Robert Plant is an interesting fellow, and at 75 years old, he doesn't owe anyone an explanation for anything, but his choice of songs on his setlist sure inspires questions.
We get it, he doesn't want Led Zeppelin to reunite, he doesn't want to tarnish their glorious legacy, they've done a few one-off shows and that's it.
He even went on tour with Jimmy Page and cut some records with his old collaborator and fellow rock legend.
But that's it. It's dunzo. Get over it.
I, for one, would love to get over it, but then I'm confronted with setlists like this and I'm like, "is he kidding us?"
Not only are there three Zeppelin covers in the tour kickoff of the Outlaw Tour which also features Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, but there's a Page & Plant tune in there "Please Read the Letter" which we're just supposed to pretend is no big deal?
Absolutely no offense to Ms. Krauss or the talented bluegrass and country musicians in the band backing up the former Led Zeppelin singer.
But we can't hear Jimmy cover the Everlys and Allen Toussaint and Memphis Minnie?
We can't hear how John Paul Jones would fit in with this Americana ensemble?
No one wants to take away Robert Plant's reworking of these old songs, in fact, the fiddles - especially Krauss's are superb.
But as long as Jimmy and John Paul are still walking the crust, are we supposed to feel bad that they aren't also on the stage with Robert?
It's like watching Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform when the Bulls are right freaking there.
It's like being a kid at Christmas but you're only allowed to open the gifts in the stockings, even though there's a bike-shaped gift wrapped with a bow on it leaning against the tree.
And you aren't allowed even to think about it, let alone open it.
And then someone puts on Queen's "Bicycle Race" and dances around the never-to-be-mentioned-again present.
"Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan," Krauss and Plant sing in perfectly reasonable harmony on the Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy tune "When the Levee Breaks," made famous(er) on Led Zeppelin IV.
I'm moaning. Must I weep too?
June 22 was supposed to be the second stop of the Fest to co-headline both Willie and Dylan. But at 91 years-old, Willie had to cancel his appearances at the first couple gigs.
His people say he will be back on stage shortly and in his place, his 35 year-old son has done a great job filling those iconic cowboy boots.
Shouldn't this remind all of us, not just the 75 year-old rock icon, that we are all mortals and time is not just fleeting but not guaranteed?
Of course we should be blessed that we ever got to have Jimmy, John Paul, and Robert on stage for as long as we had them.
But while they still have the chance, why can't that mean old levee just give us a break for one more tour?
Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krause, and Celisse are scheduled for several East Coast shows through 7/7, then at the end of July they go to the West Coast and trade out Plant & Krauss for John Mellencamp.
Get your tickets on the Outlaw Music Festival website.
