New York City’s Lez Zeppelin is probably the world’s only lesbian Led Zeppelin tribute band. Robert Plant & Co. always flirted with Renaissance fair or ye olde medieval lyrical/visual themes. Lez Zeppelin takes this to an extreme, as indicated by each member’s moniker: Queen of Cups (drummer Helen Destroy), Queen of Wands (vocalist Sarah McLellan), Queen of Swords (guitarist Steph Payne), and Queen of Pentacles (bassist/keyboard player Lisa Brigantino).
Lez Zeppelin is not to be taken as a joke, however, as the expert musicianship and tireless touring have paid off with sold-out shows at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom and a rabid fan base. According to live accounts, the ladies can expertly re-create every facet of the source material — the stomping drive of “Black Dog,” the dynamic shifts of “What Is and What Should Never Be,” and even the guitar-bowing of “Dazed and Confused.”
Something tells me that they stop short of the trademark “signaling left” tightness of Robert Plant’s trousers back in the day, but something also tells me that they blow most all-male Zep tribute bands off of the stage.
Lez Zeppelin perform at the Gibson Beale Street Showcase Saturday, July 7th. Showtime is 7 p.m.; tickets are $15.
— Andrew Earles