Live: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Robert Plant
Alison Krauss
with T. Bone Burnett
Saturday, April 19
Palace Theatre
Louisville, Ky.


BY MAT HERRON

He's still an icon.

Even at 59, Robert Plant is a consummate singer-showman, stalking the stage like a panther, eliciting scream after sex-fueled scream from women with a pivot of those rock-star hips, and clutching the microphone to deliver crushing, albeit aged, vocals.

She's no slouch, either. Alison Krauss' 2002 Live DVD, recorded over two nights at The Palace, makes the Decatur, Ill., girl as much a part of Louisville's history as Muhammad Ali. She's a protege of Bill Monroe, and collects Grammys like they're baseball cards.

She entered from stage right, he from stage left, the standing ovation dwarfing any doubt that these are two musicians who are still relevant. Three numbers in, Stuart Duncan plucked the opening riff from Led Zeppelin IV's "Black Dog" on banjo. His interpretation fit the dueling vocals of Plant and Krauss like a glove, which added a new, sexy dimension to a classic.

"Led Zeppelin rules!" one fan yelled out. "Stairway to Heaven!" yelled another. That particular request prompted a "Whoa" from Plant himself. One could argue that Plant was the star of the show — the band would go through "When the Levee Breaks," which saw Krauss meting out devilish violin lines, "Black Country Woman" and a stunning rendition of "Battle of Evermore."

But Krauss owned the night's most breathtaking moment. Singing an a cappella version of "Down To The River to Pray," off the "O, Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, Krauss stood tall next to Plant, Duncan and guitarist Buddy Miller, who shared one mic for backing harmonies. If you listened closely, you could hear the oxygen being sucked out of the room.

The Plant-Krauss tour begins amid still-rampant speculation about Led Zeppelin following up their London performance with more shows. No matter what the surviving three members say on the record, fans are hungry for it.

If Saturday's show is any indication, Plant isn't enduring any struggle to stay relevant. Sure, his voice cut off at the end of "Black Country Woman," but such minor errors couldn't, in all honesty, invalidate his ability to enliven the sold-out crowd.

Krauss has one of the purest, pitch-perfect voices in any genre, period. We're fortunate to have her still working.

Contact mherron@leoweekly.com