Long before there was even the idea of American Idol, I began spending hours listening to the music of Robert Plant. From his days with Led Zepplin, marking him as the iconic rock star, to his involvement with The Honeydrippers and for the next twenty-plus years, the tall cool one has given me hours of music pleasure. I’ve had four chances to see him live in concert in the past two decades, and for reasons I won’t bore you with, the first three fell through. Finally, my dream to see Plant in concert came true last week at the Mud Island Amphitheater in Memphis, Tennessee. No—my dream didn’t come true—it was surpassed. What happened on the banks of the Mississippi River that night was pure magic.
Killing the Blues from Leslie Mozingo on Vimeo.
This spring, Plant began a US/European tour showcasing his latest album, Raising Sand, with Alison Krauss. Although those two are billed as the headliners, they share the stage with five equally amazing musicians. I suppose I expected the concert to focus on the two of them, but I was surprised to find that this wasn’t about Plant or Krauss—this was a concert that celebrated the talents of each of the seven musicians, including the legendary T-Bone Burnett.
Whatever egos there might be, they were checked at the stage door and the seemingly humbled headliners invited us into their lives for two hours of perfect harmony and melody. Plant and Krauss traded solos as well as back-up for each other, and, at times, one of them would even completely leave the stage and let the other shine. For most of the show, Burnett sat in the background, playing guitar, until he wowed the crowd with his one solo Bon Temps Rouler.
T-Bone Burnett from Leslie Mozingo on Vimeo.
Atop Plant’s trademark rug-covered stage, Rock, Soul, Gospel, Creole, Americana blended beautifully and resonated off the banks of the Mighty Mississippi—not far from Historic Beale Street.
Alison Krauss from Leslie Mozingo on Vimeo.
The violin seemed to become an extension of Krauss herself and her voice was nothing less than haunting when singing Trampled Rose. The near sellout crowd of five thousand people didn’t budge or whisper during this number—we were completely mesmerized by her voice. That same crowd came to its feet during a much bluesier version of Plant’s In The Mood.
Please Read the Letter from Leslie Mozingo on Vimeo.
I suppose if I had to miss three other shows in exchange for this one evening and suffer over and again the disappointment of just being able to hold a concert ticket in my hand, then it was a price well paid. This night will stay with me for years to come. Yes, Robert Plant—I did see you swing the world by its tail. Thank you for this amazing evening.
Robert Plant montage from Leslie Mozingo on Vimeo.
Written and published by Leslie Mozingo
Videos, Pictures and Montage by Leslie Mozingo
Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol, Soul Patrol, Taylor's Angels
2 comments:
Leslie, the old adage, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again", served you well. Your determination to see Robert Plant in concert paid off handsomely.
Allison Krauss and Robert Plant sing very well together. I especially enjoyed Killing the Blues.
Fabulous videos and montage! Thanks for sharing your magical evening.
What a wonderful evening!! Your recaps, pics and videos made it seem like I was there. Thank you! :)
cydter
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