Get The Led Out Brings the Zeppelin Experience to the Nokia Theater

Led Zeppelin tribute act Get The Led Out played the Nokia Theater night, filling a stunning three hour show with remarkably recreated hit after hit from the seminal hard rock band.

 

Zeppelin fans of all ages packed the underground venue for the tribute act’s performance, filling the seats as well as the open floor. Attendees who had braved the bitter cold outside mingled by the bars, and a noticeable sense of excitement was palatable in the air, with many fans returning after last year's show, also at Nokia. The excitement burst into full blown enthusiasm as Get The Led Out took the stage to the drum-led When The Levee Breaks, the six man band perfectly recreating every note and nuance of the song. 

 

Fans in the crowd sang along to every word as the group went for a hard rocking stroll through the Zeppelin discography, from the heartfelt No Quarter to the simplistic classic Rock and Roll. The strict recreation of the songs, however, in no way compromised the passion and finesse the group of musicians displayed.

 

Frontman Paul Sinclair sang through an amazing vocal range as he belted through the acoustic, emotionally drenched heartbreak of Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You, hitting every one of Robert Plant’s sighs and wails with full gravitas. Guitarist Paul Hammond, looking and dressed like Jimmy Page, broke out a glowing violin bow for a crushing Dazed and Confused, which also saw bassist Paul Piccari shine as he held down the low end of the plodding, psychedelic song. Guitarist Jimmy Marchiano had an especially blistering stage presence as well, as he shredded and riffed his way through song after song, and the entire band, rounded out by drummer Adam Ferraioli and instrument-hopping Andrew Lipke, played not only with perfection, but with enthusiasm and an energy matched by few other musical acts today.

 

The band also displayed incredible durability, playing a three hour show with only a short intermission. While most bands, tributes or not, rarely play even close to two hours, Get The Led Out was in the throes of the epic Kashmir at midnight, and still going strong. Likewise, Ferraioli’s flawless drumming on Moby Dick had everyone in the crowd applauding enthusiastically as he pounded through one of the greatest, and longest, drum solos ever written. 

 

As the night waned, Sinclair introduced two surprise guests as well, Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes, and Graham Whitford, son of Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford. The stage full of musicians spent several minutes jamming, and blasted out a wild version of Sweet Emotion, adding a fun vibe to the dead-serious business of Led Zeppelin’s music, before an inevitable, and extremely impressive guitar duel between St. Holmes, Marchiano, and Whitford, who despite his young age easily held his own against the older musicians. 

 

From young fans pressed up against the stage to the older couples in the theater-style seating in the back, Get The Led Out’s dedication to the music of Led Zeppelin had the entire audience spellbound with delight from start to finish. The six-man line-up and impressive professionalism of the band created an exquisite tribute to the original songs, and set an extremely high bar for other Zeppelin acts to follow. As Sinclair remarked from stage, “It’s cool that I get paid to do this, but we all do this because we love this music as much as you do.” That much was apparent to all in attendance last night, most of whom will no doubt be back next time Get The Led Out plays New York City. 

 

 

Eager for more Led Zeppelin? Check out the New York Hard Rock Examiner’s list of January concerts for info on two more upcoming Zeppelin tribute acts and other shows this month. 

 

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