Checking out a tribute band isn’t usually at the top of my “must see” list, but for Led Zeppelin take-offs I wanted to make an exception. The band rolled into Denver’s on Friday night in their second of three Colorado stops. And with Zeppelin conspicuously absent from my “done that” rock concert list, these guys were more than a decent facsimile.
John McDaniel (as Jimmy Page) started the show with a lone “Bron-Yr-Aur.” In the dimness of a smoky spotlight and with masterful instrumentation, McDaniel might have had the most devoted Zeppelin fan believing Page himself was on stage. The crowd, though sparse, was on board, knowing this was likely as close to the real thing as they would get. Following his solo, McDaniel was joined by the rest of the band — Matt Jernigan (Robert Plant), Adam Sandling (John Paul Jones) and Greg Thompson (John Bonham).
If appearance is everything, Zoso scored some high marks here. Plant once remarked that the only thing he remembered about the ’70s was that “none of my shirts fit” — a fact not lost on blond, curl-coifed Jernigan in hip-huggers and gypsy-chic blouse. Jernigan’s look, moves and gestures were pure Plant; even his sexy approached the standard set by Plant in his heyday (a bar unlikely if not impossible to be met). His vocals were also a worthy reproduction, down to his distinct articulation of certain words and periodic ad libs (think the live version of “Stairway to Heaven”).
Musically, Zoso was a near replica of Zeppelin, playing notable favorites “Ramble On,” “Immigrant Song” and “Misty Mountain Hop.” McDaniel packed a wallop in his solos, clearly channeling Page through his vintage guitar, a spot-on duplicate of Page’s Gibson. During a near-20-minute “Dazed and Confused,” McDaniel took violin bow to guitar, turning a possible “Spinal Tap” moment into a respectable nod to the experimentation Zeppelin was celebrated for. McDaniel even broke out the double-neck Gibson. It screamed Jimmy Page.
Like the hugely talented John Paul Jones, Sandling played multiple instruments, including bass, keyboards and a lovely mandolin on “Going to California.” Drummer Thompson’s solo in “Moby Dick” was a pounding, mesmerizing, all-out assault on his drum kit — a true homage to the late Bonham.
If “Zoso” seems an odd name, pull out your copy of “Led Zeppelin IV” and take a jog down memory lane, remembering all those late nights spent trying to figure out the meaning of the four symbols. Zoso is Page’s symbol, the meaning of which remains a mystery, but may have something to do with alchemy or Tantric sex or absolutely nothing.
In any case, Zoso claimed the right to use the arcane name. Tributes aside, they can play — and well. They’re the closest we’ll get to adding Zeppelin to the “yep, saw ’em!” catalog.
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Jackie Lomibao is a Lakewood-based writer and regular contributor to Reverb.
