Plant in NYC review

["John C" <blackcountryman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Said Nech:  "I can't believe Plant came thru the big rotten apple and 
all we 
got was snippets of comments. Got more detail on the drunks & gear 
heads. I 
guess this is not a Plant town. I should talk...I didn't even try to 
go."
Rather than leave him unsatisfied with the breadth of information 
posted 
about the Roseland show, I will expand upon my snippets as best I 
can.  (To 
be honest, I thought someone more knowledgeable than myself would 
have 
already done so).

After a 45-minute or so set by the Tarbox Ramblers (a country-blues 
combo 
with guitar, violin and stand-up bass which I enjoyed and the wife 
hated) 
the stage darkened at 9:15.   The various band members took the stage 
and 
began noodling about, and started 'If I Ever Get Lucky'.  After a 
lengthy 
intro, Robert strode out to a thunderous ovation.  Without 
acknowledging the 
crowd he launched into the song.  I found this a curious opener:  a 
nice 
enough song, but exceedingly mellow.  I wouldn't call it a downer, 
but I 
guess he wants to set the tone right away that this ISN'T a Zeppelin 
show.  
Morning Dew was next, and it was pretty close to the POB versions 
I've 
heard.

I forget what Robert said to intro 'In the Light', but I knew what 
was 
coming.  The crowd didn't catch on until the ascending keyboard part. 
 With 
the crowd accompanying him, Plant sang the song pretty close to the 
PG 
version.  The break was different - an overlong jumble of guitars and 
keyboards which left me a little flat.  Robert rescued us with the 
rest of 
the song, faithfully executed (minus the high-register stuff at the 
end of 
the studio version).

'Season of the Witch' followed, and was much closer to the original 
Donovan 
version than POB's take.  Charlie Jones was evident for the first 
time, and 
the choruses were the first time the band really let loose. The 2 
guitarists 
played nicely off each other.  If I recall correctly, the guy who 
isn't Porl 
played a banjo.

Percy introduced 'Hey Joe' as a song older than all of us, dating 
back to 
the middle ages (or something like that).  It is a radical reworking 
of the 
Hendrix tune we're all overdosed on.  For a band with two guitarists, 
they 
really weren't very prominent - very few solos of note, at least on a 
song 
like this where you're conditioned to expect one.  Not that I'm 
complaining. 
  I'm not there to see a Hendrix cover band.

I don't know why, but '4 Sticks' came as a surprise.  It seemed 
incongruous 
with everything they had played up till then.  That said, it was a 
stellar 
version:  straight-ahead rock and roll.  Bob sang in the low-octave 
range.  
I think he would hurt himself if he attempted the studio version.

According to the setlist I read online somewhere, the next song is 
titled 7 
+ 7.  The only thing memorable to me about it was how similar it 
sounded to 
some of the other stuff already played.

BIGLY followed.  The arrangement starts off similar to the P/P 
versions.  
Once again, the break was a little off.  A melange of keyboard and 
guitar, 
highlighted by Non-Porl plunking on some kind of home-made, 
ukelele-looking 
thing.  The eventual return to the song structure was welcome, and 
very 
well-done.  It seemed weird for the song to end without the little 
Stairway 
tease.

'Bummer in the Summer' was next.  While I enjoyed these obscure 
songs, I 
can't remember much to distinguish one from the other.  Particularly 
the 
beginnings, which all sort of sounded alike:  a loud crescendo, 
followed by 
everyone settling down and then Robert's vocals.

'Misty Mountain Hop' was next, and was one of the real highlights.  
Everyone 
was really pumped-up, singing along.  Robert hit all the notes he 
attempted 
and the band was dead-on, particularly the guitar bits around parts 
like 
"They asked us to stay for tea, and have some fun".  Plant really 
seemed to 
enjoy this song, hamming it up, making faces, changing inflections.

After a short break they came back out for 'A House is not a Motel' 
which, 
other than the previously-described nondescript opening, was quite 
good.  
Non-Porl broke out the uke again.

Bob intro'd the next song as something that "we didn't write, he 
didn't 
write, nobody wrote and everybody wrote"  To a slick blues 
background, he 
sang the first verse of 'You Need Love', and then launched right into 
'Whole 
Lotta Love", to the overwhelming joy of all in attendance.  Porl 
dropped one 
absolutely bone-crushing, monstrous descending chord a'la Jimmy in 
the 
beginning of the chorus that sent chills down my spine.  Everyone 
really 
went all out, including the keyboard player subbing for You-Know-Who 
on the 
theremin.  Plant was much more adventurous with this song than he had 
been 
with P/P, and was successful hitting the high notes.  Especially for 
the 
last, rising "Looooooooooooooovvvvvvvvve" which he really hammed up 
to great 
effect, pausing first and asking "Well?" and then letting loose a 
Zep-era 
banshee wail that had everyone going fucking bananas.

After a few "Can you feel it"s and "Nice to be back", they left the 
stage, 
and I thought that would be it, but they returned for a very nice, 
subdued 
'Song for a Siren' which Robert might as well have sung a cappella - 
this 
was all him crooning, and it was a great coda.

Nech, and anyone else who passed, made a big mistake in my mind.  How 
often 
does one of the true gods of music come around?  Anyone who has the 
chance 
should go see the show.  Plant's voice is great, he's having a blast, 
and 
the backup guys are good.  Make no mistake:  as talented a group of 
musicians as they may be, this show is 110% about Robert.  And I have 
no 
problem with that.

I have a feeling this outfit will evolve the way Page/Crowes did.  As 
good 
as the P/C mini-tour Roseland show I saw was, it didn't hold a candle 
to the 
Jones Beach show the following summer.  The band had become much more 
comfortable with each other, knew the songs better, soloed better and 
more 
frequently, and the songlist was better.  With the rumored album and 
tour, I 
bet SS will be even better next time around.

Speaking of setlist, I'd like to see SS try:  Blue Train, Please Read 
the 
Letter (I never liked the song that much, but these guys are perfect 
for 
it), something from FoN, Love Street by the Doors (or something 
similar, to 
continue the CA hippie theme), some Dylan, To Sir With Love by Lulu, 
and The 
Ocean.

Oooh - how could I forget?  Fashion report:  loose brown velvet(?) 
shirt, 
exceedingly tight leather trousers.

PS - Somebody, please, TREEEE!!!