THE BLACK CROWES AND JIMMY PAGE ‘A ROCK DREAM COME TRUE’

    "Magical"…"the perfect synthesis"…"passionate"…"mesmerizing"…"dream match-up"…"a rock dream come true"…"guitar nirvana"…"a hammer-down night of guitar-crunch"…"a combustible mix"…"a jaw-dropping display of musical talent."

That's a sampling of the praise that was bestowed upon the six U.S. shows by JIMMY PAGE and THE BLACK CROWES. Launching with three sold-out shows at New York City's Roseland (October 12, 13, 14) before moving on to the Boston area and concluding with two sold-out gigs at the Los Angeles Greek Theatre, the concerts featured both artists onstage together performing tunes by Led Zeppelin and THE BLACK CROWES, along with vintage blues numbers. The Los Angeles shows (October 18, 19) were recorded, so one can only wonder what they'll do with the tapes, and sources say that more tour dates with THE BLACK CROWES and JIMMY PAGE may follow in 2000.

Filled with Zeppelin tunes like "Whole Lotta Love," "Heartbreaker" and "What Is And Should Never Be" and BLACK CROWES songs like "Remedy" and "Wiser Time," the shows brought out some music heavyweights as well. At the Centrum in Worcester, MA, Joe Perry of Aerosmith joined PAGE and THE BLACK CROWES onstage for the Led Zeppelin classic "You Shook Me" and the Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green-era) song "Oh Well." And Mike Mills of R.E.M. was seen rocking out on the side of the stage at one of the Los Angeles shows.

What inspired PAGE and THE BLACK CROWES to form this musical union (which began when PAGE initially contacted THE BLACK CROWES in June to ask if the group would back him at an all-star benefit concert in London at the 400-capacity Cafe du Paris)? As THE BLACK CROWES' singer CHRIS ROBINSON told the Boston Globe before the tour got underway: "We're doing this for the music. The glory in just playing." ROBINSON also told Allstar magazine: "It's not just a Zeppelin thing, we bring the way we play to it also. We stick to the meat of the matter, but I just have a different sort of (singing) style. Mine is more like if Tina Turner was in Led Zeppelin."

Here's how guitarist RICH ROBINSON felt about playing with JIMMY PAGE, as told to Ben Wener of the Orange County Register, "When I'm up there with JIMMY, I just listen to him…I hear what he's doing and it's like, `Oh, my God, that's the chord he played on this song or that's this lick or that lick'…It's unbelievable. I feel honored, but I want to pick up what he knows at the same time…I could sit up there all night and play with him."

Here are some critical soundbites from the shows:

    "…the audience dug it like a rock dream come true…A low-key legend, Page sometimesdelivered his familiar leads from the fringe of the sextet, but he moved along the players with easy camaraderie. Having him along with guitarists Rich Robinson and AudleyFreed let The Crowes achieve the full effect of Zeppelin's layered, complex sound, as well as elegantly nuance their own songs…Rock and roll is here to stay, indeed."

    "The Crowes rock hard, but Page went further by schooling them with an edgy ferocity that, along with an outstanding effort by Crowes singer Chris Robinson, evoked serious memories of an early Led Zeppelin show…If you're a rock fan and missed this show, then hang your head and cry."

    "Cranking out 20 songs in just over two hours, Page and the Led Crowes–or Black Zeppelin if you'd prefer–proved to be perfectly empathetic andcomplementary stagepartners, with each bringing out the best in the other…It was a rare and magical performance, a true meeting of the musical minds between a genuine superstar and a well-established band that schooled itself on his music."

    "For a guy who has seemingly done it all at this stage of his more than 35-year career, Page seemed invigorated by his collaboration with his younger bandmates, who often couldn't contain their glee at playing with a man whose music has had such an effecton their careers."

    "They are the perfect match: Page gives the blues rock band a power slugger, while the Crowes seem to inspire the guitarist with a new, giddy energy."

    "…a much needed reminder of the potential power of classic rock music, and felt throughout the two-hour perf like a passing of the old-school rock torch from teacher to willing pupil."

Meanwhile, fans should stay tuned for further developments about where the valuable Los Angeles tapes will eventually wind up.

The set list from the first New York City show follows:

CELEBRATION DAY (Led Zeppelin)
CUSTARD PIE (Led Zeppelin)
SICK AGAIN (Led Zeppelin)
NO SPEAK NO SLAVE (The Black Crowes)
WISER TIME (The Black Crowes)
WHAT IS & WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE (Led Zeppelin)
SHAKE YOUR $ MAKER (The Black Crowes)
TEN YEARS GONE (Led Zeppelin)
IN MY TIME OF DYING (Led Zeppelin)
YOUR TIME IS GONNA COME (Led Zeppelin)
REMEDY (The Black Crowes)
LEMON SONG (Led Zeppelin)
SLOPPY DRUNK (Jimmy Rodgers)
OH WELL (Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac)
SHAPES OF THINGS (Yardbirds)
HEARTBREAKER (Led Zeppelin)

ENCORES: HEY HEY WHAT CAN I DO (Led Zeppelin)
HARD TO HANDLE (The Black Crowes)
OUT ON THE TILES (Led Zeppelin)
WHOLE LOTTA LOVE (Led Zeppelin)