Percy at Prospect

[John C <blackcountryman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm way behind in my digest reading.  I'm very busy at a new job and kind of 
distracted, so the Plant show in Brooklyn kind of snuck up on me.  By the time 
I remembered it I figured it was probably sold out and I didn't want to scalp, 
especially since I just dropped a bundle on All-Star Game tickets.  But on 
Thursday afternoon the Missus asked "Why aren't we going to see Robert this 
weekend?" and when I had no answer, she went to Ticketmaster and amazingly 
scored us great seats slightly left of center about 20 rows back!
I am SO  glad I went.  The addition of Juldeh Camara brings a new dimension to 
the show and takes the music in yet more unexpected directions.  I really dug 
the one-string violin sound, and even his shouting/singing was pretty cool.  
The duo of Skin Tyson and Justin Adams was great as usual, and the rest of the 
band solid.  Plant, as others have noted, is in fine voice these days.  He is 
definitely using the "Big Voice", and to spectacular effect.
The setlist:
1. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You2. In The Mood3. Tin Pan Valley4. Spoonful5. Black 
Dog6. Another Tribe7. Going To California8. The Enchanter9. Four Sticks10. 
Friends11. (Funny In My Mind) Fixin' To Die12. What Is And What Should Never 
Be13. Whole Lotta Loveencore: Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down, Rock and Roll

Plant was enjoying himself as always.  Once again, he mocked REO Speedwagon 
throughout, which is fine because that is some CRAP music.BIGLY was very 
reminiscent of the Page/Plant era, and In The Mood was a pretty 
faithful-to-the-original rendition.  Just as I was wondering if Plant was 
getting lazy, he sprung a Tin Pan Valley with different timing, music, and 
Juldeh, who also led off Black Dog with a lengthy Riti solo.  Black Dog was 
radically reworked, more so than usual, and Plant deadpanned "Classic Rock"" at 
the end to much laughter.  GTC was closer to the original, and very well 
received.  Plant didn't venture all the way back to '71 but he also didn't 
low-register the whole song as he has been doing.  I've always loved The 
Enchanter and this was a stellar version with Skin going nuts with the effects. 
 Four Stick and Friends were a great one-two punch, sounding ominous and then 
exploding.  Whole Lotta Love began with the slow blues reading he's been doing 
for years, and the crowd went wild when Skin tore into the riff.  I was a 
little disappointed with "Satan" as the encore; the song is too mellow and 
dirge-like.  I see some better choices on other show setlists.  Rock and Roll 
was a fantastic closer, which Plant introduced as a "Sea Chanty from the 1600s" 
and they actually sort of made it one in the beginning.
All in all, another great Plant show.  I'm so happy and proud of him for being 
out there, bringing us new and exciting music, experimenting and building.  I 
wish his lazy, timid former bandmate would take a lesson from him.

LGM