First, a little context. This is Plant and the rest of Zeppelin rocking it out at the Knebworth house, "the stately home of rock", an amazing venue in the UK that has hosted pretty much every great rock band you can think of. Watch and revel in the sheer glory of vintage rock.
Mmmmhmmm, that is good stuff right there. Now fast forward approximately 13.781 days* (that's how long he told us it has been since the first time he played the Fillmore Auditorium, apparently he's a little OCD). Same song, same singer, new band, new sound.
This video isn't actually from the concert I saw because it is literally impossible to take a
The first thing that struck me about this band was the variety in their show. The majority of their set was what I might call "rock and roll bluegrass", it wasn't the hard rock of Zeppelin but it certainly wasn't Telluride Bluegrass stuff either (even though I hear they are playing there). It was like the chords and harmonies of bluegrass but with the style and and feel of rock. This style was most of the show but there was also a good bit of straight up Rock and even a very little bit of Country.What made this show so cool, and makes the group so great, is the way they are able to honestly take each other's musical tastes and inspirations and fuse them together to create their own sound. It's obvious that musical tastes vary greatly amongst the band, every time Plant would introduce a member they would take the lead on a song they apparently chose which were all over the style and genre spectrum.
That brings me to my next point. Every one in this band is crazy talented! I know it seems like a given but think about all of the old rockers who go solo after their bands brake up backed up by mediocre musicians who are just along for the ride because everyone knows it's all about the big name front man and his already established fame. That is stagnant repetition. Band of Joy is not one of those groups. Every time a different member stepped up to take the lead on a piece I was impressed, any one of them had more than enough talent to carry on a show of their own. What sets Band of Joy apart is that instead of being a group of solo musicians who play together, they are a band in the purest sense of the word. The way they interacted and responded to each others musical input was seamless and inspiring! There is just something amazing about a small group of people, each on their own instrument with their own unique sound, putting aside their different ideas and tastes to really groove together and create. I have always felt that this is one of those things that can only really happen Rock and Roll. Sure, groups of talented people come together in choirs and symphonies and combine their talents into a beautiful result. But 9 times out of 10 these groups are being guided and their sound is being directed by a single conductor. In a rock band there may be an unspoken (or spoken) leader but his job isn't to stand there and direct, the music comes from truly hearing what your band mates are putting out and responding to it and contributing to what they have given you. It's that connection that radiates out from top notch groups like Band of Joy and infects the audience to get 2,500+ people in a room together doing nothing but hearing music. Good stuff.
The other thing that made this concert so much fun was the audience. I actually went with my Dad. This was for two main reasons; 1) He is basically the one who got me into Plant when he was really into his song "Angel Dance" causing me to buy him the record for Christmas and thus it ended up on my iPod (yeah I'm a bad daughter) and 2) because most of my friends don't know who Plant is let alone like his music! Let me just state that I was definitely on the far young end of the age spectrum at this event. The vast majority of our fellow concert goers were middle aged people who probably saw Plant when he toured with Zeppelin, maybe they were at the Fillmore 13,781 days ago! Out of this group it seemed to further split into at least 2 more groups. The first was those who just wanted to go out and see a concert by an artist they liked (e.g. the man behind me at the merch. booth who couldn't see how much the posters cost because he lef his glasses at home). The other group is what Dad and I affectionately dubbed the "perpetual high schoolers" these guys looked like they came right from their stuffy office jobs but the second the opening act went on they wasted no time in blazing up a joint. Which was just funny to me! Overall it was a pretty mellow crowd but they were into the music so that was great.
In the end all I have to tell you is that Robert Pant and Band of Joy are ridiculously amazing and they put on one hell of a show! And here I give you literally the best picture I got there (don't hate me when it just looks like a blob to you!)
