Classical Graffiti

“The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony” might be the Phoenix Symphony’s highest-grossing concert of the season, and that’s the point. Geezers with elbow patches on their jackets are an endangered species, so orchestras – like the London Symphony with its salute to the Beatles – are going to...

By Clay McNear

January 10, 2008

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“The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony” might be the Phoenix Symphony’s highest-grossing concert of the season, and that’s the point. Geezers with elbow patches on their jackets are an endangered species, so orchestras – like the London Symphony with its salute to the Beatles – are going to great lengths to cultivate Gen Next. But who would have thought, back in 1970, when Robert Plant was unhitching his knickers and displaying his golden pubes for all the world to see, that you’d ever witness a respectable symphony wailing on “Immigrant Song”? “Heartbreaker”? “Black Dog”? Not that this is a bad thing. If you’re gonna sic a string section on rock ’n’ roll, the Beatles and Zep aren’t bad places to start. Zebra vocalist Randy Jackson channels Plant while a full rock band and the orchestra provide hybrid accompaniment.
Fri., Jan. 11, 8 p.m., 2008

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