Robert Plant is a vastly underappreciated musician. Of course he is a rock legend, fronting one of the greatest rock bands in history, but his catalog of music is far richer than the songs contained within the rigid airship that soared across our radios in the late 1960s and the entirety of the 1970s.
Although that band docked for the final time in 1980, Plant’s musical journey has continued to flourish. Unlike some of his peers from that era, Plant does not continue making music for the sole purpose of staying relevant. He remains relevant because the music he is creating is beautiful, rich and meaningful. Remove everything that came before it and Plant would still be a legend, which is why it is often frustrating to discuss his music with fans having a self-proclaimed love of Led Zeppelin. It’s not that those fans are surprised by the existence of Plant’s solo career, but rather by how great of a second (or even third) act he has created.
It’s the third act that really sets Plant apart. Beginning with the release of his seventh solo album, Dreamland (2002), Plant dampened the sound of his former band that was echoing from his prior releases, particularly Now and Zen (1988), Manic Nirvana (1990) and Fate of Nations (1993). His approach to music now is often softer, yet more emotionally powerful as he explores a variety of different genres from worldbeat to blues, folk, roots and Americana.
Nestled within this third act lies two of Plant’s greatest accomplishments: his collaborations with the amazing Alison Krauss. Released nearly fifteen years apart, Raising Sand (2007) and Raise the Roof (2021) highlight the perfect vocal symmetry between Plant and Krauss. Their voices never compete or collide, but rather come together in a soft, tender embrace.
The symmetry between the two was on full display recently at Ravinia, an outdoor music venue north of Chicago. Playing a sixteen-song set that covered eleven songs across both albums, Plant and Krauss proved that while many male-female duos have come before them, few if any have done it better. Lest there be any confusion, however, the night was not Plant’s alone as the first and largest standing ovation was for Ms. Krauss herself. And rightfully so as neither album could properly raise enough sand or the roof itself without her extraordinary vocal and fiddle talents.
Plant and Krauss are a pair whose tour is not to be missed. For more information on upcoming tour dates, head to their website here.
All images: © Derek Smith / High Voltage Concert Photography for American Blues Scene
Setlist:
Rich Woman
Fortune Teller
Can’t Let Go
The Price of Love
Rock and Roll
Please Read the Letter
High and Lonesome
Last Kind Words Blues
You Led Me to the Wrong
Trouble With My Lover
In the Mood/Matty Groves
Gallows Pole
The Battle of Evermore
When the Levee Breaks
Encore
Stick With Me Baby
Gone Gone Gone
