Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Nostalgia Rocks!! Part 2...

When we last spoke, I had told about my most wonderful Saturday at the Wildflower Festival a few weeks ago. Most of the acts that perform there are, indeed, nostalgic - and I think that's what makes it so amazing!

In the past few years, it seems that the phenomenon of tribute bands has really taken off - I'm always hearing about them. And for me, if they're really good, sometimes I get to see a band whose nostalgia reaches beyond my years and back to a time that heavily influenced my heavy influences. Case in point: Swan Song at Wildflower on the Sunday of the festival. Although I've had the pleasure of seeing Robert Plant in concert, not so with Led Zeppelin. So, locally anyway, Swan Song will have to fill that void as a Zep tribute band.

Funny story about Swan Song. And I really hope they're not reading this because it's not the most polite. But, about 4 years ago we saw Swan Song at the Wildflower Festival on the main stage during the day, and they were really impressive! So much so that two years later, we were pleased to see them scheduled on the secondary stage. We got our chairs all set up and prepared to ROCK! Well, I don't know what happened, but the Swan Song that took the stage that day wasn't good. It seemed like the lead singer had on a blond curly wig and it seemed like his British accent was put-on. He was also wearing the famous little bolero-jacket that Robert Plant was often seen in, shirtless, but unfortunately...well, he probably shouldn't have been shirtless that day. Let's just say he's not a beanpole like Plant was back in the day. And if they were going to be one of those look-alike tribute bands, the guitarist certainly didn't even attempt to look like Jimmy Page. And then there were technical difficulties, and it just got kind of surreal. So much so that I actually swore off tribute bands in general, because if you think about it, it is kind of weird to be in a band that dresses up like and tries to sound like some other band.

So this year, when I saw Swan Song was added to the schedule for Sunday, we decided to check them out, just for a chuckle if nothing else. It was a little hotter and pretty humid that day, so I settled down in the VIP tent with my complimentary wine and Vitamin Water, and was ready for a bit of amusement.

It came time for the show to begin, and the first riffs of "Rock and Roll" started. Sounded great! I watched the band take the stage, and I was amazed at the change! Not trying so hard to look like Zeppelin anymore, but still conveying the general aesthetic, I was instantly entralled with how, well, GOOD they all looked! The singer, clearly with his own natural flowing wavy hair, belted out verse after verse. The guitarist had long, curly brown hair and did evoke Page, although not totally in look-alike fashion. But what really stood out what how amazing they sounded! Close your eyes, and maybe it was Led Zeppelin! Needless to say, soon I wasn't able to remain seated in my tent. I was up, out, and down front! Sister followed close behind. We jammed, we rocked, we fist-pumped. We partied with the people. We were transported to a place where rock rules, and Zeppelin, in the form of Swan Song, held court. I didn't want it to end! And now, thanks to Wildflower, I'm looking for Swan Song's local schedule so I can go see them again.

Let me share them with you now. Here's some of their performance that day (not my video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-WRqv0h2Ms Enjoy!!

1 comment:

Food Czar said...

I love good tribute bands. They can never replace the real thing, but in many cases, such as the Beatles, I was never given the opportunity to see the real thing. That's why I love Beatles tribute band Hard Night's Day!