Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra performs The Music of Led Zeppelin at the Plaza Theatre on Friday, February 24, 2023.
Amplified by a full rock band and accompanied by singer Randy Jackson’s screaming vocals, creator Brent Havens guest conducts the ensemble as it captures Led Zeppelin’s “sheer blast and power,” riff for riff while churning out new musical colors.
“My concept for The Music of Led Zeppelin was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what Zep had done,” says Havens.
Delivering a note-for-note interpretation, vocalist Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), shrieks brilliantly, acting as a window between the audience and reworked material. “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson more than captures the spirit of legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant,” says Havens.
The symphonic rock hybrid has met with approval on both sides of the podium.
“When we first came on stage, the audience gave us polite, almost classical applause,” says Havens. “Then we hit the first note and they realized it was a rock show.”
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra first performed this show in August 2013. “It was such a hit with the audience and musicians. Everyone had a blast and rocked out!” says Ruth Ellen Jacobson, EPSO Executive Director. Since then, EPSO has gone on to perform the music of Queen, the Eagles, Prince and more.
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, Click Here | For our complete coverage, Click Here
