Jason Bonham has been celebrating his father John Bonham and Led Zeppelin in live performance for almost 15 years. However nowadays, the drummer has a secret weapon enhancing his present: guitarist Akio “Mr. Jimmy” Sakurai.
On Tuesday evening (November twenty sixth), the “Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Night” tour made a cease on the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.
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Performing Led Zeppelin’s music is not any straightforward process, particularly contemplating Jason’s dad was one of many biggest drummers ever. The truth is, John Bonham landed at No. 1 on Consequence‘s current checklist of the 100 Finest Drummers of All Time.
That stated, Jason takes issues a step additional, not solely masking Led Zeppelin’s tunes, however in some instances, tackling particular stay variations of the songs from legendary Zeppelin concert events. Good luck to most individuals attempting to copy John Bonham and Jimmy Web page’s elements in these instances, however Jason is a extremely expert drummer himself, and now he’s armed with a guitarist who has devoted his life to emulating Web page.
Akio “Mr. Jimmy” Sakurai has spent years mastering nearly each single observe Web page has performed, together with the guitar icon’s onstage actions and mannerisms — to not point out, he additionally bears a powerful resemblance to the Led Zeppelin legend. He’s even the topic of a current documentary, Mr. Jimmy, that chronicles his dedication to mastering all issues Jimmy Web page.
Because the band opened the set with songs like “within the Night,” “Good Occasions Unhealthy Occasions,” and “Ramble On,” it was instantly evident how a lot time was spent rehearsing and mastering these basic tunes. An enormous spotlight was an epic rendition of “Dazed and Confused,” with Mr. Jimmy breaking out a violin bow to play a psychedelic guitar solo, as made well-known by Web page throughout Zeppelin’s memorable concert events.
Hits like “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “Kashmir” highlighted the second half of the set, as did the all-time basic “Stairway to Heaven.” After a sing-along to John Denver’s “Take Me Dwelling, Nation Roads,” Jason and firm closed issues out with rousing renditions of “Complete Lotta Love” and “Rock and Roll.”
After all, the band isn’t simply Jason and Mr. Jimmy. Singer James Dylan does a stable job on vocals, displaying a powerful vary. Not like Mr. Jimmy, he doesn’t attempt to emulate Robert Plant — once more, that may be a really troublesome process — as an alternative letting the highlight shine on Jason and Mr. Jimmy. The lineup is rounded out by Dorian Heartsong on bass and Alex Howland on keyboards, every proficient musicians in their very own proper.
All through the present, Jason shared tales of his father and Led Zeppelin. One amusing recollection concerned a younger Jason telling his dad that The Police’s Stewart Copeland was a greater drummer than him, and ended with a backstage confrontation involving John Bonham and Sting.
Jason additionally expressed his real love towards his late father all through the set, and his gratitude to the followers for permitting him to have a good time Led Zeppelin’s music.
Maybe probably the most admirable facet of the tour is Jason’s willingness to let Mr. Jimmy share the highlight at every live performance. Whereas Jason’s identify is on the marquee, there are actually two stars of the present, and it’s a deal with for followers to see a few masters at work.
The “Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Night” tour runs via a December sixteenth present in Tampa, Florida, with tickets accessible through Ticketmaster or StubHub. See our pictures and fan-filmed video of the Port Chester live performance, in addition to the setlist, beneath.
Setlist:
Within the Night
Good Occasions Unhealthy Occasions
Ramble On
What Is and What Ought to By no means Be
Heartbreaker
When the Levee Breaks
Achilles Final Stand
Dazed and Confused
The Ocean
Over the Hills and Far Away
Misty Mountain Hop
Black Mountain Aspect
Kashmir
Stairway to Heaven
Take Me Dwelling, Nation Roads (John Denver cowl with viewers vocals)
Complete Lotta Love
Rock and Roll