Report from the Road #14

[Connie Scarborough <connie.scarborough@xxxxxx>]

Dateline:  Philadelphia.  In attendanc:  Connie, Ann Marie, Rita, Cary,
Robin, Kathy Z., Chris Williams, Dardo (did you make it?), et al.

One of the best nights and one of the best crowds.  We had two
persepctives--some of us on the first section risers, two of us from third
row.  The crowds in the cheap seats were unbelievable whereas, ironically,
the floor crowd was a bit subdud and prone to bathroom breaks.  Also, this
was a night for first and surprises, i.e., I Can't Quit You Baby and a
second encore!  A great way to finish off our first leg adventures.... So
let's get to it while it's still fresh in the memory bank and notebook.

Fashion report:  Robert in the red/black shirt and the oh-my-God silver
pants + buckskin cowboy boots.  Jimmy still searching for a fashion.

Highlights:  The only problem with Wanton Song was that Robert needed to be
a bit more up in the mix.  That problem was soon remedied and by BIOH both
were dancing and pushed off one another like in the old days.  Jimmy has a
great new transition between BIOH and Heartbreaker.  Jimmy was dancing up a
storm and he and RP were sharing lots of smiles.  JP also has a new intro
into his solo consisting of some very bassy riffs before the familiar part
of the solo.  Robert watched on engrossed as Jimmy tore through the solo.
Robert came in with the high note right after the solo.  After a quick
guitar adjustment, we were into Ramble On.  Robert was in his best voice of
the last three shows.  His scream was very convincing and he and JP clasped
hands after Ramble On.  Robert next said they were going to play some new
songs, some very new songs and some incredibly old songs for the next two
hours (insert crowd roar of approval).  The Philly faithfull sang along to
WIC.  There was a very dramatic transition into the slow section of this
song.  JP was really into his solo while Robert clapped along and
encouraged him.  This was Jimmy's best solo in WIC that we've heard during
our sojourn on the road.  Jimmy took a ciggy break during Phil's intro to
NQ.  Phil is varying his keyboard solo and stretching out a bit.  JP nailed
his solo in NQ and got into a funky, syncopated rhythm with Charlie and
Michael.  Robert got the high note on "the path where no one goes."  Robert
was shouting right along with Jimmy's solo.  After NQ, Robert introduced
Phil as the new guy.  He next mentioned that he and Jimmy now have a
present and a future.  He also mentioned the traveling ledheads much to our
delight.  Robert was really into tonight's Shining in the Light. Before the
acoustic set he said they were going to change the atmosphere. This was the
first big surprise of the evening--a nice little impromptu jam between
Jimmy and Robert before the intro to GtC.  Robert managed the note on "all
the same" beautifully and threw in the line "Oh, my baby used to sing."
There were lot of smiles on this one and the crowd came in loud and on cue
for the "hard as it seems" line.  Robert was obviously pleased after this
one.  Tonight's version of Tangerine was intimate.  Robert introduced
Gallows Pole as a little blues song from about 250 years ago just before he
and Jimmy got together.  Jimmy and Michael were really jamming at the end
of GP.  RP said that HIYH was a most important song to them.  He talked
again about the dynamics of their music that they'd been messing with for
the last 40 years.  Unfortunately, there was some feedback during HIYH and
Robert flubbed the lyrics on the last verse.  Robert got the high notes in
BIGLY but was red in the face accomplishing it.  On the floor, believe it
or not, folks actually took beer breaks during the BIGLY solo.  My notes
say, "Can this solo get any better?"  Suppose it's up to the reviewers of
the next shows to let me know the answer to that one.  Jimmy was jumping up
and down after the solo and was obviously proud of his effort.  Robert
introduced Charlie and Michael as the hardest working rhythm section in
show business then said, "Show business......shit!"  He said it was only
Friday (?) and then introduced HMMT as smooth jazz.  In HMMT Jimmy was
hopping up and down and Charlie was actually smiling!  Robert looked on as
Jimmy played and danced.  The bow section was very high-pitched and Michael
seemed to try to herd him out of the bow solo before he was ready to quit.
The insert in HMMT was I Can't Quit You Baby--what a thrill to hear this
one.  By the end, JP and RP were jumping up and down in unison.  Robert
again introduced Jimmy as the hootchie cootchie man.  Jimmy was shimmying
(is that a word?) during the intro to Most High.  Robert said they were
just a couple of old guys taking it easy.  He then uttered the immortal "Do
you remember laughter?" line.  He said they had to take their geritol and
get to bed.  Jimmy had a bit of a false start on WLL.  The surprise of this
number tonight was that the theremin didn't work so Charlie, Michael, and
Jimmy lit into a jam and brought the house down.  Before the first encore,
the audience was holding sparklers aloft.  Robert came out with a beer and
they started into Black Dog.  Someone threw a stuffed parrot on stage and
Robert pick it up and song a few lines of BG to it.  Jimmy even varied the
riffs in WLL and RP almost came in late as a result.  Even before Rock and
Roll began, Jimmy was dancing about.  He called it a country song and again
mentioned the traveling ledheads.  Jimmy prowled the stage during Rock and
Roll and danced and jumped.  The enthusiastic crowd got a second encore of
Thank You much to everyone's great surprise and delight.

We are sad to leave the road for a while but real life has beckoned and
after 4000 miles on the old zepmobiles it's time to take a break.  Hope
you've enjoyed our accounts--we had the time of our lives.

Trying to keep my friends alive,
Connie