By Don Allred
Soon after the 21st Century began, former jazz guitarist Steph Paynes reports, “I woke up one morning with the overwhelming desire to put on a white satin dragon suit.” Which is just what she did, in the spirit of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. Lez Zeppelin began to ascend.
In a literal sense, each of Lez Zep’s previous and present lead singers, Sarah McLellan and Shannon Conley, tends to sound more like Heart’s Ann Wilson than (the often androgynous-sounding Led-era) Robert Plant. But all of Paynes’ merry women live their 60s-inspired, Led-to-Lez dream, as fyrebyrds flying through sound barriers ov genre and gender. On Lez Zeppelin’s self-titled debut, Paynes and her 2007 cohorts ricochet through selections from Led Zeppelin’s first six albums, plus two originals: swift, sweet “On the Rocks” and beguilingly unplugged “Winter Sun.” Both fit perfectly. On 2010’s Lez Zeppelin I, the current crew completely cover Led Zeppelin’s own self-titled debut, with mixed results. As Paynes points out, “The first record demands of those brave enough to tread its waters, an immersion into Led’s roots: blues, Celtic folk, rockabilly, and psychedelic rock. It’s probably the most challenging of all of Led’s records to try and emulate.”
Lez Zeppelin most consistently meet Led Zeppelin’s crossroads challenge in concert, as often demonstrated on YouTube. Mixing Led Zep’s North African influences with the previously mentioned elements, Paynes and company raise atmospherics and raw precision into improbably good timing. By combining instantly engaging, roughneck volume with a sudden drop into exotic sonic shadows, and then coming back strong, Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” remains the same tricky song, but Paynes’ hand gestures control the eerie, electronic choir of her vintage theremin, and the magic echo of her violin bow, when that last isn’t luring her guitar through “Dazed and Confused.” Vocalist Conley’s acting career doesn’t hurt either, as her ritualized focus gets compressed into little leaps of logic. Multi-instrumentalist Megan Thomas and drummer Leeza Harrington-Squyers also compatibly deliver the vibes and dynamics, in classic crowd-pleasers and astutely chosen surprises as well, with an acoustic oasis between sparky little thrillers and electric epics. As Paynes testifies, “The synergy between a band and its willing audience can be a lot like sex.”
Lez Zeppelin will be performing with Red Line Chemistry, Danko Jones, and Steel Panther, for Rock On The Range's Special 5th Anniversary Party, at Crew Stadium, on Friday, May 20. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets for this show are included with the ROTR Weekend Package. $99.50 General Stadium Admission. For more information, please visit www.lezzeppelin.com or www.rockontherange.com.
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