Summer nights and classic rock go hand in hand like mac & cheese, so Robert Plant at the Molson Amphitheatre on a warm late summer night was about as good as it gets. This show was originally supposed to happen in May or June with the Pixies, but a sore throat forced a cancellation of that show. Despite losing the Pixies from the bill, the show still went on and it was a splendid show. In an amazing stroke of luck, the postponed show had happened on a rainy night which would have been miserable. Instead, we had a nice hot night that seemed to have the crowd extra excited.
Taking the stage shortly after nine, Plant immediately gained the undivided attention of the crowd with Trampled Under Foot. His band, the Sensational Space Shifters, sounded amazing throughout the night. Delivering pulsating guitar riffs after guitar riffs, the band also added some nice new touches of their own, adding in flourishes of percussion to songs here and there. It all served to compliment the biggest weapon of the night. Unlike his contemporaries, Robert Plant’s voice still holds up and his snarls and purrs reverberated throughout the amphitheater. Must be the lemon water or something.
The non-capacity (there were no lawns for example) crowd were treated to many classic songs and they responded accordingly, but let’s go to what’s important, my friends counted that there were 55 old men with long hair attending the show. To me that means rock & roll never dies (or dies at an old age). As a man who just turned 35, that is one of the more inspiring takeaways from the show. Age doesn’t diminish your ability to step out and have a good time, not only did Robert Plant prove that, but everyone with their singalongs and hand shaking proved that just right.
Set List
Trampled Under Foot (Led Zeppelin song)
Turn It Up
Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)
Rainbow
Black Country Woman (Led Zeppelin song)
Spoonful (Willie Dixon cover)
The Rain Song (Led Zeppelin song)
No Place to Go / Dazed and Confused
The Lemon Song (Led Zeppelin song)
Little Maggie ([traditional] cover)
Crawling King Snake
Whole Lotta Love / Who Do You Love (Led Zeppelin song)
Encore:
Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down / In My Time Of Dying
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)