by photojournalist Jeffrey Moellering
Following in the footsteps of what many consider to be rock’s all-time greatest drummer would be a daunting task for any mere mortal, but that’s the only life that Jason Bonham has ever known. Bonham brought his Led Zeppelin Evening revue, rumbling into Tampa’s Hard Rock Casino on November 25th, with all the swagger one would expect from such a billing. The current tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of Zeppelin’s revered “Physical Graffiti” album, a classic held up as the band’s equivalent of The Beatles’ “White Album”. They played the 2-album colossus in its entirety, which was a true Thanksgiving week treat for longtime Zeppelin fans.
Bonham’s father, John “Bonzo” Bonham, the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer, who tragically passed in 1980, when Jason was only 13, brought a crashing end to the world’s most beloved rock band. The younger Bonham began drumming himself at the tender age of 5 and possessed the thunder foot of his famous father early on. It seemed only natural to continue the family’s great tradition, and he’s been a stalwart on the rock scene for several decades now, playing with many rock greats as well as his own Zeppelin incarnations. For many fans, including myself, this was the closest they’ll ever come to seeing the real thing, and JBLZE proved they’re more than capable of carrying that torch.
The band began right on time, as they had a lot of ground to cover. Bonham let the crowd know that they couldn’t take breaks based on their memory of the album, as they would not play it chronologically, so it kept everyone guessing about what might come next!
Bonham is a truly gregarious showman, interspersing the evening with humorous anecdotes from both his career, and memories of his father as a young boy. As a rebellious teen, he once told his father that he thought Stewart Copeland of the Police was a better drummer than he was!
Ultimately, it was however, about the music, and what a performance it was. When it came time to play, the band delivered. Zeppelin was known for the great studio mastery of Jimmy Page, which made their songs difficult to play in a live format. To assist, Bonham has added a 5th band member, who played guitar, mandolin, and keyboards. This added great depth to the show, enabling to capture the complex studio mixes while playing live.
Vocalist James Dylan nails peak Robert Plant cold, without over-the-top caricature. He delivers the growls and shrieks, while knowing when to remain restrained during some of the quieter moments. Physical Graffiti covers a lot of sonic and emotional range, and Dylan was able to navigate all of those moods in fine fashion.
An acoustic interlude featuring “Bron-Yr-Aur” and the rollicking “Boogie With Stu” added welcome dynamic shift, and gave Jason space to speak directly to the crowd from the riser. It’s obvious that after 15 years of playing together (which is longer than Zeppelin’s time together!), that the band members share a genuine camaraderie and play off subtle cues and nuances during their interaction, knowing just the right inflections to capture.
A particular highlight is the stellar performance of guitarist Jimmy Sakurai, known affectionately as simply “Mr. Jimmy”; a moniker which is well-deserved. Sakurai uncannily captures the essence of Jimmy page, most importantly, in terms of guitar tone, and phrasing, but also in his showmanship, with the same swaggering style and swoons that Page was so known for during the classic Zeppelin performances. It was almost eerie, and hard to believe that you weren’t actually witnessing the real thing. I haven’t heard anything about Page’s opinion of Sakurai, but given the fact that he’s played with and respects Bonham, I’ve got to believe that “Mr. Jimmy” has Page’s nod of approval. Sakurai’s playing alone was worth the price of entry.
Bonham made sure to give a nod to the faithful Florida fans, as he’s been a resident of Delray Beach in the Miami area for many years, so his many visits to Tampa Bay throughout the years are a kind of “homecoming” to him, but make no mistake, Jason is still very British in his humor and life outlook.
The sweeping cascade of emotions throughout the evening’s catalog was like a time machine for so many in attendance, transporting them to a wonderful era of their early years. Bonham is indeed the consummate captain of the Zeppelin vessel, weaving through the wonderful worlds and magical sonic spaces with other-worldly auras from “In The Light”, and of course “Kashmir”, then delivering the rapturous crowd back to Earth, all in the space of two hours. Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening preserves a moment in time, of both “what is, and what should always be”.
