Songs performed during this period include: Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, As Long As I Have You, Killing Floor, White Summer / Black Mountain Side, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown, Pat's Delight (drum solo).
Support Act: Mother Blues.
June Harris (NME, Jan. 1969) – I called Jimmy out in Iowa this week, prior to his first university date in that state. The group had been completely hemmed in by snow and ice, making the 100-mile drive from the closest airport a dangerous trek across treacherous roads. “Yeah, really, it’s been incredible,” he said. “We’re all so knocked out. All the kids keep telling us they’ve heard the album and how quickly can they get it and all that. And we haven’t even done half the tour yet!”
Press Review: Dusk to Dawn - Concert at a Glance: The Led Zeppelin
For what must have been two numbers into the Led Zeppelin’s show at the Union, it looked like the Mother Blues might just steal the evening show. For an hour the Blues had almost made us forget there was a main attraction. But the Zeppelin, overcoming a shaky start and inadequate equipment, quickly caught fire.
The CPC concert on the most unlikely of nights, Wednesday, was Iowa’s first mass exposure to the subterranean sound, a mixed of acid and raga rock and blues. Accordingly, curiosity brought several hundreds to see what it was all about. When it was all over, no one appeared to be disappointed as the Zeppelin was accorded a standing ovation and did an encore.
The group wasn’t as exciting as its individual members, three of whom must be considered standards in their profession. Jimmy Page, a former member of the Yardbirds, is group leader, although the way he slinked around the stage hunched paralytically over his guitar he didn’t look the part. But leader or not, he is one incredible talent. He is to the electric guitar what Adres Segovia is to the classical guitar or Chet Atkins to the folk guitar.
He could make his instrument speak words if he wanted to, and did. He could play guitar with one hand tied behind his back, and did virtually that too, picking with the same finger he formed the chords with.
John Bonham, drums, is said to have created a sensation with his solos when he accompanied Tim Rose on and England tour last year. Wednesday night he turned the trick again as he captivated the audience with what must have been 15 minutes of percussional gymnastics.
Robert Plant is the Janis Joplin of the group, a blues belter par excellence who is in indefatigable despite a voice constantly strained to its limitations.
These three have the makings of idols, although perhaps not as the Zeppelin. They seem to lack identity as a group, although that is not to say they are uncompelling. But with time and material they could command quite as much attention as some of the established groups do. (by William L. Seavey, Jan. 1969)
Support Act: Mother Blues.
After the show, JPJ, RP and JB recorded an interview in their room at the Holiday Inn for Des Moines Technical High School radio. (unfortunately, there is no surviving copy)
Press Review: Dusk to Dawn - Concert at a Glance: The Led Zeppelin
For what must have been two numbers into the Led Zeppelin’s show at the Union, it looked like the Mother Blues might just steal the evening show. For an hour the Blues had almost made us forget there was a main attraction. But the Zeppelin, overcoming a shaky start and inadequate equipment, quickly caught fire.
The CPC concert on the most unlikely of nights, Wednesday, was Iowa’s first mass exposure to the subterranean sound, a mixed of acid and raga rock and blues. Accordingly, curiosity brought several hundreds to see what it was all about. When it was all over, no one appeared to be disappointed as the Zeppelin was accorded a standing ovation and did an encore.
The group wasn’t as exciting as its individual members, three of whom must be considered standards in their profession. Jimmy Page, a former member of the Yardbirds, is group leader, although the way he slinked around the stage hunched paralytically over his guitar he didn’t look the part. But leader or not, he is one incredible talent. He is to the electric guitar what Adres Segovia is to the classical guitar or Chet Atkins to the folk guitar.
He could make his instrument speak words if he wanted to, and did. He could play guitar with one hand tied behind his back, and did virtually that too, picking with the same finger he formed the chords with.
John Bonham, drums, is said to have created a sensation with his solos when he accompanied Tim Rose on and England tour last year. Wednesday night he turned the trick again as he captivated the audience with what must have been 15 minutes of percussional gymnastics.
Robert Plant is the Janis Joplin of the group, a blues belter par excellence who is in indefatigable despite a voice constantly strained to its limitations.
These three have the makings of idols, although perhaps not as the Zeppelin. They seem to lack identity as a group, although that is not to say they are uncompelling. But with time and material they could command quite as much attention as some of the established groups do. (by William L. Seavey, Jan. 1969)
June Harris (NME, Jan. 1969) – I called Jimmy out in Iowa this week, prior to his first university date in that state. The group had been completely hemmed in by snow and ice, making the 100-mile drive from the closest airport a dangerous trek across treacherous roads. “Yeah, really, it’s been incredible,” he said. “We’re all so knocked out. All the kids keep telling us they’ve heard the album and how quickly can they get it and all that. And we haven’t even done half the tour yet!”
When the University of Iowa hosted Led Zeppelin
The University of Iowa’s Central Party Committee was in charge of organizing the January concert at the Iowa Memorial Union’s Main Lounge, and their hard work already had some unforeseen hiccups — the crappy weather was just the start. They had to book a replacement band for jazz sensation Count Basie, and they decided to roll the dice with a group of four guys on their first American tour. The show must go on. And so Iowa was introduced to Led Zeppelin.
“I sort of knew them, but we really were just happy to be out on a school night! That was the real thrill of the evening,” reflected Tim Taylor of Iowa City, who was a senior at City High at the time. “Really bad weather is the next thing that comes to mind. I was still in my clothes I wore to school: penny loafers, slacks, collared shirt and my hair at maximum length.”
Taylor laughed. In those days, the schools had a dress code and didn’t tolerate long hair on the boys.
“My parents let me go with my friend, Ty, and we were dropped off in an old Jeep that had chains on the wheels. It was awful standing in line waiting to get into the IMU.”
Though Led Zeppelin was still far from their legendary status, the concert organizers had them as the headliners anyway.
“We knew the opening band, Mother Blues, and I was looking forward to seeing them,” Taylor said. “There was only a few hundred of us at most in the IMU. I remember the bad sound system they had at first, but they got it fixed.” Still, he reiterated, “I was just so happy from being out on a school night.” He was obviously living the dream; he had no idea what was about to hit the stage after Mother Blues.
“Led Zeppelin! Just — people were going nuts!” Taylor’s memory of the Brits’ performance was once again fresh in his mind, 50 years later. “The ovation they got: Not very many of us there, but it was loud.”
The replacement band was doing their job making sure they were as entertaining as the previously advertised headliner. Bryan Dietz, a freshman at the University of Iowa, had a similar experience with his first taste of the future rock gods.
“My friend and I walked through horrible weather to the IMU from Rienow Hall. We kinda-sorta knew [Led Zeppelin] because I was really [a] big fan of the Yardbirds.”
“I was stunned,” Dietz recounts of experiencing Led Zeppelin in concert. “They were amazingly talented instrumentally. Robert Plant’s vocal were great, but what impacted me the most was their raw talent with Jimmy [Page]’s guitar and [John] Bonham on drums. His drum solos — I mean, wow.”
It didn’t take long for Iowa City concert attendees to realize they made the right decision to brave the elements and absorb themselves in what was going to possibly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, all for the $2 price of a ticket.
“I was very close to the stage, and I knew they were going to be phenomenal,” Dietz said. “They brought a lot of fun with them. Especially from only 50 feet away!” Dietz was a few human bodies from the stage in a quintessential U.S. college town, with all the bass, high pitches, unmatched vocals and sweat that come with that.
“‘Dazed and Confused’ is my favorite song of theirs, and I remember them playing it,” Dietz said. “I wasn’t aware that they were on their first American tour, but I found out that the U of I was their first campus show in the States. Seriously, watching John Bonham and Jimmy Page was the most amazing part of the show.” (Jan. 2019 / littlevillagemag.com/wayback-tours-when-the-university-of-iowa-hosted-led-zeppelin/
Songs performed during this period include: Train Kept a Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, Dazed and Confused, As Long As I Have You, Killing Floor, White Summer / Black Mountainside, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, You Shook Me, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown, Pat's Delight (drum solo).
