Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, 27 April 2011 (Fillmore Auditorium)

I cherish the opportunity to be able to see rock and roll legends perform. There are some whom I will never see due to being born too late (Jerry Garcia, Freddie Mercury, Buddy Holly, just to name a few), so I feel like it is important to try my best to see anyone who is still living and out there performing. I've been disappointed in the past by some of these performers either because the years have been extremely unkind to their voices and abilities or because they have a difficult time concealing that the passion for the music is gone and they are performing because "it's their job." I honestly did not know how it would be seeing one of the biggest classic rock icons in the world 30 years past what was arguably his prime, but I was not even remotely disappointed. In fact, I walked away from this show with a new-found respect for someone whom I already respected quite a lot.

I admit to being a big Led Zeppelin fan, as much as I admit to not keeping up with what Robert Plant has been up to since those days. I wasn't really paying attention when he and Jimmy Page were continuing to work together, and I never listened to his 2007 collaboration with Alison Krauss (although now I will have to). I don't know quite what I was thinking--I guess I had it in my head that Zeppelin was gone and that anything beyond that would be sub-par.

Turns out, Plant has done what I admire any musician for doing. He has adapted his style and taken his creativity in an entirely different direction without sacrificing any of the quality. His current band, Band of Joy, is a lovely mix of southern classic rock and folk-ey gospel. It never occurred to me that "Black Dog" could be slowed down, funked up, and injected with female vocal harmony, just like I never would have imagined "Ramble On" accompanied by a stand-up bass and a slide guitar. I was equally surprised that Plant could adapt his voice to be mellow and smooth as seamlessly as he can hit those wailing high notes he has always been famous for.

I cannot ignore the amazing arsenal of instruments that came out during this performance. There were multiple mandolins, a mandoguitar, a lap slide guitar, a banjo, a stand-up bass, and even spoons. That shows me that the musicians of the Band of Joy are incredibly versitile. Not only did they pull out an entire music store and show their mastery on every instrument that was played, but they sang in five-part harmony (with Plant) in nearly every song. True vocal talent is hard to come by these days, so I am that much more impressed when I hear it, especially on stage. I can't wait to hear some of those monster harmonies again like in "House of Cards," "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down," and the Darrell Scott-led cover of "Satisfied Mind."

As any of the Zeppelin fans in the room were, I, too, was happy to see Plant pull out all the stops in "Rock and Roll" and perform that in traditional Zeppelin fashion. It was fun to see that he still has the raw power he is known for, and it was cool to watch the band take on that edginess that surely is a departure from their usual style. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised throughout the whole show, and I am thankful to the fortunate connections I had for even making it possible for me to be there. I hope the Band of Joy continues for some time, as there is nothing more obvious than the fact that everyone in that group lives and breathes all that is music. Anyone with that kind of passion (and talent) needs to continue to share it.

CD Review: Breathe Carolina--Hello Fascination (Fearless Records, released 18 August 2009)

Sometimes, I am frustrated by the digital age and how it has affected the production of music. On one hand, it seems like anyone with a computer can become a recording artist these days, regardless of talent. On the other hand, the advances in basic recording software have allowed some truly talented people to create music and bring it to the masses when it would have previously been cost-prohibitive to do so. Such is the case with Breathe Carolina, a duo from Denver. Rumor has it, their first album, It's Classy, Not Classic was created using only the Mac recording program, Garage Band, and without any of the benefits of a studio. Pretty cool.

This album is their second, and it was recorded in a studio. It's a bit difficult to describe the style of the album, as they make use of several different styles throughout. If there is such thing as a rock-dance-pop-electronica-hardcore band, this is it. Most of their use of technology creates a poppy-dancey feel that you don't normally experience in typical rock music. At the same time, one of their vocalists, Kyle Even, uses different pitches of screaming in several of the tracks, which is an element you don't normally experience in typical pop music. I am not generally a huge fan of scream vocals, however, the way the screaming is mixed with the clean vocals of David Schmitt is interesting.

The opening track to this album, "Hello Fascination," is incredibly catchy and certainly lends itself to dancing. It's upbeat enough that I think my mother would like it, and then there is the screaming to attract the more hardcore-type fans. "Welcome to Savannah" sounds more like a mainstream rock song until the crazy electronic breakdown in the middle. Some others, like "Dressed Up to Undress," "Tripped and Fell in Portland," and "Can I Take You Home?" blend into the background for me as a typical dance club soundtrack, and then there's "Rescue," which is almost ballad-like.

I love the fact that these guys are making music without relying on crazy-expensive tools. I love the fact that they are throwing the rules out the window and mixing styles many wouldn't have thought to mix. I love that they're from Denver (and in my opinion, quite a bit more talented than some of the Denver bands who have hit it big in the last few years). I think they already have a spark of originality that many newer bands have difficult finding, and I think they are going to continue to evolve into an extremely cool act that music-lovers should pay attention to. I have not seen them perform live, which is sort of a litmus test to me for how much raw talent a band really has, however I have heard that their live shows do their recording justice. They apparently bring three or four touring musicians with them so that they are able to create their studio magic with real instruments on stage.

I'm excited to hear more, and I hope more people in Denver (including the folks at 93.3) get to know them so that they can start experiencing the level of success I believe they deserve. Check them out if you want something catchy and fun, yet a little bit different.

Track Listing:

1. Hello Fascination
2. I'm the Type of Person to Take it Personally
3. Take Me to Infinity
4. Dressed Up to Undress
5. I.D.G.A.F.
6. Welcome to Savannah
7. I Have to go Return Some Videotapes
8. The Dressing Room
9. Tripped and Fell in Portland
10. Can I Take You Home?
11. My Obsession
12. Velvet
13. Rescue