Jan 19, 1969, Led Zep plays Detroit's Grande Ballroom

[MrScorpio]

Since I was seven years old at the time, I would have never been there. But it would have been nice if I could.

January 19, 1969
Detroit
MI
US
The Grande Ballroom

Setlist:
Includes: Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, Killing Floor, White Summer / Black Mountainside, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown.
Notes:

Press Review: Grande Ballroom - Jan. 19, 1969
It was a Sunday night at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom and the last set the Zeppelin would play there. Almost everyone of musical importance in the city was in attendance (MC-5, Amboy Dukes, SRC, various DJs etc.) We were all expecting something really tremendous to happen and the anticipation was building through Linn County’s mediocre (opening) set.

Four British musicians came quietly onto the stage and began their set. The group consists of Jimmy Page, lead; John Paul Jones, bass; John Bonham, drums; and Robert Plant, vocals and harmonica.
Jimmy came on in an exquisite red satin suit and began his expert lead. He was one of the Yardbirds and has played sessions and arranged for Donovan and the Stones, among others. As before stated, the group was originally his idea, although he doesn’t want to be considered the leader. His ultimate purpose was to establish a group of four excellent musicians, each an equally integral part of the whole.
When the first tune was over (Train Kept a Rollin’), there wasn’t much reaction. As they went through I Can’t Quit You Baby, we could sense something lacking. The next one took our minds off the playing, though Jimmy Page’s use of the bow on his guitar. The sound was weird and mind-bending and yet somehow marvelously controlled.

During Killing Floor, the real problem became evident. Each member of the group was on a separate riff, not at all together. At times, Jimmy’s guitar and Robert’s voice blended beautifully enabling the music to really communicate, but other than that, they were playing different things simultaneously.
Jimmy later played a solo, White Summer, after a change of guitars. It was melodious and resembled sitar playing at points, but was in no way as spectacular or complicated as made to look.

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/january-19-1969

[ADX]

1. I saw them three times during their six-night run...

...at Madison Square Garden in June of '77.

Best band ever...