Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Concert review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in Grand Prairie (July 7)

By Ron Dempesmeier

GRAND PRAIRIE — The pairing of rock god Robert Plant with bluegrass thrush Alison Krauss would, on the surface, appear to be one of those all-star conceits that should not work. However, last year’s Raising Sand album was a roots music classic which cherry picked songs by writers like Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, Gene Clark (Byrds), Mel Tillis and the Everly Brothers as well as a recent overlooked Page/Plant collaboration. Producer Henry “T Bone” Burnett layered the recording’s soundscapes in warm, swampy tones and the reverberations of tube amplifiers and mic’d acoustic instruments.

In 2008, this studio collective has gone on tour to present the album with a selection of gospel hymns, Celtic folk songs, country-blues and Led Zeppelin tracks to the public. Suffice it to say that this concert was one of the best presented in my memory. What helped make this possible is Plant’s refusal to take the easy route of reuniting with Led Zeppelin, for what would surely be a the most lucrative tour in the history of rock, so that he can pursue his own blues and folk-influenced muse.

The concert started with lead off track of Raising Sand called “Rich Woman.” This song introduced the loping rhythm and reverb driven sound of the touring band. It also showcased the close harmony singing that Krauss and Plant have perfected. The band members all played on instruments that appeared to be older than the 36-year-old Krauss, including Burnett’s collection of vintage Gretsch, Danelectro and Gibson guitars.

When the first Led Zeppelin song of the evening was performed, the formerly overwhelming “Black Dog” became a study in controlled tension and hushed lyrics that only gradually grew louder. The audience also performed the “Ah Ah, Ah Ah, Ah Ah, Aaah” chorus when prompted by Plant.

Krauss was given several solo spotlight performances in which she bared her ethereal soprano voice. It may seem strange to hear her sing Gene Clark’s male-gender viewpoint of “Through the Morning, Through the Night” in regards to losing a woman and what “his” reaction would be, but it came out natural, beautiful and unforced. To hear Alison Krauss sing old time gospel like “Green Pastures” and “Down in the River to Pray” (from the T Bone-produced O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack) is probably as close to Heaven as you’re likely to get on this planet. She also performed magnificent versions of Tom Waits' “Trampled Rose” (which also had some amazingly powerful wails in contrast to her normal fragile sound) and the enchanting, gypsy like “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us” which was written by Burnett’s ex-wife, Sam Phillips.

Robert Plant was not to be outdone by his young partner. He issued a blistering, Zep-like performance on Townes Van Zandt’s dark, harrowing “Nothing.” He also performed a wonderful New Orleans classic called “Fortune Teller” that was given an energetic, rockabilly-ish sheen. When Plant revisited his earlier solo catalog, he pulled out the wonderful “In the Mood” in which Krauss and multi-instrumentalist Stuart Duncan performed a lilting jig on dueling fiddles which transformed into the traditional Celtic folk ballad “Matty Groves” before coming back.

Duncan also shone on the mandolin-driven “Battle of Evermore” from Led Zeppelin IV. Krauss performed the high counterpoint lyrics like Sandy Denny had done over three decades ago – this was nearly a perfect rendition of this haunted song. Another Zeppelin song that lent itself very well to the alt-country stylings of this ensemble was “Black Country Woman” which was originally recorded as a playful shuffle to begin with on Physical Graffiti.

The lead guitarist and third most prominent vocalist during the night’s performance was Americana icon Buddy Miller who proved most adept on pedal steel as well as electric. Drummer Jay Bellerose played an old wooden kit that did not have a high-hat, but rather a foot tapped tambourine and a single ride cymbal. He was also a master of the “one hand drumstick and one hand maracas” style of percussion. Double bassist Dennis Crouch played very sympathetically and would used the bow in passages that required a more eerie or sad sound.

The band also performed an excellent version of Page/Plant’s “Please Read the Letter” which built to a very satisfying crescendo. They also galloped through an obscure Everly Brothers B-side called “Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)” which brought to mind The Honeydrippers project that Plant did back in the Eighties.

When the band came out for an encore, it started with Plant leading them in another gospel song (something you’d never expect from the lead vocalist of Zeppelin)! The final song of the evening is also final song of Raising Sand: Doc Watson’s yearning “Your Long Journey.” This ended the evening in a very peaceful, melancholic note. One hopes that Plant’s last statement “We’ll see you soon” will come to pass with great speed!

This story was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community

Related stories

• Pegasus News Week in View: m.pegnews.com edition (July 10, 2008)

See more stories in:

• Arts > Popular Music > Alt-Country / Americana
• Arts > Popular Music > Bluegrass
• Arts > Popular Music > Blues
• Arts > Popular Music > Country
• Arts > Popular Music > Folk
• Arts > Popular Music > Rock

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