Jason Bonham: Carrying the Torch of Led Zeppelin
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Jason Bonham, son of the iconic Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, is currently captivating audiences across North America with his Led Zeppelin Evening show. This fall’s tour has seen packed houses, a testament too the enduring power of Led Zeppelin’s music and Bonham’s heartfelt tribute.
In a recent interview with Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, a New Jersey radio station, Bonham reflected on the experience. He shared,”I always find it’s a pinch-yourself moment because I look at it as I started this purely as a therapeutic way to get the LED out of me. After playing with the real McCoy, the real deal, in [December] 2007 [at London’s O2 arena], I remember when it stopped, it was a huge, ‘Now what?’ … Because I just spent six weeks with the [surviving Led Zeppelin] guys every day [in preparation for the London show]. Every day we were together, hanging out, telling stories. They would tell me things that I didn’t know — now I’m a grown-up — they would tell me all these diffrent things. So, suddenly you feel part of it. And my mom said,’Are you gonna be okay when it stops?’ I’m,like,’Yeah,yeah,yeah. I’ve got this.’ As you’ve been given the keys to the kingdom, and you sat in the throne of the greatest rock and roll band in the world. So when it stopped, it was hard, I must say. And then when the idea came, ‘Why don’t you do a band, a tribute thing’, I’m, like, ‘Are you kidding me? I’ve just played with [the original guys]. I don’t wanna tarnish that.’ so it became more therapeutic. And I realized it’s about the fans. The reason why we’re still doing it, after I got over the my stories and me — ‘it’s about me and my dad’ — it’s not. it’s about our love for dad, me and everyone, because we all have stories of what he meant to us. I lost my dad; you lost yoru drummer. So that’s the only reason — the love and the passion that we do it and still do it. Because there’s a lot of other things that I like to do.”
Initially launched in 2009 as Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience,the band later rebranded as Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening. This name change, Bonham explained, was at the request of Led Zeppelin, who planned to use the “Experience” moniker for a project utilizing their live recording archives.
The tribute band’s creation was a deeply personal endeavor for Bonham. As he stated in a 2017 interview with Mixdown, “It was meant to be part of my way of expressing my love for music and expressing myself with a tip of the hat to my father. Soon after doing the 28 shows that we did with an orchestra, everyone said, ‘You’re not going to stop now, are you? You haven’t been here, you haven’t played there…’ And so I said, ’As long as you guys wont me to do it, I’ll do it.’ It’s really fan-based. It’s not us and them; it’s about love for Led Zeppelin, and that’s how it’s grown, as a very honest, natural, fan-based show. You guys all knew him as Bonzo; I knew him as dad,and there’s a great interaction.”
Bonham’s journey with Led Zeppelin’s music began long before forming his own tribute band. He participated in the legendary band’s one-off reunion performance at London’s O2 Arena in December 2007, a tribute concert for Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records. this experience, he says, profoundly impacted him, solidifying his connection to the band’s legacy and ultimately inspiring his own tribute project.
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening continues to resonate with audiences, proving that the music of led Zeppelin, and the legacy of John Bonham, remains powerfully relevant and deeply cherished by fans worldwide.
Jason Bonham Keeps the led Zeppelin legacy alive
For fans yearning for the thunderous energy of Led Zeppelin, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening offers a powerful and deeply personal tribute. More then just a concert, it’s an immersive experience, weaving together classic hits with rarely heard gems, all delivered with the raw passion of a true believer.
The show,which culminated in the 2012 release of the concert film “Party day,” features Jason Bonham,son of the legendary John Bonham,behind the kit. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Bonham shared his outlook: “We’re not Led Zeppelin. We are fans. We love the music. We give it 150 percent energy and time to make it as good as we can make it to give people that feeling and make people go back to their youth.”
This isn’t just about replicating the past; it’s about connecting with the spirit of Led Zeppelin. Bonham continued, explaining his approach: “I never wanted it to be we are just playing music.It had to be personal with stories to tell people what Dad was like at home. It’s nice to know that so many people love hearing that music played in a live habitat.”
This year’s tour boasts a refreshed setlist,including deep cuts that rarely,if ever,graced the original Zeppelin stage.Fans can expect to hear tracks like “Friends,” “Achilles Last Stand,” and a rendition of “Dazed and Confused” reminiscent of the iconic “The Song remains the Same” concert film. The setlist carefully balances fan favorites with lesser-known treasures.
The challenge, as Bonham himself admits, lies in song selection. “The hardest thing is picking the songs,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “There’s more deeper songs — ’In The Light,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Four Sticks’ — songs that never got played live and never made it to a Zeppelin show.The list coudl go on for the more obscure ones that fans like to hear. Of course we still do ’Kashmir,’ ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and ‘What Is And What Should Never Be.’ We started doing ‘Dancing Days,’ ‘Houses of the Holy’ and ‘That’s the Way.’ This show is one of the most fun things to do because I get to play all this great music in front of people that really appreciate it.”
Jason Bonham: Keeping the Led Zeppelin Flame Burning
Led Zeppelin’s legendary status endures, with new generations discovering their iconic sound and anthems like “Stairway to Heaven” and “Kashmir”.For fans, the opportunity to experience these powerful songs live is a dream come true, and Jason Bonham is fulfilling that dream with his critically acclaimed Led Zeppelin Evening show. Using his unique perspective as John Bonham’s son,Jason carries on the legacy his father helped build.
A Son’s Tribute, A Fan’s Delight
Jason Bonham spoke with maya Millstone, Senior Editor at world-today-news.com, about the inspiration behind Led Zeppelin Evening and the impact it’s had on him and continued to have on fans.
maya Millstone: Jason, your Led Zeppelin Evening show is captivating audiences everywhere. What made you decide to create this tribute to your father’s legacy and Led Zeppelin’s music?
Jason Bonham: It all started as a very personal journey for me. After playing with the surviving members of Led Zeppelin at the O2 Arena in 2007,I felt this overwhelming sense of connection to the band and to my dad’s musical spirit. The experience left me wanting more, but I knew I couldn’t replicate what they had. This show was my way of expressing my love for the music,paying homage to my father,and sharing that passion with the fans.
Maya Millstone: The show features a lot of Led Zeppelin’s deeper cuts, not just the radio hits. What’s your thinking behind that choice?
Jason Bonham: I wanted to showcase the range and depth of Led zeppelin’s music. Songs like “In The Light,” ”Friends,” and “Four Sticks” are incredible tracks, and they deserve to be heard live. The fans appreciate it, too.
Maya Millstone: You’ve spoken about how much the fans meen to you. What is it like connecting with them through your father’s music?
Jason Bonham: It’s incredibly special. I see people in the audience who grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, and I see their children there, too. They’re experiencing these songs for the first time and connecting with them on a whole different level. It’s a testament to the timeless power of my Dad’s music.
Maya millstone: Led Zeppelin Evening has been going strong for several years now. What keeps you
inspired to continue performing these iconic songs night after night?
Jason Bonham: It’s the fans. Their energy and enthusiasm are infectious. To see them singing along, cheering, and just enjoying the music – that’s what makes it all worthwhile. Provided that there are fans who want to hear Led Zeppelin’s music,I’ll be hear to play it.
Led Zeppelin
More Than Just a Tribute
Jason Bonham’s Led zeppelin Evening isn’t just a concert; it’s an experience.
It’s a festivity of one of the greatest bands of all time, led by the son who carries his father’s musical legacy with pride and passion.
