You all know my rule about rock nostalgia shows: It’s a tribute band if there are NO original members.
But what if you’re the son of a rock drumming legend who inherited the torch, keeping his father’s legacy alive?
In the case of Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (going on a dozen-plus years now) I think we can make an exception. After all, he’s toured all over with the likes of Sammy Hagar and served as a stellar session drummer for several groups.
But on a recent warm, late spring evening in east Paso at Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Bonham did what he does best: pay homage to rock kings Led Zeppelin and their wild man drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980 at 32, effectively ending their reign.
Sitting high up on stage behind the drum set, Bonham also served as event MC while leaving the guitar, keyboards, and vocals to his capable band.
He told a few stories and quickly explained how this tour’s performance would be different: no greatest hits, instead recreating the classic 1975 double album “Physical Graffiti.”
It also helps the entertainment factor when you have a tight, talented five-piece band and the spot-on sound mix that Vina Robles has perfected like no other local venue.”
Playing an entire album in concerts can be tricky; it’s a way to keep bands fresh and engaged, but it’s often dissatisfying for audiences who want to hear the hits.
It helps if the record includes deep track classics like “Houses of the Holy,” “Trampled Under Foot,” and the iconic “Kashmir.” Remember that funny scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High where Damone tells Rat to play Side One of LZ 4 when he wants to make out on his date? Of course, Rat puts “Kashmir” on his car 8-track instead.
It also helps the entertainment factor when you have a tight, talented five-piece band and the spot-on sound mix that Vina Robles has perfected like no other local venue.
When it comes to Led Zeppelin, I think it’s their entire albums, not just singles, that really matter to their many fans and that represent the 1970’s album-oriented rock that many of us grew up on. Plus Bonham is no dummy, offering up “Good Times,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Rock and Roll” to end the entertaining, 130-minute concert.
While Bonham is probably the most famous offspring of famous rock stars, he’s not alone: Jacob Nowell of Sublime, Wolfgang Van Halen and Declan Frey are all keeping musical family legacies alive. And don’t forget Zappa plays Zappa.
Any way you slice it, the tribute band phenomenon seems here to stay. “Tribute shows are the engine that drive our business,” says Monte Schaller, who manages the Siren in Morro Bay and helps book acts there.
Judging from the large, enthusiastic crowd at Vina Robles for JBLZE, this old guy nostalgia still rules.
At least in the live music world.