Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to play sold out show in Vail
Alysse Garfkjen/Courtesy photo
In 2018, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters delivered an energetic, amazing and sold-out show at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, so when word spread last February that Plant was coming again — this time with Alison Krauss — tickets went fast. Lawn seats sold out within hours of being released on Feb. 16, and reserved tickets sold out on March 5, said Shannon Thornburg, the amphitheater’s senior marketing manager.
Plant and Krauss have been collaborating for some time; in 2007, they released “Raising Sand,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, won six Grammy awards and was certified platinum. Though they intended to further the momentum of “Raising Sand,” they didn’t want to just replicate what they had already done. Plus, each artist kept getting pulled to perform worldwide with their bands. Yet, as Plant noted in his bio, “There was so much enthusiasm, excitement and adrenaline that it would have been folly if we didn’t keep going (with our partnership).”
After each made records on their own — and won Grammys, like Krauss’ best bluegrass album with 2011’s, “Paper Airplane,” and Plant’s 2014-Grammy-winning “Celebration Day” for best rock album — the musical duo reunited to record 2021’s “Raise the Roof,” which earned three Grammy nominations. They brought other musicians into the fold, and Krauss said that coming back together with Plant resulted in “a new intimacy to the harmonies.”
The musicians originally met in 2004 during a Lead Belly tribute show, at which they both performed in Cleveland. Their collaborative song in Cleveland “was not the best choice,” Krauss told Rolling Stone years later, since it didn’t reflect their true magic, but they continued to bond over music, particularly Ralph Stanley’s old bluegrass.
“After 5 minutes (of talking about Stanley), I got who (Plant) was (and) why he would be interested in me,” she told Rolling Stone.
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Even before that, Krauss had piqued Plant’s interest when he heard her performing outside a Shropshire pub. He described her as having “the voice of an angel, and she sings very, very delicate songs about pain, heartache and joy,” he said on his Digging Deep podcast. “We decided something good could happen between us because our voices are so different, yet, if I back off and take away the whole edge on my vocal performance, I can sing very delicately.”
You wouldn’t think the legendary frontman for Led Zeppelin would need any “lessons” on vocals, but Plant told the Guardian that Krauss basically tutored him.
“She’s a very precise singer who’s done more duets than you can shake a stick at, and I was thinking, ‘Help, I’m a rock singer, no matter what I do!’ But, of course, I’m not — I’m just a guy that sings songs. She’d hit the talkback button from the control room, lean into the microphone and say: ‘Robert, why don’t you sing the same thing twice?'”
What: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss with special guest JD McPherson
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1
Where: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Tickets: Sold out (for any show, there is always a possibility that a small amount of additional, formerly held, tickets may be released; check with box office)
More info: grfavail.com
From that, a captivating sound arose. Their contrasting, yet complementary, vocal styles seem to have benefitted from each artist’s evolution through other projects.
Sunday, JD McPherson opens the show and also plays lead guitar for Plant and Krauss. The singer-songwriter and guitarist is known for his retro sound rooted in rock, rockabilly and R&B. He has been touring with Plant and Krauss since 2022.
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater can book such large acts due to its partnership with AEG Presents. Back in 2018, it attracted Plant and his band after a co-tour with The Pretenders was canceled at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre and other venues. Plant was still looking for a Colorado venue to play, and by that time, most were booked. The Vail gig was announced in April, and the June show sold out very quickly.
“We were the lucky recipients,” said Dave Dressman, vice president of Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. “The fact that he’s coming back is (proof of how) we try to deliver exceptional artist experiences and exceptional experiences for the audience.”
Indeed, Plant apparently enjoyed performing at the amphitheater, with its beautiful setting and covered reserved seats, Dressman mentioned, adding that the economics also worked — no small feat for the 3,000-seated venue, as opposed to larger ones like Red Rock’s 9,545 capacity. But Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater rose to the occasion, and, given positive reviews of the tour throughout the nation, it looks like audiences are in for a treat.
