'Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience' Concert Event Review at the Sound Academy

I have a confession to make. My expectations of a band facetiously named Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience who only sing Led Zeppelin songs and are led by the late John Bonham’s drummer progeny, Jason, were miniscule. 

Jason Bonham

That is, till I heard James Dylan shriek like the ghost of Robert Plant’s past and Tony Catania shred the guitar effortlessly and with dexterity while not missing a beat on everything from “The Lemon Song” to “Kashmir”. That is, till I witnessed father and son locked in a necromancer’s drumming duel that was epic in its conception and poignant in its execution. 


Saturday May 14th's concert at the Sound Academy was always going to be about nostalgia for the Baby Boomers that thronged to the event. For those that may never have the fortune to see the original lineup live, the concert and Bonham’s lineage are the closest to witnessing Zep back in their halcyon days. For the youngsters in the crowd, this was an opportunity to experience the English hard rock pioneers in real time – a rare thing in the age of You Tube.

The spotlight was fixed on the deceased Bonham senior as the show was inspired with archival
footage, home videos and some chin wagging from the younger Bonham. The affable drummer voiced his affection for the crowd throughout the performance and his admiration for their ability to sign along to all the classics. Dylan’s rendition of “Over the hills and far away” especially sent chills down the spine as his voice swelled with the audience’s backing. While he might sound like his more illustrious idol, James Dylan is glaringly unPlantlike in appearance. Bald headed and strongly built, the JBLZE front man’s vocal chops were especially impressive during “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and the crowd pleasing, “Whole Lotta Love”. Tony Catania’s guitar licks and solos were scintillating and retained his own distinct flavor especially during the psychedelic projection-screen-enhanced renditions of “Kashmir” (clip below) and “Stairway to Heaven”. 

Multi instrumentalists Stephen LeBlanc and newly acquired bassist, Dorian Heartstrong kept things tight and economical. However, the spotlight was firmly focused on the music. It might not have been new, earth shattering or even ground breaking but Saturday’s concert was a reminder of what a great band Led Zeppelin were.