Words by Ryan Hall Photos by Geoff Tischman On Saturday, November 3, Get the Led Out rocked The Capitol Theatre. I mean, ask anyone who was there, these guys are the gospel truth! But let’s dig a little deeper. GTLO is a tribute band to the iconic British blues/rock band Led Zeppelin.Zep combined the soaring vocals and magnetic stage presence of Robert Plant, the virtuosic bass and keyboard work of John Paul Jones, the supersonic guitar of Jimmy Page, with the God of Thunder himself – John Bonham on drums. Impeccable musicianship, deep, philosophical songs, with a heavy and sharp edge – Led Zeppelin was a band the music scene has never before seen or seen since. After Bonzo’s tragic death in 1980, Led Zeppelin disbanded, save for a few one-off performances here and there, usually with Bonham’s son Jason on drums. Celebration Day from 2007 is particularly stunning to me. I’ve heard a lot of cover bands in my life. Most of them are… let’s face it… they aren’t good. Considering that most of them are a bunch of friends with day jobs who get together on the weekends to jam, it’s understandable. Make no mistake, Get the Led Out is no cover band! They are the American Led Zeppelin! I’ve got a pretty discerning ear. And I know when a cover band gets it. They get the original material, they put their own spin on the original material, and they make it their own. From the very first notes of "Rock and Roll" – I knew that GTLO got it! It was something simple, but it was something that hit me like a sledgehammer. John Bonham was known for his – pardon the pun – his lead right foot. He used a 26”x14” bass drum that he hit like a thunderclap. GTLO drummer Adam Ferraioli appears to use the same drum setup that Bonzo used. That bass drum of his… yeah… GTLO gets it! As GTLO lead vocalist and front man Paul Sinclair said – they’re not looking to do an impersonation of Zeppelin. They’re all fans looking to pay tribute to one of the finest rock bands in history. They do just that! GTLO is six-piece band featuring Sinclair on vocals and harmonica, Ferraioli on drums, Paul Hammond and Jimmy Marchiano on guitars (and Jimmy plays a mean slide guitar), Eddie Kurek on keyboards and guitar, and Phil D’Agostino on bass. They also brought in guest vocalist Diana DeSantis on a few songs. Zeppelin was highly-influenced by American blues music. The second song GTLO played was "Trampled Under Foot." It’s deeply influenced by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson and it’s probably the closest thing to funk that Zeppelin played. And they nailed it. With Kurek’s rolling clavinet line under the guitars and vocals, that was a real highlight of early in the show. "Ramble On," "Nobody’s Fault But Mine," and "Going to California" were a few of my favorites from their first set. After about a 15-minute break, Get the Led Out turned the temperature on the rock and roll up to 12. I mean, it’s one louder than 11! (Side note: has Spinal Tap ever played The Cap?) From their first song of the second set, I knew GTLO was going for the jugular. The curtain opened on Ferraioli playing perhaps Bonham’s most iconic drum lick. With Ferraioli’s thunderous drums and Sinclair’s haunting harmonica, any Zeppelin fan knows what’s coming. I had chills on top of chills during "When The Levee Breaks." Marchiano laid down some nasty slide guitar and echoed the Mississippi Delta feel of one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. These guys are good. Next… was the classic instrumental "Moby Dick." Yeah… we need to talk. John Bonham is on the Mt. Rushmore of rock drummers. He’s considered by many to be the best rock drummer of all time. And he was known for some radioactive drum solos during Moby Dick. When Bonham would drop his sticks and play his solo partially with his bare hands! Adam Ferraioli went off on a magical journey during his solo. I’m standing there in absolute awe because I felt like I just took a ride in a time. And yeah, he played with his bare hands! "Kashmir," (my personal favorite Zeppelin song,) and the smash hit "Stairway to Heaven," were particularly well done to close out the show. "Stairway" particularly stood out. Paul Hammond had the privilege of strapping up the double-neck Gibson SG on that song. Get the Led Out brought home their phenomenal set with "Whole Lotta Love." And this song features my favorite Jimmy Page solo and one of my favorite guitar solos of all time. I’m standing there wondering if they can pull this off. Not only did they have a Theremin on stage! But Paul Hammond NAILED Page’s solo! It was a phenomenal show featuring a group of gifted and passionate musicians who are committed to honoring the legendary Zeppelin catalog. Not only do they honor the Zeppelin catalog but Get the Led Out is truly the American Led Zeppelin! When it comes to Zeppelin tribute bands, there truly is No Quarter. Get the Led Out is the truth.No Quarter… see what I did there…