In a fit of glorious immaturity, The Sonics opened up the show with snotty garage rock. Though the average age of the performers onstage was in the late 60s/early 70s, they brought their recently reunited brand of rock screaming into a new decade with cuts from their latest album, This is the Sonics. The Sonics never experienced the mainstream success that Led Zeppelin did, but it could be argued that songs like “The Witch” and “Psycho” are just as influential as many of Zeppelin’s bigger songs, and they delivered them in a fiery and loud fashion that belied both their age and the fact that they looked like they just got out of a board meeting. It was as if they’d been practicing non-stop in their garages for the past 50 years. Gerry Roslie, now in his early 70s, can still let out a guttural scream with all the phlegm of his 20-year-old self. Very few bands can justify a reunion this late in the game, but with performances like this, The Sonics’ legacy is firmly preserved.Plant also displayed a youthful kick. Every rock star move he mastered back in the day was still intact. More importantly, they still felt genuine, coming from a place of honesty rather than a bid to relive the past. Best of all, the voice remains the same. At the ripe age of 68, Plant still sounds like his former self. While newer songs like set opener “Poor Howard” grooved with the best of them, the highlights were always going to be when he decided to get the Led out. Underrated cuts like “The Rain Song” and “Trampled Underfoot” were delivered as perfect replicas from Zeppelin’s heyday with Plant impressively hitting every note.We didn’t hear “Stairway”, but we still got pounding versions of “Rock and Roll”, “Whole Lotta Love”, and “Black Dog” with the former detouring into a cover of Bo Diddley’s “Mona” before settling into that iconic, groovy riff. “Black Dog” was completely reworked with a sludgier take on its famous riff and a deep drone behind every verse. It was an unexpected twist that proved that Plant was happy to respect the past on his own terms. And The Sensational Space Shifters shone in their dramatic interpretations of “Spoonful” and “Little Maggie”. These blues standards have been covered time and time again, but Plant and his band breathed new life into them through ominous synths and surprising detours into world music.There’s still a surreal mysticism to Plant, but his stage banter revealed a sense of humor behind the persona. After introducing the band, he quipped, “Senior citizen afternoon discount at Denny’s. What more could you want?” However, the most telling and thought provoking line of the night was from newer song “Turn It Up”: “I’m stuck inside the radio/ So turn it on and let me out!Plant is someone who was born for the stage. Every little mannerism felt right and in tune with what you would expect from him, which is perhaps why he still refuses to reform Led Zeppelin. The past is the past;. Led Zeppelin’s legacy is a monolith, but it’s one that he has come to terms with and wholeheartedly accepts. While you can tell he still holds those memories close to the heart, he’s more determined to make new ones.Setlist:Poor HowardTrampled Under FootTurn It UpBlack DogRainbowSpoonful (Willie Dixon cover)The Rain SongNo Place to Go / Dazed and ConfusedThe Lemon SongLittle Maggie (cover)Win My Train Fare Home (If I Ever Get Lucky)Whole Lotta Love / MonaEncore:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of DyingRock and Roll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photos by Maria Alejandra MataLate last year there was a rumor going around that Robert Plant turned down a sum to the tune of one billion dollars to reunite Led Zeppelin. While that story turned out to be fabricated by the UK gossip rags, it was powerful because people actually believed it. That’s how great the demand is for a Led Zeppelin reunion 35 years after the band’s initial demise. A billion dollars seemed like a bargain for perhaps the most sought-after reunion in rock.Refusing to reunite Zeppelin is still an admirable stance for Plant to hold. After all, the main crux for Zeppelin’s dissolution was the death of John Bonham, one of Plant’s longtime friends whom he knew for years before they formed Led Zeppelin. So, despite a few semi-reunions including a “Page and Plant” tour and album in the ’90s and a one-off reunion show in 2008 in honor of the late owner of Atlantic Records, Plant seems set on keeping the Led Zeppelin legacy intact.After seeing him with The Sensational Space Shifters, it’s difficult for me to understand why. Plant still has the same vitality and energy that initially catapulted Zeppelin into the upper echelon of ’70s acts. His set list still includes a good number of Led Zeppelin songs, with a few picks from his solo career peppered among them. I’ll admit there were moments when I closed my eyes and imagined Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones up on stage with him. Many grew up with the images of Page’s double-neck EDS raised high into the air before the “Stairway To Heaven” solo, JPJ’s dexterity in playing lead and bass on “Trampled Underfoot”, or Bonham’s extended solo in “Moby Dick”. It isn’t so much that The Sensational Space Shifters are unworthy — they did an incredible job of molding these songs into their own personal shapes — but that all four members of Zeppelin were iconic in their own way.While Zeppelin’s towering triumphs will always follow Plant, that isn’t to say he hasn’t carved out his own legacy after the band. Newer songs like “Rainbow” still crackle with the same excitement that marked Plant’s earlier work, but are finely tuned to match his maturing sensibilities.In a fit of glorious immaturity, The Sonics opened up the show with snotty garage rock. Though the average age of the performers onstage was in the late 60s/early 70s, they brought their recently reunited brand of rock screaming into a new decade with cuts from their latest album, This is the Sonics. The Sonics never experienced the mainstream success that Led Zeppelin did, but it could be argued that songs like “The Witch” and “Psycho” are just as influential as many of Zeppelin’s bigger songs, and they delivered them in a fiery and loud fashion that belied both their age and the fact that they looked like they just got out of a board meeting. It was as if they’d been practicing non-stop in their garages for the past 50 years. Gerry Roslie, now in his early 70s, can still let out a guttural scream with all the phlegm of his 20-year-old self. Very few bands can justify a reunion this late in the game, but with performances like this, The Sonics’ legacy is firmly preserved.Plant also displayed a youthful kick. Every rock star move he mastered back in the day was still intact. More importantly, they still felt genuine, coming from a place of honesty rather than a bid to relive the past. Best of all, the voice remains the same. At the ripe age of 68, Plant still sounds like his former self. While newer songs like set opener “Poor Howard” grooved with the best of them, the highlights were always going to be when he decided to get the Led out. Underrated cuts like “The Rain Song” and “Trampled Underfoot” were delivered as perfect replicas from Zeppelin’s heyday with Plant impressively hitting every note.We didn’t hear “Stairway”, but we still got pounding versions of “Rock and Roll”, “Whole Lotta Love”, and “Black Dog” with the former detouring into a cover of Bo Diddley’s “Mona” before settling into that iconic, groovy riff. “Black Dog” was completely reworked with a sludgier take on its famous riff and a deep drone behind every verse. It was an unexpected twist that proved that Plant was happy to respect the past on his own terms. And The Sensational Space Shifters shone in their dramatic interpretations of “Spoonful” and “Little Maggie”. These blues standards have been covered time and time again, but Plant and his band breathed new life into them through ominous synths and surprising detours into world music.There’s still a surreal mysticism to Plant, but his stage banter revealed a sense of humor behind the persona. After introducing the band, he quipped, “Senior citizen afternoon discount at Denny’s. What more could you want?” However, the most telling and thought provoking line of the night was from newer song “Turn It Up”: “I’m stuck inside the radio/ So turn it on and let me out!Plant is someone who was born for the stage. Every little mannerism felt right and in tune with what you would expect from him, which is perhaps why he still refuses to reform Led Zeppelin. The past is the past;. Led Zeppelin’s legacy is a monolith, but it’s one that he has come to terms with and wholeheartedly accepts. While you can tell he still holds those memories close to the heart, he’s more determined to make new ones.Setlist:Poor HowardTrampled Under FootTurn It UpBlack DogRainbowSpoonful (Willie Dixon cover)The Rain SongNo Place to Go / Dazed and ConfusedThe Lemon SongLittle Maggie (cover)Win My Train Fare Home (If I Ever Get Lucky)Whole Lotta Love / MonaEncore:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of DyingRock and Roll
Patrycja Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 ^ Cheers, annie And yes, that theatre space is indeed beautiful. I'll be sure to check back in after the show. I only wish I was close enough to get some of the amazing shots you got at your show. I have decent seats, but nothing that good. Or maybe you just have a really amazing camera. LOL!Either way, I can't wait, and thanks for the response. If only that were true, BlackDog71, alas, it wasn't the case in venue, proximity, or equipment. I was at the Toronto show, and while my seat was right in the middle for a near perfect view (there's always a taller person in the row in front of you, just a balance of the universe thing), it was just behind the general standing section, and my 'equipment', as it were, was my cell phone. Here are some that were at least not that blurry:I was actually a bit closer than the second and bottom photos indicate...Speaking of the Toronto show, here it is in it's near entirety!: Some more from Capitol Theatre:Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters played Hammerstein Ballroom and The Capitol Theatre (pics/setlist)photos by Greg CristmanFollowing their appearances at Lockn Fest, Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters headed north for a few NYC-area shows, including Port Chester's The Capital Theatre on September 17 and Hammerstein Ballroom on September 18. Pictures from the Cap are in this post. Plant and the band, which includes a couple members who also play in Massive Attack, Portishead and BEAK>, offer up very modern updates of Zeppelin classics, old blues tunes and songs from their album lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar. Can you play the hits and offer up something new and exciting, too? Robert Plant can.Sensational Space Shifters' tour wraps up this week with shows in Indianapolis on Tuesday (9/22) and Chicago on Wednesday (9/23). Setlist and more pics from the Cap (including a few of opener Sean Rowe), below...---Sean Rowe SETLIST: Robert Plant & Sensational Space Shifters @ The Capitol Theatre 9/17/2015Poor HowardTin Pan ValleyTrampled Under Foot (Led Zeppelin song)Turn It UpBlack Dog (Led Zeppelin song)Let the Four Winds BlowThe Rain Song (Led Zeppelin song)No Place to Go / Dazed and ConfusedLittle Maggie ([traditional] cover)Crawling King SnakeThe Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin song)I Just Want to Make Love to You / Whole Lotta Love / Mona / Whole Lotta Love - repriseEncore:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time of DyingRock and Rollhttp://omnifeed.com/article/www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2015/09/robert_plant_th_2.htmlThe set list here is slightly different: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/robert-plant/2015/capitol-theatre-port-chester-ny-23f4944b.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Set list for the show at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY (18-9-2015):Poor Howard Trampled Under Foot Turn It Up Black Dog Rainbow Black Country Woman Spoonful (Willie Dixon cover)The Rain Song No Place to Go / Dazed and Confused The Lemon Song Little Maggie ([traditional] cover)Crawling King Snake I Just Want to Make Love to You / Whole Lotta Love / Mona / Whole Lotta Love - reprise Encore:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of Dying 15 Rock and Roll http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/robert-plant/2015/hammerstein-ballroom-new-york-ny-43f493d7.html Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters Rocked The Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC on September 18, 2015 [Zumic Review + Photos]by Francesco MaranoPublished: September 21st, 2015 "I love being in New York City during this time of year. Oh, how I've missed you!"So confessed Robert Plant last Friday night, as he brought his band, the Sensational Space Shifters, to a sold out crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom. There were plenty of Led Zeppelin fans in the audience, and the band didn't disappoint in giving them what they wanted to hear while cleverly mixing new songs from the band's 2014 album, lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar.Mixing delta blues, classic rock, folk, and sounds and rhythms from North and West Africa, the music sounded fresh, and Robert's band put worldly flavors into Led Zeppelin classics like "Black Dog," "Black Country Woman," and "The Lemon Song."Guitarists Justin Adams and Skin Tyson, drummer Dave Smith, bassist Billy Fuller, keyboardist John Baggott, and Gambian musician Juldeh Camara seamed effortlessly together and knew when to bring the room's energy up to an excited state or down to a mellow mood.Robert Plant may be 67 years old, but the iconic frontman showed no signs of his age. At times, he commanded the stage with the presence of a lion; swinging the microphone stand and letting his voice soar. Other moments showed Plant dig deep into his soul with a more intimate feel.Last year, there was a report that Plant allegedly turned down an $800 million dollar offer to reunite his former band. I don't blame him. Why rehash old memories and become a travelling jukebox of your songs? Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters are making fresh, new music and putting a worldly twist on the Zeppelin songs that his fans know and love. If you haven't done so already, I would strongly suggest you listen to lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roarto hear how great his new band is, and to gain and understanding of Plant's influences.Pick up the band's 2014 album, lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar on Amazon (Vinyl, CD, MP3).For the latest music, news, and tour information on Robert Plant, check out hisZumic artist page.All photos by Francesco Marano. © Zumic, 2015http://zumic.com/2015/09/21/robert-plant-and-the-sensational-space-shifters-rocked-the-hammerstein-ballroom-in-nyc-on-september-18-2015-zumic-review-photos/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 So the tour's winding down and there are only a couple of shows left. It'll be interesting to see what they cook up next, individually and collectively, if they end up together again on a new venture.In the meantime, another review and some killer shots from the show at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston, MA (20-9-2015): Robert Plant and The Sensational Space Shifters in Bostonby Matthew Shelter on September 22, 2015 Robert Plant and The Sensational Space ShiftersBlue Hills Bank PavilionBoston, MASeptember 20It’s a fair bet that most of the fans who show up to see Robert Plant these days are there for whatever Zeppelin songs he may throw onto the setlist. And despite Plant’s well-publicized reluctance to join a Led Zeppelin reunion, he has not been stingy when it comes to performing tunes from the legendary group on his own, with roughly half the set list on recent tours being comprised of Zep classics. What fans may be surprised to find, though, is how good the non-Zeppelin tunes are, particularly those drawn from last year’s lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar, which Plant recorded with his current backing band, The Sensational Space Shifters.Plant and co. opened their recent show at Boston’s Blue Hills Bank Pavilion with one of those new songs, “Poor Howard,” a funky, upbeat number that set the tone for much of the evening. What followed was an alternating of Zeppelin tunes – “Trampled Under Foot,” “Black Dog,” a majestic “The Rain Song” – with tracks from the new album – “Turn It Up,” “Rainbow.” The Sensational Space Shifters do not attempt to replicate the classic Zeppelin sound, instead bringing their own take to the music, where a dominant sense of rhythm replaces the crunch and slash of Led Zeppelin. The result is something akin to what might have happened if Little Feat had been handed the Zeppelin song book.They turned the blues classic “Spoonful” into a rhythm-and-blues classic, highlighted by an extended fiddle solo by uber-talented West African musician Juldeh Camara. Camara’s fiddle – actually a ritti, a one-string fiddle – came to the fore again during a mesmerizing jam that paired Howlin’ Wolf’s “No Place to Go” with “Dazed and Confused.” But if you had to pick a Zeppelin song that is tailor-made for The Sensational Space Shifters, it might be “The Lemon Song,” one of the funkier early Zeppelin tracks. The band easily found the groove on this song, and then segued seamlessly into two newer tunes – “Little Maggie,” off of lullaby… and “Win My Train Fare Home (If I Ever Get Lucky),” which was featured on Plant’s 2002 Dreamland album of cover songs. Back to the classics, they closed out the regular set with an extended “Whole Lotta Love” jam that also included snippets of Bo Diddley’s “Mona,” before returning for an encore highlighted by “Rock and Roll.”Look, I pine for a Zeppelin reunion as much as any fan, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t blame Robert Plant for doing what he’s doing. His reluctance to stand still musically has served him – and us – well over the last decade or more, allowing him to explore new artistic avenues with a variety of talented musicians while still keeping ties to his past.Our own selfish desires aside, it’s hard to argue with the path he’s chosen. His collaboration with The Sensational Space Shifters, both in the studio and on stage, has brought new life to old classics and exposed a broad swath of fans to some excellent new music they may otherwise have never discovered.http://www.relix.com/reviews/detail/robert_plant_and_the_sensational_space_shifters_in_boston Stage Light Photography See The MusicConcert photos of Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston, MA on Sept. 20, 2015. (nice hat, Juldeh ) (Photos: ©2015 Matthew Shelter) Love the last two black and white ones! Check out the rest of the photos here: http://stagelightphotography.com/recent-shows/robert-plant/ p.s. Thanks for the articles, Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemouse Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Just been reading up on what Cast are up to and Skin is a very busy man. He in the midst of the work he has done with TSSS has recorded a new LP with Cast and from what I can gather is doing a tour with them from Oct. I wonder if this is why the y are all p[possibly going to embark on other projects for the foreseeable future and wonder where this leaves the Lost for Words LP. Just found a wonderful clip of Cast on Top of the Pops from 1995. Skin is unrecognisable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 Sam, I loved this article. This last part of the article below by Edward Dunbar was spot on and why I respect Robert so much :-) Thanks for the articlePlant is someone who was born for the stage. Every little mannerism felt right and in tune with what you would expect from him, which is perhaps why he still refuses to reform Led Zeppelin. The past is the past;. Led Zeppelin’s legacy is a monolith, but it’s one that he has come to terms with and wholeheartedly accepts. While you can tell he still holds those memories close to the heart, he’s more determined to make new ones. Hi Patrycja, thanks as well for your articles and photos! I wonder what he will do next? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Q107 finally chimes in with a review of the Toronto show on 15-9-2015:Robert Plant @ Molson Canadian AmphitheatreToronto, ON, Canada / Q107 Toronto September 22, 2015 02:01 pm Photo: Adam Pulicicchio After cancelling a Toronto show in June, Robert Plant returned to the city to prove that he’s still got it. Plant brought along his eclectic supporting cast, The Sensational Space Shifters and they were just that, sensational.The night began perfectly with “Trampled Under Foot” the classic dance tune off Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti. From there, Plant offered a new hit, “Turn It Up” from his latest album. Throughout the night Plant sprinkled the set with reworked, retooled Led Zeppelin classics that we all know and love. “The Rain Song” slowed things down halfway into the show, Plant and the Space Shifters created magic that Jimmy Page would have been proud of.Before the encore, Plant and his band played a medley of “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” “Who Do You Love?” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Fans absolutely loved that mash-up as they swayed their arms in the air.Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters ended the show with “Rock and Roll.” And that is what they brought to Toronto, a good old night of rock and roll.– Alyssa Giallonardo, Q107 Photos by Adam Pulicicchio See the rest of the incredible photos - http://www.q107.com/2015/09/22/robert-plant-molson-canadian-amphitheatre/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrycja Posted September 24, 2015 Author Share Posted September 24, 2015 Set list and review of the band's penultimate show at Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN (22-9-2015):Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You (Joan Baez cover)Turn It Up Black Dog Rainbow Spoonful (Willie Dixon cover)The Rain Song No Place to Go / Dazed and Confused The Lemon Song Little Maggie ([traditional] cover)Fixin' to Die (Bukka White cover)Smokestack Lightning / I Just Want to Make Love to You / Whole Lotta Love / Mona Encore:Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of Dying Rock and Roll http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/robert-plant/2015/murat-theatre-indianapolis-in-4bf48716.html Robert Plant and friends freshen up Zeppelin tunesIconic rock vocalist defies time and makes it look easy in IndianapolisPhoto: Matt KrygerDavid Lindquist / The Star 7:32 a.m. EDT September 23, 2015That musical fountain of youth that Mick Jagger discovered? He may have shared the road map with Robert Plant.Former Led Zeppelin vocalist Plant gave an invigorating performance Tuesday at the Murat Theatre in Old National Centre, where a packed house heard an assortment of new songs, Zeppelin oldies and U.S. blues from the first half of the 20th century.Plant doesn't rival 72-year-old Jagger in terms of physical gyrations and feats of cardio. At 67, Plant primarily stands and delivers when coaxing a balance of honeyed tones and a whiff of danger. On Tuesday, he danced a bit when band member Juldeh Camara played his one-string fiddle known as a riti.Most striking was how effortless Plant appeared when singing the notes fans want or at least reasonably expect from the architect of the skyscraping, heavy-metal scream.He's faring decidedly better than younger men trying to outrun the clock. Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell still has his voice, but it can be painful to watch him sing. Van Halen's David Lee Roth appears lost when attempting to visit his old neighborhood of "Panama" and "Runnin' with the Devil."But Plant has a long-standing interest in doing things other than replicating past glory. That's why he's not on the road with former Zeppelin band mates Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.For fresh sounds, Plant collaborates with the Incredible Space Shifters, a band that runs everything through guitarist Liam "Skin" Tyson and keyboard player John Baggott (whose previous credits include work with trip-hop standouts Massive Attack and Portishead).Tyson and Baggott have taste and creativity to zero in on what Plant described as a new spin on classic rock. Between songs, Plant even mentioned the film "Cocoon" -- a tale of senior citizens who stumble upon a swimming pool of magical rejuvenation.Baggott supplied a techno framework for several tunes, including "Turn It Up" from 2014 album "Lullaby ... and the Ceaseless Roar" as well as "Black Dog" from the Zeppelin catalog. But even as "Black Dog" was tweaked, the song retained signature sing-along opportunities for Plant and his audience.More radical was "Spoonful," in which Baggott hammered out electronic blips far removed from what blues songwriter Willie Dixon likely imagined or what Cream executed when popularizing "Spoonful" in 1967.Tyson distinguished himself as a versatile player throughout. The show opened with Tyson dominating Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" on acoustic guitar. Later, his insistent Stratocaster chords guided "Rainbow," a "Lullaby" selection that, in a world of justice, would be a radio hit.On "Little Maggie," a traditional folk song that's been recorded by the Stanley Brothers and Bob Dylan, Tyson played banjo and Baggott engineered enough EDM content to transform the proceedings into a rave -- nearly turning "Little Maggie" into "Little Molly."The Sensational Space Shifters commonly are characterized as a world music crew, a label that likely stems from Gambian instrumentalist Camara. The aggressive use of a bow on his riti may remind listeners of Zeppelin's Page taking a bow to a Les Paul guitar, but Camara harvests sounds akin to bagpipes and penny whistles rather than a theremin,It's true that Plant isn't raking in astronomical paydays with Page and Jones. But he's thriving in the low-pressure, fertile context of the Sensational Space Shifters -- who reverse engineer Zeppelin tunes to surprise and delight.On the topic of yesteryear, supporting act J.D. McPherson and his knockout band delivered a master class on roots rock associated with the 1950s. Don't miss McPherson when he visits Broad Ripple's Vogue nightclub on Oct. 29.Photos: Matt Kryger / The StarCheck out the link for the rest of the photos: http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/09/23/plant-led-zeppelin-shifters-blues-indianapolis-lullaby-ceaseless-roar/72665228/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemouse Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Thank you as always for the reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Only Way To Fly Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I was at the gig last night. According to Robert this was the last gig of the tour and where they/he were going next was anyones guess. He said they've spent the last three years together and he referenced what a special night it was for them and for us. It really was a beautiful night along the lake front of Lake Michigan and a beautiful backdrop for the band as they watched the moon rise across the sky as they played their set. The set list was much like all the others, but highlights for me were Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Fixen to Die, Rainbow, and Lemon Song to which he thanked Jack White for inspiring him in Brazil. This was the 4th time I've seen RP, the first being in August in 1983 at the Rosemont Horizon just outside Chicago. I enjoyed the show very much and believe Robert did as well. He was very chatty, and name checked lots of Chicago blues influences (both artists and labels). The most puzzling thing for me Juldeh Camara and where/how he fit in the band. While there were some tracks where I think he added just the right amount of color and there were others where it was really just annoying. His playing was at times more of a distraction than contribution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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