Yo, DJ.....HIT ME!!

[Johann]

The kick-off to the 2011 Ottawa Jazzfest was Incredible last night.
I had the historic honor of seeing the frontman for Led Zeppelin and his Band of Joy deliver some of the sweetest music ever made.
And I didn't pay a dime.

No, I didn't hop any fences or scale any walls to see the Golden God. I just stood on the Mackenzie King bridge, with about 200 others, looking down on the open-air stage in Confederation Park. It was Glorious.
An unknown band opened the show at 8PM, and by quarter after nine the Band of Joy began their set with a sensuous bluegrass version of Zep's Black Dog. Incredible. Everybody there was pumped up. I admit I'm not familiar with Band of Joy's songs or new album. I only knew "Angel Dance", a staple on classic rock radio these days. Angel Dance was the third song of their set. Mr. Plant spoke to the crowd after the song:
Good people of Ottawa! It's great to be back! Giant roar from the crowd.


He looked like a million bucks. Black satin shirt with intricate purple designs, long blonde locks (STILL!) and he can still sway and move like a jellyfish in the sea. I noticed some ladies getting all hot and bothered at Plant's visage. Not Bad Robert! You can still make the ladies moist. HA HA

And by Zeus, his voice is still as powerful and rich as it ever was. A guy in his sixties turned to me and said "Do you hear that voice?!!?! it's still as great as the records!" I said "I know, I know". Plant's oh-so-familiar vocals soared over the ottawa night sky, which, I must add was absolutely perfect for the show. We had the most ominous black clouds hanging in the sky to the north. Everybody was bracing for a downpour at any time. But amazingly, the clouds kept moving briskly East, and the sky broke with white clouds during the set. Thunder "thundered" and rumbled a few times, we had little flickers of lightning in the sky, with someone shouting "the opening act!!" at the weather.
And we had no rain.
Until..
the set was over, the whole band takes a bow and Plant said "Good night! A Beautiful Evening! Keep in touch!"
The crowd got REAL loud for an encore, and then they came back out to the stage.
GALLOWS POLE blew our minds. People went apeshit when that song began. It was EPIC.
And guess what happens just after the song begins?
The rain POURED like a mofo.
The old guy beside me said "I can get soaked for that man".

They only did the one song for an encore. But it was all we needed.
Robert said "That's All, GOODNIGHT!"
and the exodus of peeps heading home began.
Glad I was there to see a Rock Icon in the flesh. It was beautiful.