It's not looking like a Led Zeppelin "reunion" tour will happen any time soon -- and Jimmy Page might even whack you upside the head with his guitar bow if you ask for it, judging from the band's testiness at a recent press conference. So the concert film from the band's one and only performance at London's O2 Arena in 2007 will have to suffice for now.
That movie, "Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day," will be screened in theaters worldwide for two nights only, Wednesday and Thursday. In Minnesota, AMC theaters in Rosedale and Eden Prairie are among the those currently selling the $15 tickets, as are cineplexes in St. Cloud and Rochester.
Clocking in at 2 hours, 5 minutes, "Celebration Day" features the band's three remaining members (guitar god Page, golden-god singer Robert Plant and bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones) along with Jason Bonham, the son of late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. They got together for a charity concert posthumously honoring Ahmet Ertegun, the Atlantic Records president who signed them.
The set list included obvious favorites such as "Rock and Roll," "Dazed and Confused," "Whole Lotta Love" and, yep. "Stairway to Heaven," along with deeper cuts such as "In My Time of Dying," "Nobody's Fault but Mine" and "For Your Life." Reviews of the show were resoundingly positive -- as are reviews of the movie.
After this week's screenings, "Celebration Day" will then be sold in multiple formats starting Nov. 19, including DVD and CD packages, plus vinyl and digital-only editions. No wonder the guys aren't touring: They're going to make a killing off one concert.
If you're an über-fan, though, you really should take advantage of these theater screenings, which always sound great in today's hi-fi/surround-sound/megaplex cinema world, and they provide much more of a sense of being there than watching on a TV at home.
Local tribute concert
Twin Cities Zep-heads have one more good option to celebrate "Celebration Day": The Cabooze will host a special "Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day" concert Oct. 20 with a cast of local music vets, including Julius Collins (Greazy Meal), Wain McFarlane ("Ipso Facto"), Paris Bennett ("American Idol"), Jason Fladager (God Johnson, Big Wu) and ace sidemen Billy Thommes, Al Bergstrom, Troy Norton and Mitch Boerner. Their plan is to perform the same set list played in London.
