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| Zeppelin tribute act ZoSo at Legends
Thursday |
Michael
Lee
Entertainment Beat |
It was an April morning
when they told us we should go to ZoSo at Legends.
ZoSo, The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, will
once again pay homage to the pioneers of heavy metal Thursday evening
at 9 p.m.
Matt Jernigan portrays mesmerizing lead singer
Robert Plant, Greg Thompson brings down the walls as heart-stopping
drummer John Bonham, Adam Sandling brings the funky back beat of
bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones to life and Mike Morgan
rips across the fret board as the low key, but by no means quiet,
guitarist Jimmy Page.
Morgan is the third different guitarist to grace
the stage with ZoSo.
“What can I say, guitar players are freaks,
sometimes in a good way. It’s rock and roll,” Jernigan
said.
A band manager in Los Angeles saw the foursome
perform and thought they could fit the bill as Zeppelin perfectly.
Since their debut show on New Years Eve in 1995,
the band has been touring America extensively, blanketing the states
in a heavy cloud of metal.
“We play anywhere from 175 to 200 shows
a year. We’ll probably do about 185 shows this year. It’s
in its eighth year and gaining momentum. The crowds are great and
the enthusiasm is still there,” Jernigan said.
This is the second time ZoSo has performed at
Appalachian State University this academic year.
The Appalachian Popular Programming Society (A.P.P.S.)
is the council responsible for booking live music at Legends. Stage
Show chair for A.P.P.S., Peter Van Schoick, said he is excited.
“They do an excellent job. There are a lot
of tribute bands out there and ZoSo is the best of the best as far
as Zeppelin goes. We’re hoping that people who missed the first
show will be able to come out and see it this time,” Van Schoick
said.
Many students at Appalachian weren’t even
alive when Led Zeppelin performed their last show in 1980. ZoSo
is a chance for everyone to experience the awe and wonder of a live
Led Zeppelin show.
“People can expect to relive a great era.
We try and represent the music as best we can. We try and mix it
up and do more than we did last time. We do so many shows that we
try and make sure they’re diversified,” Jernigan said.
All the hard work is paying off for the foursome,
and according to the band, things are going well.
“We’re getting into a lot of new rooms
this year. So much is coming in and we’re trying to break new
ground. It’s like we’re moving at a possum’s pace,
but you keep doing it because you are doing so good,” Jernigan
said. “You can’t forget about the people who made you.
The fans are what makes a band, any band.”
The song has definitely remained the same and
the music of Led Zeppelin continues to flow through ZoSo into the
hearts of Boone fans.
“I think they bring better music to people.
They bring better and older music to our generation because today’s
music sucks,” J. Tyler Williams, a sophomore biology major,
said.
“By definition a tribute band pays tribute,
and few bands have had as much impact on rock as Led Zeppelin. If
you are going to see a tribute band, you want to see a tribute to
the big ones, Elvis, Zeppelin, maybe the Doors,” Dr. Kay E.
Taylor, an assistant professor in the department of communications,
said.
“It’s an honor,” Jernigan said
when asked about playing in the name of Led Zeppelin. “When
you break it all down analytically every night you can see what
it all really means. It transcends generations, the spirit of rock
and roll and music in general.”
The name ZoSo is actually two words joined together
to make a single word, meaning the key to the door to the mystery.
Come open the door Thursday evening at Legends.
Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.
Legends has a BYOB policy with a six-pack limit.
Proper ID is required. |
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