Beacon Theatre, NYC
US June 23. 2006

Thanks to dubstar and londoncalling at the Robert Plant Messageboard for the review and the photos

1) Flashy Python and The Body Snatchers (featuring Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah)
Nice opener, I think they did 2 Love songs and 1 original. Two hollow body guitars, one tele (I think), bass, drums, keyboards. Nice psych-jangle-pop sound.

2) Garland Jeffreys
I'm Alive
unknown song
96 Tears (!)
My Little Red Book - spoken word (Love song) Garland reads from a little red book and throws it into the audience at the conclusion

3) Yo La Tengo - Ira Kaplan guitar / vox, Georgia Hubley drums / vox, James McNew bass / vox
I know the song, but can't name it, can't even remember if it's a YLT or Love song (Ira vox)
Tears Are In Your Eyes (Georgia vox)
Stockholm Syndrome (James vox) insane guitar solo / distortion / feedback / destruction from Ira in the middle

at this point, original Love guitarist Johnny Echols was introduced and sang a real down-and-out dritty city blues...Signed D.C." Ira on acoustic, Alec Ounsworth on harp solo .
Ended with "Luci Baines", an obscure song from the pre-Love band The American Four" feat. Echols and Arthur Lee, leave it to YLT to pull that one out, Echols remained on stage and played guitar

4) Gavin McGraw ...last minute addition to show, drawing a blank on his name, soulful style, don't know if he did a Love song

5) Ryan Adams and The Cardinals (RA guitar / vox, with bass, guitar, drums, pedal steel)
A Kiss Before I Go
What Sin Replaces Love
The End
Shakedown on 9th Street
Magnolia Mountain
(not in correct order)
nice solid set, great long jam in the middle of WSRL, can't really see why people dislike him so much, considering his unique take on the influences of the GD, Byrds, Graham Parsons, Stones, etc....good solid music, with interesting lyrics

6) Nils Lofgren and The Rant Band
from this point forward, The Rant Band was the house band. The drummer is Steve Holley (Paul MCartney & Wings, Joe Cocker), James Mastro (The Bongos, Health & Happiness Show) on guitar, Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith) on bass, Andy Burton on Keybaords and Andy York (John Mellencamp) on lead. Excellent (wait until we get to the Zep stuff)
Alone Again Or (Love song...awesome!)
unknown song
maybe something else in here?
Because The Night (Patti Smith) great

maybe more?

OK, it gets insane from this point forward...

7) Ian Hunter and The Rant Band
rock and fuckin' roll, baby!
Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Ian on Gibson Les Paul Jr.)
Wash Us Away
All The Way From Memphis
Central Park & West
All The Young Dudes (w/ Lisa and Jesse Ronson on the chorus)

Love song in there somewhere?

I feel like someone played "August" and "My Flash on You"...maybe Flashy Python?

8) Robert Plant and The Rant Band
completely awesome, his voice was great, the Zep songs were full-on the real deal, but not nostalgic, sentimental, or "classic rocker greatest hits style"
now, there were rumors of Page showing, which would have been insnae, but the two guitarists in The Rant Band were sooooooo great, it didn't matter...pure tone! drums, bass, and keyboards were excellent, as well
Plant mentioned he had only met the band 48 hours previous, and he couldn't believe how great they were and how easy it was to work with them...said it was the first time he had played with an American band and he liked it, made some joke about it, lots of laughter all around

In The Evening (entire place goes insane)
Bummer in the Summer (Love song)
What Is and What Should Never Be (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! incredible guitar work)
Old Man (Love song, nice intro from Plant saying he's wanted to sing this since he was a kid)
For What It's Worth (wow)
When Will I Be Loved (with Ian Hunter) funny delay looking for Ian...at this moment, as during the entire set Plant was funny, charming, gracious, and very low-key...but still a Rock God
A House Is Not A Motel (Love song)
Can't Help Falling In Love (so good, good vibes all around)
Hey Joe (in the middle he sang Nature Boy)(nice intro telling us how Arthur Lee was one of the 1st people to give Jimi a chance, alos that Love's version of "Hey Joe" was released before Hendrix's) completely new down-tempo pyschy arrangement, with weird organic sound effects in the intro...at one point, Plant sang a verse from Neil Young's "Cowgirl In The Sand"...mind-blowing
7+7 Is (Love song...with some other song in the middle section, really good)
Ramble On (insane, the beacon blew up, guitars were so crazy)

at this point, Plant thanks everyone, reminds everyone about Arthur Lee and his troubles, asks people to donate whatever they can

house lights go on, everyone starts to leave, Ken Dascho (sp?) the longtime NYC DJ who was the emcee, got everyone to start chanting "ROBERT, ROBERT"...suddenly the lights go out, the band takes the stage, and we get...

encore: Thank You (crowd loses its collective mind)

and that's that

Another review at Hoppersmusic