Led Zeppelin tribute band to perform at Carlsen Center
By Julius Williams
As the story goes, one evening Jimmy Page was drinking with some friends in a pub and came up with the idea to form a band. One of his mates jokingly said, “Yeah, that will go over like a lead balloon.”
From that innocuous comment, Led Zeppelin was born. Band members decided to drop the ‘a’ from ‘lead’ to keep Americans from mispronouncing the name.
For 20 years, Led Zeppelin performed for audiences, winning worldwide acclaim for their innovative arrangements and diverse stylings. The band is one of the leading metal/blues/rock British bands of all time.
The band dissolved in 1980, much to the dismay of their fans, but the spirit and the music of Led Zeppelin lives on in a tribute band aptly named Get The Led Out (GTLO) otherwise known as “The American Led Zeppelin.”
GTLO, fronted by lead vocalist Paul Sinclair, debuted in 2007 to a crowd of 1,000 at Sovereign Performing Arts Center in Reading, Pa. Ever since, the band, including lead guitarist Jimmy Marchiano, lead bassist Billy Childs, drummer Adam Ferraioli and keyboardist Andrew Lipke, have been touring the country captivating audiences and earning critical acclaim.
It was their love of Led Zeppelin’s music that brought the band together, and members stay focused on delivering an authentic performance to audiences.
“We don’t impersonate,” Childs said. “That might work for Sinatra or Elvis but not us. We present authentic studio renditions.”
It’s the band’s dedication to exactness that makes GTLO so popular. The band uses original instruments to render the same intense, stylistic layering that Zeppelin was known for.
“If Page used a 1952 Gibson Mandolin, that’s what we use,” Childs said.
According to Childs, it is the accurate rendering of the songs that audiences enjoy, and it still surprises him how emotional the crowd can get during the performance.
“It’s a little bit insane,” said Childs. “If you’re not into Zeppelin, you’re still going to be impressed. If you are into Zeppelin, you’re gonna love it.”
Emily Behrmann, general manager for the Performing Arts Series in Carlsen Center, saw the band perform in New York last year. She was impressed with the performance and worked hard to get the band to campus.
“Note for note, nuance for nuance, it’s authentic,” Behrmann said. “You close your eyes and Sinclair sounds just like Robert Plant.”
If it’s been a while since you’ve traveled to “Kashmir” or climbed the “Stairway to Heaven,” you might want to be at the Carlsen Center on Saturday, Nov. 19. GTLO, featuring guest vocalist Diana DeSantis, will be giving the college “A Whole Lotta Love.”
Contact Julius Williams, staff reporter, at jwilli78@jccc.edu.