MANY fans have dreams. Sometimes they come true. For fans of the Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin, the past year has been just that. A dream come true. It all started back in June of 1999, when Page asked The Crowes to back him up for a charity show. This was not the first time, though. The Crowes had opened for Page and Plant on their No Quarter Tour back in 1995. Proceeds from the charity show were donated to the Action for Brazil's Children's Trust. Our dear Ed's twisted intestine, landed him in the hospital for emergency surgery. Despite, Ed's illness, the boys made the show. The set list included "Shake Your Money Maker," "In My Time of Dying," and "Whole Lotta Love." Steve Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith joined The Crowes and Page to end the evening with Led Zeppelin's "You Shook Me." In August of 1999, dreams became reality for some lucky fans. Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes announced a mini US tour. Two dates in New York and two dates in LA, eventually adding an extra show in New York and another at the Worcester Centrum in Massachusetts. Some didn't think it would get any better than this. A handful of fans were able to obtain tickets to these shows. I got to see them in New York and in Worcester. I have seen The Crowes many times, and I had previously seen Page and Plant on their Walking into Clarksdale tour. I have seen many shows and many various artists, none to match the energy of The Black Crowes and Jimmy Page. I recall standing amongst many sweaty bodies at the Roseland Ballroom, and hearing Celebration Day kick in. I could not dance or cheer or do anything, but stand and take it all in for a moment. It was true, in front of me stood, one of the greatest guitar legends of all time on the same stage as the best rock 'n roll band of my generation. A giant gap seemed to be bridged. Then, it all sunk in, and I danced, smiled, and felt so light I could have floated up to the stage and planted big, fat kisses on all their foreheads. By the end of the run in NYC, the boys realized they had to get this on tape. When they went out to LA they taped the shows. We were then blessed with "Live at the Greek", which was available exclusively through Musicmaker.com. The high demand for the download actually brought down Musicmaker.com's website. The number of requests for "Live at the Greek" was astonishing. It became the largest selling custom CD in the history of internet music. In conjunction with the release of "Live at the Greek" rumors of a summer tour began to circulate. It only continues to get better, boys and girls. April 2000: Summer tour dates were announced for a sweep of the great United States. Starting in June and ending in October, Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes were set to play many outdoor amphitheaters, such as the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA. The Who were in on the tour too. They would be playing all the same venues, the night before or after Jimmy Page and The Crowes. Package deals were set up with Ticketmaster for lawn seats, so that you could go to both shows. I was lucky enough, to see them twice the first time they toured in the US. I was also lucky enough to see them play on July 2, 2000 at the Tweeter Center. It was breathtaking. Chills running through my body - the hair on my arms stood on end all night long. It was an electrifying way to kick into the Fourth of July, and celebrate our freedom, and theirs. The set list was similar to The Roseland Ballroom and Worcester. However, they did "In the Light," "Hots on for Nowhere," and "Misty Mountain Hop" which all added to the euphoria of the evening. The bottom line is, they were there, pouring their hearts and souls into their instruments. It all came together and made the most incredible sound you've ever heard. Then a crowd of thousands stood silent, to hear the most sincere thank you from Jimmy Page. Someone once asked me "What was the best show you've ever seen?" Need I answer? Those guys that wrote "Remedy," the ones that didn't give a damn what was 'hot', the ones that did it their way…Well my friends, they just turned their résumé's to gold. I think to myself, what will their new album sound like? I bet there will be a lot of Zeppelin in there. Not that there hasn't been in the past. Anybody who jams in a band has dreams, just like the fans. To have the opportunity to tour and play with someone like Jimmy Page, must have been astonishing. To hear Jimmy Page talk to the media about what wonderful musicians The Black Crowes are, has got to make their hearts swell. Could anybody ever receive more of a compliment than that? The Black Crowes have been catapulted into super stardom over the last year. They are finally getting the recognition they deserve. People who aren't tall at all, instead of saying, "Hey, I know them, they did Hard to Handle." They say, "Hey, I know them, they've been touring with that Zeppelin dude." Rich and Chris probably had high hopes when they decided to be in a band. Now they have high reality. I feel for the fans that didn't get to make a show. I feel for the fans that had shows in their area canceled. The bottom line is these guys aren't going anywhere, they're not going to stop now. They're rolling on stronger than ever, and we will all be there to see it. Just as we've seen them get taller and taller, these guys are turning into giants. It couldn't have happened to anyone else, because they currently, they are the rock n' roll of rock n' roll. ~The Song Remains the Same~ |