Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience
Stamford Palace Theatre
Stamford, Connecticut
November 10, 2010
Tony Pijar
Led Zeppelin, of course, has inspired countless bands, and to this day sustains an almost mythical status. So, it’s more than appropriate that John Bonham’s son, Jason, hit the road playing the music that has touched him in a way that is very special and unique to him. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience has become the vehicle for Jason to relive his father’s timeless music and do so in a powerful and poignant manner. With Page, Jones and Plant seemingly out of the Zep picture for good, Jason has taken the spirit of Zep, and more importantly his father, and has channeled it into this project. The sold out Stamford Palace Theatre was treated to over three hours of Zeppelin through the eyes of Bonham and the stellar band that he has assembled. And let’s not forget the visual component, which complemented the music perfectly.
Prior to the band coming onstage, a five-minute visual montage of Zeppelin and, more specifically, John and Jason, was aired on the giant video screen. I noticed Jason watching intently from the side of the stage. As the montage concluded, the band strode onto the stage and ripped into “Rock and Roll,” riding on Bonham’s powerhouse drumming. Cue ecstatic response and cue a visual assault on the eyes courtesy of the non-stop innovative video/lighting display. “Celebration Day” and “Bring it on Home” followed. The band would periodically stop throughout the evening so Jason could come from behind his kit to center stage to tell stories while video clips from his childhood rolled behind him. Back to the kit and on with the show – cue “Black Dog” which brought the audience to a climax, mind you only four songs in! From there, the hits kept coming: “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave you”, “What is and What Should Never be,” “Thanks You”, “Good Times, Bad Times”, “The Ocean”, and so on.
The absolute highlight was when during “Moby Dick” when the improbable happened. Jason has always said that he regrets never being able to play with his father and now he was able to do so. During the drum solo portion of the song, a video was punched up of John playing the solo live with Zep and, unbelievably, Jason matched his dad beat for beat. The synchronization was meticulously spot on – again, both powerful and poignant. I actually saw some folks in the audience shed tears; it was that moving. It’s funny how such a dual assault on the drums could be so tender and emotional at the same time.
While, for me, that was the pinnacle of the evening, that’s not to say the show was over – far from it! How about “When the Levee Breaks”, “Stairway to Heaven”, “Kashmir” and the closer of them all “Whole lotta Love!” Jason demonstrated what he said at the onset throughout the evening, ‘This is my story and this is what my dad meant to me…’, through both words and music. It’s funny this – Jason got to play with his heroes, Zeppelin, in London back in 2007, with one being absent. And now Jason plays with his dad every night. Finally, a most heartfelt reunion between father and son. This show should be brought over to the UK pronto!
