The Music of Led Zeppelin: Live Rehearsal Show
City Winery
March 6, 2018
Entrepreneur Michael Dorf has been an integral fixture of the New York City music scene for over 30 years, beginning at the Knitting Factory and for the past 10 years with City Winery. For the past 15 years, he has assembled impressive all-star casts for his “Music of …” series at Carnegie Hall. In recent years, these concerts have held a live rehearsal the night before at City Winery. These annual tribute concerts have generated over $1.5 million for The Orchestra Now, a Bard College outreach program for New York area high school students, and other causes related to music education and underprivileged youth.
O.A.R., the Zombies, moe., Nicole Atkins, Son Little, Orianthi & Richie Sambora, Living Colour, Bettye LaVette, the London Souls, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Erika Wennerstrom of the Heartless Bastards and others were advertised to appear at the Music of Led Zeppelin concert at Carnegie Hall on March 7. The live rehearsal at City Winery on March 6 would include some but not all of these performers, plus unannounced artists.
By way of welcome and introduction, Dorf emphasized to the audience at City Winery that this was a rehearsal and that many mistakes would be made. The house band, which consisted of bassist/conductor Tony Shanahan of the Patti Smith Group, guitarists Andy York and Jackie Greene, keyboardist Andy Burton, and drummer Dennis Diken of the Smithereens, were joined by violinists and cellists from The Orchestra Now and vocalist Shannon Conley of Lez Zeppelin (a local all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band) for a powerful rendition of “Kashmir.” Son Little played acoustic guitar on “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” Matthew Sweet sang “Dancing Days,” J Mascis played on “Tangerine.” Conley returned for “Misty Mountain Hop,” and guitarist Ayron Jones played “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” The house band left the stage so Living Colour could perform “Rock ‘n’ Roll” and the London Souls could perform “Bring It On Home.” The house band returned to back vocalist Joseph Arthur on “Ramble On.” The remainder of the show featured Conley on vocals on “Trampled Underfoot,” “The Ocean” and the set closer “Whole Lotta Love.” Called back for an encore, Conley, Jones, guitarist Tash Neal of the London Souls and the house band jammed to “Communication Breakdown.”
31st Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert
Carnegie Hall
March 3, 2018
Columbia University professor Robert Thurman, actor Richard Gere and modern composer Philip Glass founded the Tibet House US Cultural Center of H. H. the Dalai Lama in New York City in 1987 at the behest of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. Tibet House US’ purpose is to present Tibet’s ancient traditions of art and culture, preserve and restore Tibet’s cultural and spiritual heritage, and share Tibet’s systems of spiritual philosophy and mind sciences. Each year, Glass hosts and curates a benefit concert for the non-profit Tibet House US at Carnegie Hall. Carly Simon, Patti Smith, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Angel Olsen, and Blood Orange were among the popular artists who joined Glass onstage on March 3, 2018.
Thurman welcomed his benefactors from the stage, and the two-and-a-half-hour program began with a line of chanting monks. Glass then introduced Los Vega, an acoustic ensemble that he said he discovered when it played traditional Mexican music outside his apartment building. Dev Hynes then shed his Blood Orange persona to sit at a Steinway piano and perform Nina Simone’s “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” and Glass’ instrumental “Etude #6.” Angel Olsen performed solo and then accompanied by the Patti Smith Band. Stephin Merritt, of the Magnetic Fields, was accompanied by Sam Davol for his final song by the Scorchio Quartet.
Patti Smith performed two songs, and also injected commentary applauding the students who are taking a stand against guns and condemning the proposed move of the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. St. Paul & the Broken Bones rocked passionately, with vocalist Paul Janeway taking off a glittery shoe, smacking it on the Carnegie stage and then tossing it across the stage. Tibetan freedom folk singer Techung performed, then Glass with Mick Rossi and the Scorchio Quartet, and Ben Taylor (son of James Taylor and Carly Simon) with Sophie Hiller and the Patti Smith Band. The all-female Resistance Revival Chorus, born out of the Women’s March on Washington, sang as the singers marched down the aisles from the back of the hall and onto the stage. The chorus then backed an inaudible Carly Simon on her Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy award-winning “Let The River Run,” which Simon dedicated to the undocumented immigrants known as the Dreamers. Towards the end of the song, Simon and the chorus were joined on stage by most of the evening’s artists to close the evening’s finale. Glass sat in on piano with several of the acts.
Setlist
Monks
Bob Thurman Remarks
Philip Glass Remarks
Los Vega
- “Sisquisiri”
- “Cascabel”
- “Bamba”
Blood Orange/Dev Hynes
- “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
- “Etude #6”
Angel Olsen
- “White Fire”
- “I Found A Reason” withPatti Smith Band
Stephin Merritt
- “Wonder Where I’m From” withSam Davol
- “Josephine” withSam Davol
- “I Think I’ll Make Another World” withSam Davol & Scorchio Quartet
Patti Smith
- “For What It’s Worth” withPatti Smith Band
- “Peaceable Kingdom” withPatti Smith Band
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
- “Flow With It”
- “Broken Bones & Change” withPhilip Glass
Techung
- “Karma Tatsok”
Reading withPhilip Glass
- “Gamp Lama” withPhilip Glass
Philip Glass
- “Etude #10” withMick Rossi & Scorchio Quartet
Ben Taylor
- “Friday” withSophie Hiller & Patti Smith Band
Resistance Revival Chorus
- “Woke Up This Sunday Morning with My Mind Stayed On Freedom”
- “Light In The Soul” withScorchio Quartet
Carly Simon
“Let the River Run” withResistance Revival Chorus & Patti Smith Band
