Photos and Review: Led Zepagain

Posted on 02/03/2011 by BBS

Rolling Stone magazine described Led Zeppelin as “the biggest band of the 1970s” and “the heaviest band of all time”.

With 300 million albums sold worldwide, 7 Billboard number 1 albums, Led Zeppelin was one of the most prolific and legendary rock bands ever. Trying to emulate such a band would be a tall order for any band. Led Zepagain did that and then some.

Led Zepagain played at The Showbox At The Market on Saturday night to an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. The audience was quite diverse in age but single-minded in spirit. They were huge fans who knew everything about Led Zeppelin; they were not going to appreciate a simple imposter. There was Dave and his 20-something daughter. Both could recite lyrics from many Led Zep albums.

Fans cheered with excitement as Irishman Swan Montgomery (Robert Plant), Jim Wootten (John Paul Jones), Steve Zukowsky (Jimmy Page), and Jim Kersey (John “Bonzo” Bonham) entered the stage. When Zukowsky struck the first chord, everyone knew it was going to be a great show… and, it was.

Led Zepagain played for more than 2 hours and they were as tight at the end of the show as they were at the beginning. The Led Zeppelin savvy crowd would have stayed for 2 more hours if given the opportunity.

In 2004, Jimmy Page attended a Led Zepagain show at The House of Blues in Hollywood. If Led Zepagain is good enough for Jimmy Page, I say DO NOT miss their next appearance in Seattle.

Led Zepagain

Photographer: John Rudolph

Photos: Lizz Wright @ The Triple Door, 2-1-11

Posted on 02/03/2011 by Kirk

Lizz Wright played two shows at The Triple Door last night in support of her new album, Fellowship. I had the pleasure of attending the second show, with a seat right up at the stage. Last week, Lizz performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

CD Review: Content by Gang of Four

Posted on 02/02/2011 by Dagmar

Gang of Four is one of the very important British bands, with influence all over the musical landscape. This year they released Content, their eighth album – and first in sixteen years. What Jon King and Andy Gill bring out in Content is a selection of ten destructively sexy songs, placing them freshly in the new decade.

Starting with “She Said ‘You Made a Thing of Me,’” the unsettling rhythmic tones are set in every element, even the guitar. “You Don’t Have to Mad” might be my favorite track off Content. The song is distinctively Gang of Four, and the lyrics describe a drunken scene quite sordidly: You’d look good with no clothes on/I’ll take photos on my phone . . . You’re the one with the juice . . . Back to your place never mine . . . It’s the scene of the crime, I’m off my tits”. The layered backup vocals (you wish you could walk away) are awesome too. “Who Am I” and “I Can’t Forget Your Lonely Face” are two more excellent rock pieces. “You’ll Never Pay for the Farm” displays more of the punk side of Gang of Four – “You think you’re a winner, but you’ll never pay for the farm”. The song “I Party All the Time” grooves along, as does “A Fruit Fly in the Beehive,” an actually lulling and deep work. “It Was Never Going to Turn Out Too Good” incorporates an effectively altered vocal and “Do As I Say” is an exorbitantly key track – maybe this one’s my favorite. Closing out the album is “Far Away,” emphasizing the clear vocals on this album.

There’s not one misstep on Content. It’s a confident work that leaves me wanting them to make more new music.

Gang of Four – Content (Yep Roc Records – photo credit: Steve Gullick)

review by Dagmar

Retro Pop Done Right: The Postelles @ The Crocodile

Posted on 02/02/2011 by BBS

I know it was a Tuesday, the beginning of the week and most still hadn’t quite recovered from the weekend’s excesses. But so many of us missed out on a breakout show by The Postelles, Brooklyn’s gift to catchy tunes. I suggest you don’t make that mistake next time they cruise through Seattle, because they are well worth seeing and even more worth hearing.

An hour or so of their unique yet classic pop tunes filled the venue, and after a couple of minutes the sounds were joined by people, all enjoying themselves. They covered Elvis’ “Hound Dog” with great success and when they played their single “White Night” (one of my favorite songs of 2010), there were smiles, both on the stage and in the audience. It was a great performance and I am glad I’ll be able to claim “I knew of them when…”

(photos and words by Amber Barni)

Show Review & Photos: WAR @ Jazz Alley

Posted on 02/02/2011 by Dagmar

Imagine the best block party you could ever attend – fun and friendly, people hauling out their smokin’ dance moves, smiling, singing along to one of the hottest Latin-rockin’-funkin’ bands ever. That was the celebratory atmosphere as legendary group WAR began a four-night run at Seattle’s Jazz Alley. A very diverse crowd of all races and cultures and ages was treated to an incredible performance from WAR founder, vocalist/keyboardist Lonnie Jordan, Fernando Harkless on sax, flute, vocals, and percussion, Marcos J. Reyes on Latin percussion, Sal Rodriquez on drums and vocals, Stuart Ziff on guitar, Mitch Kashmar on harmonica, percussion, and vocals, and Mohawk-haired Ecuadorian Francisco “Pancho” Tomaselli on bass and vocals .

Jordan proved to be a delightful frontman, easily charming the crowd. It is always a pleasure to attend a concert where the band seems to be having as good a time as the audience. The band proved to be impressively versatile, moving from Latin funk to bluesy rock to sunny pop with a perfectly-paced set (the second of the night) that ran an incredible 2+ hours, with hits like “The Cisco Kid,” “Low Rider,” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” and a very funny “tribute” section featuring snippets of classics like Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water.”

The crowd would have stayed for more, I am a sure, but even the best block party has to end sometime. Don’t miss seeing WAR!