If our memories are correct, the last time Robert Plant graced Milwaukee with his legendary presence was in 2016, as a late addition to Emmylou Harris’ “Lampedusa: Concert for Refugees” at Pabst Theater. Before that, in 2011, Plant played Riverside Theater with his then-new band Band Of Joy. (Sheesh, who wrote the snarky Milwaukee Magazine preview?) So yeah, it’s been a while.
Happily, Milwaukee’s Plant drought will soon be over: On Wednesday, May 13, the former Led Zeppelin frontman will bring his new-new band, Saving Grace (featuring Suzi Dian, among others), to Turner Hall Ballroom. Yep, Turner Hall. It’s what you might call an “intimate” show. Tickets start at $39.50 and go up to $75, and go on sale Friday, March 6 at 10 a.m.
Here’s a press release. Does it include the phrase “music inspired by the dreamscape of the Welsh Marches”? You bet it does.
With Saving Grace, Robert Plant comes back to the North American shores in extreme transcendental form bringing new faces, a new sound, and another way of looking and listening.
A new cooperative comprised of Suzi Dian (vocals), Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone and acoustic guitars), Robert Plant (vocals), and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic and baritone guitars), Saving Grace made its debut in early 2019 with a series of surprise gigs in small venues across England, Wales, and Ireland and later, a trio of UK dates supporting Fairport Convention. The intimate performances saw the band drawing from a repertoire of “music inspired by the dreamscape of the Welsh Marches,” songs that span Plant’s diverse tastes and influences, notably his lifelong passion for British and American folk, spirituals, and traditional blues, including a number of beloved standards and longtime favorites by Doc Watson, Donovan, Moby Grape, and Low, among others.