ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD

How to honor the legacy of a band deemed sacred? To tread on holy ground is perilous, and
must be done with the intent and spirit of a disciple—Pay attention to the intricacies of the
magic, explore the far ends of the innovation, strive for ever-growing ability, and let the purity of
the love for the music drive it all.
The musicians of Zepparella came together through a common passion for the music of Led
Zeppelin. Armed with the desire to incorporate the vocabulary of their heroes into their own,
they decided to dive into the music.
Nearly five years have passed, and Zepparella continues to develop. The musicianship grows as
they dig deeper into the wealth of challenges, and the stage show gets ever more transcendent as
the relationships between the players tighten. Anna Kristina (vocals), Gretchen Menn (guitar),
Nila Minnerok (bass) and Clementine (drums) bond in a way that is palpable to the audience, and
this connection gives them reign to explore their own improvised magic within the framework of
Zeppelin’s mighty songs.
The band has toured consistently throughout the Western United States. 2009 brought them on a
tour to the East Coast, and the early part of 2010 already has them in Wisconsin, Utah, Colorado,
Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, with more yet to come. They have shared stages with the likes of
KISS, Y&T, and The English Beat. They’ve rocked private parties that found neckties and
undergarments left behind, old-fashioned casino showrooms with tables overturned, rock clubs,
lodges, the Seattle Music Experience, the Sundance Film Festival, the Harmony Festival,
celebrations, holidays, weddings, and ships.
Everywhere they go, the Zeppelin love washes in waves out of the doors of the venues. Initial
skeptics are quickly converted. Followers recount the number of shows they’ve seen, and the
regulars notch 40, 50, over 100 shows on their belts, traveling between states to see the shows.
The band has released two live albums. The debut, Live at 19 Broadway, was released on Bonny
Boy Records in the Bay Area in 2005. A Pleasing Pounding was released on the great indie rock
label What Are Records? in 2008. The next one is on the horizon.
ZEPPARELLA
PO Box 330372
San Francisco, CA 94133
www.zepparella.com
Management/Booking: [email protected]
Band contact: [email protected]
Zepparella - Times-Standard Online
Zepparella
Sarah Godlin For the Times-Standard
Posted: 09/03/2009 01:27:08 AM PDT
With the recent fly through from the Sad Wings of
Destiny, the area might be yearning for another
tribute band. It'd be nice if this time it was full of
hard rocking ladies. Voila; Zepparella. These four
women knock out Led Zeppelin's hits in a non
campy, righteous way, and have been for so long
that they truly make the famous songs their own.
Page, Plant, Jones and Bonham are some extremely
big shoes to fill, but the women of Zepparella throw
themselves into it, studying their individual
predecessor to further their own art. Clementine, the
groups drummer, was surprised how completely she
fell into the role.
”It's trippy to get into someone's mind so
completely. I feel like I know (John Bohnam). I have
had dreams where we are walking arm in arm with
each other,” said Clem.
The San Francisco band is no stranger to Humboldt
County. Zepparella has played here a bunch, and
Clem, before she was in Zepparella had played here
with other groups.
”Some of our favorite shows have turned out to be
in Humboldt. Once in 2000 the rear axle of our tour
van broke and someone from Arcata let us stay at his
house for days until it was fixed. He basically gave
us the run of his house for three days, we'd drive
him to work in the morning and he let us use his
car. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever
done,” said Clem.
Page 1 of 1
was, and they explained that his name was Steve
and he had a beard. Turns out that it was former
Hitch, and current (though on hiatus) Magnum
Drummer Steve Bohner.
Clementine was once in another tribute band called
AC/DShe. They covered John Denver songs.
Kidding. She was also in the national metal band
BOTTOM, whom she toured with through Humboldt
as well. Vocalist Anna Kristina is a Bay area stage
actor who started as a jazz musician, Nila Minnerock
is a seasoned bass player who played in BOTTOM as
well, Gretchen Menn is a dazzling guitar player who
played for three years in AC/DShe, the Phil Collins
tribute band. That's another joke, but really, also a
good idea. Please contact me if you are interested in
starting one up.
The group has been going strong for a double
couple of years, and though the Zepparella members
are truly bout it-bout-it for Led Zeppelin, you can't
blame them for having side projects where they
aren't playing entirely in a dead British man's
shadow. Clementine has a side project called The
Solid. They will be playing a show at Nocturnum
Thursday, September 17.
”It's a band I started because I realized I should
also be playing drums in an original project. We are
playing here soon with Sticks and Stones. They are
an instrumental, blow your face off, rock band,” said
Clem.
Catch Zepparella in their entire glorious splendor at
The Red Fox Tavern on Sunday, Sept., 6. The doors
open at 9 and you can purchase tickets online at In
Ticketing which you can reach through
theredfoxtavern.com Also, I am serious about the
Phil Collins tribute band: [email protected] .
This being a small town, and me having been here
for a while, I inquired as to who the mystery hero
Advertisement
http://www.times-standard.com/entertainment/ci_13260080
9/21/2009
ZEPPARELLA
Page 1 of 2
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ZEPPARELLA - A PLEASANT POUNDING
WHAT ARE RECORDS
METAL TO INFINITY
As ow n e r of a M e t a l w e bz in e , I de fin it e ly a m not a sha m e d st a r t diggin g in t o t h e pa st - I
mean to go back in times, let's say late 60's / early seventies. An era, actually the beginning
of m y m u sica l in t e r e st in Cla ssic Rock a n d H a r d Rock . Ye a h, it w a s j ust lik e a n e w w or ld
ope n e d u p for m e . As a ve r y you n g a ge d k id find ou t w h a t t h e r e a l w or ld h a s t o offe r t hose
da y s, it w a s qu it e a n e x pe r ie n ce ... h a nging ou t w it h olde r br ot h e r s, be su r e t h e y sh ow e d m e
t h e w a y a n d t h e r e st w a s u p t o m y se lf. Th a t w a s t h e st a r t for m y m u sica l j ou r n e y t h r ou gh
spa ce a n d t im e , qu it e sh or t ly a ft e r I k n e w t h a t Rock m usic w a s m y cu p of t e a a nd t he r e
I m ov e d on ... se a r ch in g for ba n ds on t a pe a n d vin yl, fir st t h e r e w e r e t he Cla ssic Rock ba n ds
follow e d by se ve n t ie s H a r d Rock ou t fit s, a s ye a r s pa sse d by I r olle d in t o t he w or ld of M e t a l
as well... decades later now, I'm most of all hooked on the mighty forces of US Metal music I h a ve t o a dm it , I st ill lik e Cla ssic Rock lik e I did t h ose da ys ba ck in t o t h e e a r ly 7 0 's. Ok a y,
so fa r m y som e ba ck gr ou n d a bou t m y se lf... m a in poin t is t o spr e a d t h e w or d of a n Am e r ica n
female quartet named Zepparella.
Fou r good look in g w om e n w it h , in t h e fir st pla ce , a bur n in g pa ssion for t h e ba n d Le d
Zeppelin - se con dly t h e y h a v e a spe cia l gift ( pr oba bly de sce n d fr om a bove ) , m or e
spe cifica lly Ze ppa r e lla pla ys son gs fr om t h e ir idols lik e no on e e lse did be for e . About cove r
ba n ds, I h a v e t o a dm it t h a t som e t im e s pa r t icu la r gr ou ps a r e n 't w or t h t o se e da y ligh t bu t
w it h t his ba n d, it 's n ot t h e sa m e - it 's t ot a lly diffe r e nt ! You ca n fe e l t he pa ssion r igh t onâ € ¦
you ca n 't r e a ch t h e t a le n t s of a le ge n da r y ba n d lik e LZ but y ou ca n com e in t h e
n e igh bou r hood, do you ge t t h e pict u r e ? N ot h in g sou nds be t t e r t h a n t h e or igin a l st uff - what
Ze ppa r a lla br in gs on is qu it e u n ique . Th e sim ila r it ie s w it h m ight y Le d Ze ppe lin a r e
phenomenal.
Th e voca ls ( a n d h a r m on ica pa r t s) a r e don e by An n a Kr ist in a ... a lm ost a n im possible t a sk t o
com e close w it h Robe r t Pla n t 's voca l use - w e ll, ch e ck ou t Ze ppa r e lla 's fr on t la dy a n d m a k e
u p you r m in d. I 'm su r e you w ill be a st on ishe d! W e a ll k n ow gu it a r ist Jim m y Pa ge , t h e
ch a r ism a t ic in div idu a l w h o offe r e d u n cou n t a ble , da z zlin g guit a r t u n e s ba ck t he n - believe
m e or n ot , Ze ppa r e lla 's six st r in g w iz a r d Gr e t ch e n M e nn com e s pr e t t y close con ce r nin g
http://mtibelgium.00freehost.com/ZepparellaCDreviewApleasantpounding.html
9/3/2009
ZEPPARELLA
Page 2 of 2
musical resemblances. And so the story goes on, bassist Nila Minnerok's bass roars like John
Pa u l Jone s a n d Joh n Bon h a m 's dr u m w or k s lin ge r s on st r ong w h ile Cle m e n t in e give s a w a y
their knowledge about hitting skins, cymbals,...
You w ill fin d ba ck n in e com posit ion s on Ze ppa r e lla 's la t e st ou t put ''A Ple a sa n t Poun din g''
w hich is a ct u a lly a colle ct ion of son gs pla ye d du r ing live pe r for m a n ce s. As for t h e son glist
on t he a lbum , t h e y ch oose for a fe w r e a l Cla ssic On e s lik e 'I m m igr a n t Song' or 'D a z e d An d
Confused' - a lso t h e y br in g on a fe w son gs, ( for som e pe ople ) 'u n k now n on e s' I gu e ss such
a s: 'Tr a m ple d Un de r Foot ', or igin a lly r e le a se d e a r ly 1 9 7 5 a s sin gle . M or e is com in g by son gs
lik e 'M ist y M ou n t a in H op' ( or igin a l r e le a se d a s single in 1 9 7 1 ) - 'Cu st a r d Pie ' fr om ''Ph ysica l
Graffiti'' album 1975, ...
As y ou ca n se e , Ze ppa r e lla doe sn 't pla y only t h e on e s e v e r y on e should h a v e t o k n ow ... t h e ir
m ission is cle a r , pla yin g Le d Ze ppe lin son gs a s pe r fe ct a s possible a n d w it h sim ila r it ie s ve r y
close t o t h e or igin a ls. Accor din g t o m e , t h e y h a ve su cce e de d in t h e ir m ission w h ich is,
sh ow in g t he ir r e spe ct a n d dign it y for a le ge n da r y Rock ba n d. Pe r for m e d w it h a bu r nin g
pa ssion a n d a gr e a t look in g v ision for vin t a ge r ock in' m u sic - Ze ppe r a lla ca n be pr ou d on
it. Here some sound files / visuals via Myspace right HERE. MY POINTS: 85 / 100
RETURN TO MTI INDEX
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9/3/2009
Page D4 Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Civil Rights Film Series: Mighty
Times, The Legacy of Rosa Parks
Celebrate Lincoln’s bicentennial
The Wyoming Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission invites everyone, especially
those who share President Lincoln’s birthday, to a celebration at the state capitol on
Thursday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Gov. Dave Freudenthal will kick off the event, followed
by a presentation by Lincoln portrayer John Voehl. The party will move to the Wyoming
State Museum for birthday cake and the unveiling of a traveling exhibit featuring
President Lincoln. The celebration is free and open to the public. For more details call
Mark Junge at 634-7462.
Witness the story of Rosa Parks, who sparked a revolution by
sitting still, this Sunday at 3 p.m. for free at the Unitarian
Universalist Church, 3005 Thomes Ave.
The film, donated by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching
Tolerance project, is geared toward those in the third grade
through adults. For more information, call 632-7521.
Get the Led out with Zepparella
SEE THIS GIRLS GROUP
DURING ITS LONGEST
TOUR SO FAR.
By Karen Cotton
[email protected]
We all need a Led Zeppelin fix from time to time.
Since the legendary band
isn’t reuniting any time
soon, consider catching Zepparella live instead.
Zepparella is an all ladies
Led Zeppelin tribute band
from San Francisco.
The first leg of their tour is
in the Rocky Mountains and
they’re playing at the Oriental Theater in Denver on
Valentine’s Day.
The band’s drummer,
Clementine, took some time
to talk about the band’s origins and their new album “A
Pleasing Pounding.”
Q. How long have you all
been jamming together?
Clementine: “We’ve been
together for about three
years. When we started, we
had a different singer for
eight months.
“Then, when Anna Kristina joined the band, that’s
when everything started and
that was three years ago.”
Zepparella
An all ladies Led Zeppelin tribute
band
When: Feb. 14, 9 p.m.
Where: Oriental Theater, 4335
W 44th Ave. Denver, Colo.
Tickets: $10-$12
More info: All ages,
http://cervantes.baselineticketin
g.com or www.zepparella.com
threat.”
Q: Why did you choose to
cover Led Zeppelin?
Clementine: “A couple of
things. The players John
Bonham and Jimmy Page
made us want to play the instruments that we do. That’s
a great education.
“Also, the music allows us
to stretch out musically in
different parts and improvise, so it keeps it fresh always.”
Q: Do you have a favorite
song that you play on stage?
Clementine: “‘Dazed and
Confused’ spotlights each
member really great.”
Zepparella, an all-ladies Led Zeppelin band, is made up of members, from left, Clementine, Gretchen, Anna and Nila. Courtesy
Q: How often do you tour?
Clementine: “This is the
Q: How did the members
longest tour that we’ve done
of Zepparella meet?
so far. We try to get out a few
Q: How do you get permisClementine: “The bass
weekends a month, up and
sion to cover a band like Led player Nila (Minnerock) and down the coast. This is our
Zeppelin?
I have been playing in bands first venture beyond NevaClementine: “They just
for about 12 years or so, then da.
give it to us. We haven’t had the guitarist Gretchen and I
“It was just time to go fura problem. We have two live were in an AC/DC band tother west.”
albums and we had to get
gether about six years ago.
permission for both of those. Anna we met through a muQ: What’s your newest alThey don’t see it as any
tual friend.”
bum?
Clementine: “‘A Pleasing
Pounding’ and it includes
Zeppelin songs like ‘Immigrant Song,’ ‘Sick Again,’
‘Dazed and Confused,’ ‘In
My Time of Dying.’
“The record was recorded
at a show at the Red Devil
Lounge in San Francisco in
October of 2007.”
Q: Do you also work on
your own originals?
Clementine: “Yeah,
everyone has an original
project or two. Some times
the original projects open
for Zepparella.”
Q: What do you like most
about covering Led Zeppelin’s music?
Clementine: “The education of it, and it’s about the
connection between the
Q: Will the original groups players for this band. We reopen for this tour?
ally love the way Led ZepClementine: “No, that’s
pelin communicated
not the case this tour. These between the four players,
are places that we haven’t
each player was integral, so
been before, so we’re at the
we really love that about the
whim of the promoters.”
band.”
Wine: Tastings do not have to be costly
Continued from D1
pairings, each person typically takes little sips of wine
to see how it interacts with
various chocolates.
“You usually have a fair
amount of wine left,” Rader
said. “Consider having a
tasting party before lunch or
dinner, so you can enjoy the
rest of the wine with a
meal.”
For a large group, it’s nice
to have two to three bottles.
It’s also a good idea to
stick to red wines and to
choose a few different types
– for instance, zinfandel,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
or a Syrah, which is also
known as a Shiraz.
“So, you can see how the
wines all taste differently
with the chocolates,” Rader
said.
When you’re selecting the
chocolates, you also want a
variety.
“But, stay away from
(chocolates) that are sweet
that have caramels or
marshmallows in them,”
Rader said. “But, do something with nuts, or chili powder, or with curry, or a fig
and fennel bar.”
Also try dark and milk
chocolate, or chocolate with
nuts.
“An easy tip: If you take
the chocolate bar when it’s
in the wrapper still and
break it up in the wrapper,
you can dump the chunks
out onto the plate, or you can
keep it in the wrapper and
let people grab a piece,”
Rader said.
The host should give
everyone a glass of water.
“I also recommend unsalt-
Wine and chocolate can equal
fun. Michael Smith/staff
ed corn chips or plain crackers, water crackers, to
cleanse the pallet,” Rader
said. “Chocolate has cocoa
fat in it, so you can cleanse
your pallet in between
chocolates.”
Hosts should keep in mind
that everyone has a different
level of knowledge when it
comes to wine.
“Some are novice and others are more sophisticated,”
Rader said.
A host can make it simple
and have three different
wines and chocolate bars.
“Guests can try the first
wine with all three bars,
then the second and the
third,” Rader said. “It’s interesting to notice how the
wine and chocolate changes
from one wine to the next.”
If a guest is a novice wine
drinker, they can say
whether or not they like a
certain wine paired with a
certain chocolate.
“If you’re a more advanced wine drinker, you
can write down what you
think like, ‘I can taste a lot of
blueberry and plum,’” she
said. “There is no right or
wrong way, you just have an
open mind and have fun
with it.”
With Valentine’s Day approaching, a tasting can be
done by just a couple, but
the results may be mixed.
“If you want to do some
sort of Valentine’s date, to
make it interesting you
would want to do one bottle
with a couple of different
chocolates, or a few different chocolates,” Rader said.
“But, one bottle doesn’t give
you a chance to see the
range and two bottles is a lot
for two people,” she said.
It is a lot more fun, she
said, to do wine-chocolate
tasting with a larger group.
“You can taste more wines
and experience more flavors,” she said.
“It has a nice black cherry, plum vanilla and toffee
flavor,” Rader said. “One
thing that sets Root: 1 apart:
Chile is unique because the
grapes grown are engrafted
root stock, which are unique
in the market and that contributes to their pure flavors. It’s a full bodied red
and an everyday drinking
wine.”
Flying Fish Merlot comes
from Washington State.
“Washington State built its
reputation on merlot, and
it’s one of the most popular
varietals from the state,”
Rader said. “Flying Fish offers cherry, plum and raspberry flavors with a hint of
cinnamon. It’s made in Columbia Valley, Wash.”
As for the chocolates, Rader recommends Theo Chocolate, a well-known company
based in Seattle.
“They do interesting stuff
with their chocolate and are
a Fair Trade company, so we
thought it made for an interesting combination,” Rader
said.
Theo Chocolate’s Web site
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Some inexpensive
suggestions for
wine, chocolate
The key to keeping a wine
and chocolate tasting from
becoming expensive is to
choose high quality wines
that are available for an economical price.
The following wines all retail between $10 and $15:
Flying Fish Merlot 2006,
Root: 1 Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 and Fat Bastard Pinot
Noir 2007.
“Fat Bastard has nice
strawberries, a hint of rose
on the nose, nice red fruits
on the palette, strawberries,
raspberries and cherries
and is made in France,”
Rader said.
Root: 1 is a Cabernet
Sauvignon from Chile.
says it is the only organic,
Fair Trade, bean-to-bar
chocolate factory in the
United States.
Some of Theo Chocolate’s
varieties include Fig Fennel
and Almond Dark Chocolate, Ghana Dark Chocolate
Bar, Coconut Curry milk
chocolate, Hazelnut Crunch
milk chocolate, Venezuela
Limited Edition Dark
Chocolate Bar 91 percent.
They range in price from
$3.25 to $5 a bar.
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8 - STEPPING OUT Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Female rockers to rip full Zeppelin spectrum
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Who: Zepparella
What: All-female Led Zeppelin cover band
When: 9:30 p.m. today and Thursday
Where: Mangy Moose Saloon, Teton Village
How much: $10
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Socially
conscious sounds
By Abbie Beane
Gretchen Menn and Clementine –
who has officially dropped her last
name – grew up listening to the
hard-rock sounds of Led Zeppelin,
and “woodshedding” as they call it.
This is when musicians go to the
backyard woodshed to practice with
a particular intensity and passion.
“Zeppelin was some of the first
music that got me into guitar,”
Menn said. “I feel their music embodies the whole spectrum of human emotion. Though I also love
AC/DC, they express a narrow view
of the human experience in comparison.
“Zeppelin speaks to any mood, any
experience, and has different levels
of intensity. You can also get a [wellrounded] musical education in guitar.”
Years later the two women came
together to form Zepparella, an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band that
will make its Mangy Moose debut at
9:30 tonight and Thursday night.
Eventually the band, based in San
Francisco, added Nila Minnerock on
bass and Anna Kristina on vocals,
while Clementine plays drums and
Menn fills the role of lead guitarist.
Each of the women has her own
musical history to tell.
Although Kristina’s formative
years were jazz based, Zeppelin did
not present a communication breakdown.
PHOTO COURTESY ERIN BARNES
Gretchen Menn, from left, Clementine, Nila Minnerock, Anna Kristina are
Zepparella, an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band. Zepparella will make its
Mangy Moose debut tonight and stick around for Thursday night.
“I was into the bluesy jazz vibe,”
she said. “But Zeppelin spoke to me.
It was the universality of Zeppelin.
It’s improv, fluid, funky, soulful. Zeppelin changes it up a lot and even
brings jazz influences into their
writing.”
Through a mutual friend, Kristina
heard that Zepparella was looking for
a lead singer.
“Zeppelin was the only rock music I
was willing to do,” she said, noting the
serendipity of the opening. “I found
it a universal, beautiful union of extraordinary women.”
Zepparella has added a Rocky
Mountain tour this year, including
Jackson Hole for the first time.
Group members plan to play long
sets on both nights, allowing the band
to truly gel with the audience.
Menn said the band recently has
been performing “When The Levee
Breaks” with great success, and plans
to try out the new favorite on the
Moose crowd. Its album resume consists of Live At 19 Broadway (2005)
and A Pleasing Pounding (2008).
Throughout their four-year history as a band, the members of Zepparella have been presented with
two inherent, potential stumbling
blocks: being a tribute band and being an all-female band covering an
all-male ensemble.
“I can look at it as I just happen to
be in this gender and love guitar, not
thinking about gender intertwined
with that,” Menn said.
“But I love how women could be
empowered by that. For men, there’s
always the opportunity to sexualize
women on stage. But when you back
that up with musical skills, integrity and passion, then you become
irrefutable.”
Menn admits that being a tribute
band can lead to inadvertent parody,
though the intent is to honor a beloved group.
“We try to take the literal out of it,”
Menn said. “Especially since we’re an
all-female Zeppelin cover band, people might expect we’re not an exact
replica. The goal is to take the music
into its own realm.”
Also this week at the Moose, music
fans can catch Salem – a self-described
amalgamation of funk, hip-hop, jazz and
Afro-Cuban sounds, infused with socially
conscious messages.
The show is slated for 9:30 p.m. Friday,
and tickets cost $10.
The band features Todd Anders
Johnson, who is all at once a drummer, singer, composer, producer and
educator.
Johnson, performing internationally
for more than 20 years, also features
prominently in the snow-riding scene.
A snowboarder himself, Johnson’s
compositions can be heard in skiing
and riding films produced by Warren
Miller. Johnson also has played at the X
Games and at US freeskiing events.
A bumpin’ good time
If Wednesday through Friday fail to
satiate your hunger for Moose music, the
band Bump rolls into Teton Village on Saturday and will stay for Sunday night.
Both shows start at 9:30 p.m., and tickets cost $7.
Bump captures the hard-hitting new
Detroit electronic music scene, also influenced by the soulful Motown sound.
So far, the band has put out four albums. Members are Yorg on guitar, keys
and vocals; Clint Carpenter on drums
and sequencer; Dan Einheuser on bass;
and Chris Sterr on guitar, lap steel and
vocals.
Bump prides itself on its gritty, underground roots and “unique brand of intelligent art rock,” band members said.
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ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD - cosmiclava.com
Page 1 of 3
ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD cosmiclava.com
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ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD
ZEPPARELLA (A Pleasing Pounding) CD
I'm generally quite skeptical about cover bands. Mostly those bands fail in trying to capture the spirit of their idols, but
there are a few exceptions. One of them is ZEPPARELLA, an all-female band featuring ex-members from Bottom, and
'A Pleasing Pounding' is their second live album, that has been released in 2008 by What Are Records?. I suppose, that
you already know that ZEPPARELLA are paying tribute to Led Zeppelin, and not to Barbarella but I really like the
idea behind the name as well as the altered version of the "Swan man" symbol. Nowit's a woman, who's wearing a bra,
panties and holds a Gibson Les Paul in her hands. I love this kind of humour! The song selection here is very good,
because they have chosen also some more unknown tracks like 'Sick Again', 'Custard Pie', 'Trampled under Foot' or 'In
My Time of Dying', which are all from Led Zep' sixth album 'Physical Graffiti'. Of course, here are also a few wellknown songs like 'Immigrant Song' and 'Dazed and Confused', but fortunately no 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole
Lotta Love'. The musicianship is top-notch and the passion of the band for Led Zep is clearly felt throughout the
included nine songs. I like the vocals of Anna Kristina more than the one's from Robert Plant, and maybe even Led Zep
haters will like ZEPPARELLA more than the original. By the way, she's also a good harmonica player. There's plenty
of guitar firepower on 'A Pleasing Pounding', while the rhythm section is tight as hell and the driving force behind
ZEPARELLA. Personally I would say that most of the here included versions have more power than the old songs,
what makes 'A Pleasing Pounding' to an extremely enjoyable experience. The production is crisp and loud, so that the
album rolls on all cylinders. For fans of Led Zep this is an essential release.
(KK)
www.zepparella.com
www.whatarerecords.com
Choose your destination
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Veg News
August 2008
Page 1 of 2
Wild afternoons on the water
Rick Polito
Marin Independent Journal
Article Launched:08/16/2007 03:37:25 AM PDT
The amps are plugged in. The sound check is complete. The fans are high-fiving and back slapping at the bar. But if the four women ready to
rock the room as Zepparella go backstage, they're going to need life preservers.
And they won't be the only things rocking the San Francisco Bay Music Cruise.
The swells coming through the Golden Gate inject a whole new rhythm into the music mix. Gretchen Menn knows it well. Menn is the guitarist,
"the Jimmy Page" of the all-woman Led Zeppelin interpretation. The waves add another dimension, she says.
"I don't play anywhere near as drunk as Jimmy Page," says Menn. "The unsettled footing really helps with that."
Menn isn't backstage. She's hanging out by the back deck with everybody else. A nightclub on the water, the weekly Sunday cruise out of
Sausalito is a more intimate experience than the average musical venue. At Zeparella's early June show, the band and its loyal fans could not
have been closer.
Anna, "just Anna," is the vinyl-slacks-clad lead singer.
In her platform boots, she's not so sure about the rolling decks, but she likes the up-close-and-personal contact on the cruise. "It's like a living
room," she says. Even if it is a little early for Zepparella.
"We consider this a morning gig," says the Robert Plant stand-in. "Anything that happens before 9 p.m. is clearly a morning gig."
The fans don't mind. Zepparella, four women who surrender nothing to the legendary British band, have a loyal following. They're lining up on
the dock when Capt. Brad Alvis directs them to "Raise your right hand and say 'I'm going to have a goddamn good time!'"
Todd Arend is quick to take the oath. He's more of a headbanger than an old salt, but he's clearly excited about his first hard-rock cruise.
"There's no stage to keep us apart," he proclaims.
That's the kind of band loyalty that keeps the Sunday night cruises afloat, says Gerry Robertson, the owner of the charter company. Robertson
has a long history in and around the music business.
"With the bands we get on board, most of the time they have a following," Robertson says. That following can vary, a lot. The week before
Zepparella, the band was the Mother Truckers. "We do everything," Robertson says. "We do rock. We had the country guys on last week. Then
we get these big band sounds."
Robertson's musical pedigree goes back to the early 1970s, when he was a roadie and ran the production company for Santana. Later, he
participated in Journey's germination, but the music business couldn't compete with the sea.
"I bailed out and I went sailing," the 56-year-old said. "I got on my sailboat and just took off."
Last year he brought the two worlds back together. The Sunday music cruises started in the spring of 2006. Robertson likes it. Even if the
dancing can be tricky. "It's fun because you're kind of moving around," he says of his nightclub. "The boat's doing its thing and everybody's kind
of doing their thing."
Zepparella are clearly doing their own thing with Zeppelin's rock 'n' roll as the Empress pulls away from the dock in the late afternoon. The deck
is not crowded and the fans are mostly ensconced in the leather couches, but the fists are raised and pumping when Anna brandishes the mike
for "Communication Breakdown."
"Come on G!" she shouts to Menn as the guitarist fires up the frets on her Jimmy Page-authentic sunburst Les Paul.
It goes on like that. Zepparella is a high-energy show.
Towards the bow, four middle-aged women, the ones who brought a Ziploc of ear plugs, are bobbing with the boat and the bass beat. Paul
Margarit, who boasts he has seen Zepparella "at least 50 times," alternates between the air guitar and the air drums.
Steve Borne came in from Fresno for the show.
http://www.marinij.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=6630821&siteId=234
8/20/2007
Page 2 of 2
"This and shopping at Ikea," he says.
Susan McCabe, a 54-year-old "lunch lady" from Martinez, never heard of the band but she's enjoying the show. "Anything with a boat and water
and I'm there," McCabe declares. "A bar helps."
It's a typical response, the captain observes. People leave a lot behind when they leave the dock. "Bam! they get on a boat and all of a sudden
they're a celebrity."
Whatever celebrity status Zepparella can claim - and among their "posse" it goes deep - it all dissolves when the volume comes down for
dinner. They're waiting in the line at the buffet with everybody else for the ravioli and chicken.
The boat brings the fans and the band together. "As the booze hits, more stuff is going to happen," Anna declares, steadying herself on an
overhead beam as Zepparella rips through "Livin' Lovin' Maid."
The cruise goes on. They hit the high notes. The dance floor fills up for "D'yer Maker." They ease up to the dock with "Whole Lotta' Love" at full
volume.
The band rocks.
The boat does too.
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8/20/2007
Led Zeppelin never looked this good
All-female band
puts own style
on classic metal
By Tim Parsons
Lake Tahoe Action
They’re loud. They’re pretty. They
rock. This must be a fantasy come true
for guys who are heavy metal fans: a
band of four beautiful women who
exclusively play Led Zeppelin songs.
Meet Zepparella: The drummer
Clementine said the group began after
they started practicing Zeppelin songs.
She and guitarist Gretchen Mann, who
had played with Clementine in
AC/DShe, learned so many songs they
decided to form Zepparella. Nila Minnerock, a longtime member of Clementine’s first band, Bottom, another allfemale group, is the bass player. Singer
Anna Kristina rounds out the San Francisco band.
“We started out learning the songs as
exactly as we could but when we play
live we go off on tangents,” Clementine said. “Musically, it is so much fun,
and the songs have so much room to
move around in them we can still be
us.”
And the crowd, no doubt, likes to
watch them move around.
“The audience is always so awesome
with us,” she said. “We've accumulated a group of die-hard fans who travel
wherever we play.”
Mann doesn’t play a double-neck
guitar like Jimmy Page, but she does
use a bow. Kristina’s singing voice
sounds like a mix between Robert
Plant and Heart’s Ann Wilson. The
play songs from every Zeppelin album
with the exception of “In Through The
Out Door.” They don’t play any of the
acoustic songs or ones that had keyboard.
Clementine, who formerly went by
the name Phyllis Rudd, said her experience with AC/DShe helped prepare
her for Zepparella.
“AC/DShe gave me a real precision
the goes will with (the drumming of
Zeppelin’s) John Bohnam,” she said.
“People talk about the power of him
but the grooves are amazing. I know he
was really influenced by Motown. I
really hear it in the Lemon Song. I try
to make it really groovy.”
Drummer Clementine, above, and guitarist Gretchen Mann, below, know how to rock. — Photos by Alex Close
Zepparella
When: Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m.
Where: MontBleu Showroom
Cost: $14
Buy tickets: 1-800-648-3353
or at all Ticketmaster locations or at
the door
The group is versatile too. They will
open for themselves Friday, Jan. 5 in
Nevada City. The quartet comprises
another band called The House of
More, which plays all original material.
“It gives us an opportunity to fulfill
both sides of ourselves,” said Clementine, who is looking forward to coming
to Tahoe in the wintertime.
“I like the snow, but I like the lodge
more,” she said.
Zepparella played at the River
Ranch near Tahoe City last summer.
“They’re a pretty cool show to see,”
said North Shore entertainment writer
Alex Close. “Sexy. Damn sexy.”
Lake Tahoe
Action
January 5 - 11, 2007 ––– page 8
.
Tahoe World - Zepparella to rock River Ranch Aug. 17
Page 1 of 4
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“ It’s sort of a feeling of power onstage. It’s
really the ability to make people smile, or just
to turn them one way or another for that
duration of time, and for it to have some effect
later on. I don’t really think it’s power... it’s
the goodness.”
— Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin
Clementine, the drummer for Zepparella,
spoke (or rather, e- mailed) on behalf of
Zepparella in anticipation of their Aug. 17
show at River Ranch:
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TW: How long has the band been
together? And where are you from?
CLEM: Zepparella has been together with this
line- up for over a year. We had another singer
for about eight months before Anna joined the
band, but when she joined the magic
happened. Band members are Gretchen Menn/guitar, Anna Kristina/vocals, Nila
Minnerock/bass and Clementine/drums. The band is based in San Francisco.
http://www.tahoe
-world.com/content/view/330/62/
10/31/2006
Tahoe World - Zepparella to rock River Ranch Aug. 17
Page 2 of 4
I met Gretchen while we were playing in AC/DShe, which we did for 2- 3 years.
Nila and I have been playing together for nine years; we were in the NYC band
BOTTOM for that time. That band ended in 2005, after a tour in which Gretchen
played second guitar. Anna is popular Bay Area singer/actress whom we met
through a friend.
TW: What originally brought you all together? And why Zeppelin?
CLEM: The band started as a practice project for me and Gretchen. I had always
wanted to learn the Zepp catalog since Bonham is my favorite drummer, and
when I mentioned that to Gretchen she said she wanted to learn the songs with
me. Pretty soon after starting to learn the stuff we realized that if we were going
to spend the time, we might as well do it on stage. Also, playing with a guitarist
playing Page is great but I knew that having John Paul Jones and Plant there
would get us that much deeper into the music. Nila and I have been a rhythm
section for 9 years, so it had to be. We met Anna last year and she really was the
icing on the cake. From the first time we played together, it was just right.
TW: Have you played in Tahoe before? If
so, what did you think?
CLEM: I love Tahoe, so beautiful, such happy
smiling faces everywhere! Zepparella hasn’t
been there yet, and we can’t wait. Gretchen
lived in Truckee for a few years, so she’s
excited to see some friends.
TW: You play mostly Zeppelin songs I
assume, but do you throw in some
originals as well?
CLEM: We started our original project, The
House of More, because we felt a strong pull to
take advantage of the spark we discovered
playing Zeppelin. We’re all multi- dimensional
musicians who play in many other projects and
are songwriters, so much as we love playing
Zeppelin it’s never enough. We also just want
to be on stage every day, for as long as
possible, so we joke that THOM is just a way to get people to let us up there
longer.
We just finished our first THOM album, and it’ll be ready for release at the end of
summer. We keep the bands separate on stage, so we don’t break into THOM
songs in the middle of a Zepparella set. Zeppelin’s too wonderful to sidetrack
from! The House of More opens for Zepparella at many shows though.
TW: How do you keep things interesting
when you mostly play songs from only
one band?
CLEM: Zeppelin is a perfect project for this,
because you just can’t play the songs the same
every time. Zeppelin didn’t do it, and the
songs are so great and there are so many
places to stretch out that it would be a crime
to play them like that. We come up with stuff
sometimes in the van on the way to the show
… “in the bridge of Trampled Underfoot, why
don’t we try breaking down to bass and drums
tonight … ” and then we get up there and try it
out. I’m not going to say it always works!
http://www.tahoe-world.com/content/view/330/62/
10/31/2006
Tahoe World - Zepparella to rock River Ranch Aug. 17
Page 3 of 4
But playing live should be organic, and there’s such a strong connection between
the players that it just overtakes us. I hear Anna doing something new and
suddenly something comes out that I didn’t expect, and we go somewhere new.
You hear live Zepp recordings, and that’s what they were doing. It wasn’t
perfect, but it was beautiful because they were truly in the moment on stage.
That being said, we take a lot of time when we bring a song into the set to learn
the album version as exact as possible. We can’t stretch out until we understand
the basics of the song. And if Gretchen wasn’t playing, say the Heartbreaker solo
note for note, everyone, including us, would be disappointed. We pick the places
to be us while truly respecting the great originals.
TW: What makes for a great live show? And what can the crowd do to
help?
CLEM: When the gear is working, the sound is dialed, the whisky is flowing and
the crowd is happy, the band is happy. The crowd just needs to show up! It’s our
job to make it a good show, and we do our best to make it a night they’ll
remember. We love it when people are singing along, dancing. Playing Zeppelin
is just the funnest thing ever.
TW: Two days after the
Zepparella show in Tahoe,
AC/DShe will also be playing
Tahoe. Why does Zepparella rock
harder than AC/DShe?
CLEM: Oh, is this one of those Battle
of the Bands articles?! Awww, we
don’t play that way. Both bands
work their asses off to get people on
their feet and have a great time. Both Zeppelin and AC/DC are unbelievable
bands that made a mark on music forever. How cool is it that there are nine
women in the world who want to bring these great songs to clubs so people can
rock till they drop!
TW: Anything else you’d like to say?
CLEM: Zepparella has a live recording out on Bonny Boy Records from a 2005
Halloween show in Fairfax, Calif. That’s available on our website and at the
shows. We also have a song on a Century Media/Liquor and Poker Records
compilation of female tribute bands called “ Girls Got Rhythm.” That’s being
released August 22. We may have copies to sell by the time we hit Tahoe.
Zepparella will play the River Ranch in Tahoe City (on the Truckee River by
Alpine Meadows Road) on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. and
tickets are $12 in advance. Tickets are available at: River Ranch, Joby’s, New
Moon Natural Foods, Squaw Valley Community Market, Mad About Music, Tahoe
Records & Tapes, Tahoe Hemp Company; www.renegadeshows.com; 530- 5832801. This is a 21 and over show.
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10/31/2006
entertainment
AUGUST 17
Thursday
Showtime starts at 9 p.m.
TICKETS
$10 in advance
adults 21+
River Ranch Lodge
Alpine Meadows, CA
AUGUST 19
Saturday
Showtime starts at 6 p.m.
TICKETS
$25 in advance
all ages welcome
Truckee Regional Park
Truckee, CA
AUGUST 20
Sunday
Showtime start at 10 p.m.
TICKETS
COVER CHARGE
adults 21+
The Village at Squaw’s Zenbu
O lympic Valley, CA
THE WEEKLY through August 23, 2006 51
Tucson Weekly : Music : Intent and Approach
Page 1 of 4
PUBLISHED ON JUNE 29, 2006:
Intent and Approach
Zepparella pays tribute, while their alter ego performs original material
By GENE ARMSTRONG
The drummer for Zepparella, the San Francisco-based,
all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, has recurring
dreams in which she finds herself strolling about armin-arm with John Bonham, just shooting the breeze.
"I can't begin to tell you how I feel about his
drumming," Clementine (she and her band mates
answer to first names only) says of the late Led Zep
drummer, her idol and inspiration.
Zepparella
with The House of More
9:45 p.m., Friday, June 30
Plush
340 E. Sixth St.
"Words can't describe how much his playing means to $7
me, how much it moves me," Clem says on her cell
798-1298
phone while driving across the Bay Bridge to a gig in
the East Bay last weekend.
"He was a master player. He was an amazing musician. He had a real clear channel to
his emotions, and he let them flow in his music. It's often been said that he had more
soul in his left foot than other drummers have in their whole bodies."
Zepparella, which has been together for two years, has played in Tucson a couple of
times in the past. The group will return to town for a gig Friday, June 30, at Plush.
They'll open the show, too, playing original hard-rock tunes as their alter-ego band, The
House of More.
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It should be mentioned that Zepparella is a Led Zeppelin tribute band, not a cover band.
There's a distinction. Unfortunately, I learned this while doing some research
interview. Totally gracious, Clementine never corrects me when I continually referred to
Zepparella as a cover band.
So what's the diff? To most serious tribute bands, it's all in intent and approach.
A tribute band exclusively performs the songs of one artist, not as an imitation nor to
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Music/Content?oid=oid%3A83774
10/31/2006
Tucson Weekly : Music : Intent and Approach
View All Automotive
Page 2 of 4
replicate sonically identical versions of the artist's music, but to present a--you guessed
it--tribute to the greatness of that act. A cover band performs a variety of music by other
artists and isn't interested so much in paying homage to any one band as it is in getting
paid by playing tunes that audiences recognize.
Clementine knows this well enough. She used to play in the AC/DC tribute band
AC/DShe with Zepparella guitarist Gretchen. She also played with Zepparella's bassist,
Nila, for nine years in the original metal act Bottom.
Bonecreek, Maverick
Black Cherry
Burlesque, Koffin
Kats, Surly Wench
Pub
Karaoke, North on
Fourth
Traditional Dixieland
jazz jam session,
China Rose
Karaoke with Cathy,
Eddies Cocktails
Zepparella started doing its distaff versions of songs by Plant, Page, Bonham and Jones
in 2004 with a different vocalist. But not until the actress and R&B vocalist Anna took
over the singing (and keyboard) duties last year did the group really gel, Clem says.
"Once we got Anna, things really started to develop."
When asked what makes Led Zeppelin and its music so special, Clem says, "I think they
are the greatest rock band ever, that they were individually proficient and as a group
brilliant. You've got these four players who redefined blues as hard rock, playing
together, making something greater than they all could have achieved separately, and
more amazing sexual energy than any band could hope for."
As for musical verisimilitude, the band strives for it, but also attempts to inject some of
its own personality into the classic music.
"We try to learn the songs as exact as possible. Once we have learned it, though, we take
a little liberty. These songs are so great, because they are designed in such a way that the
musicians playing them can really explore how they feel."
All Music Events »
Indeed, listening to Zepparella's debut album, Live at 19 Broadway, which was released
earlier this year on Bonnyboy Records, one is struck by the love the gals pour into
playing more-than-competent interpretations of "Black Dog," "Communication
Breakdown," "Rock and Roll" and "Since I've Been Loving You." They're good, no
question.
More Rock stories
But you can feel them straining to express themselves through the music, whether it's in
Anna's soulful yowl or Gretchen's explosive guitar solos.
Werd Em Up,
Astronatilas,
Vaudeville Cabaret
Rhythm & Views Childish Things by
James McMurtry by
JARRET KEENE (1208-2005)
Perfect Ingredients Lucinda Williams'
songs of passion,
poetry and emotion are
guaranteed to reserve
her a place in music
history. by GENE
"The breakdown during 'Whole Lotta Love' is different every time we play it. We have
no idea in advance where it will go. It kind of frees you to bring something of yourself
into the music."
The members of Zepparella had been bringing so much of themselves to the music that
last year it became apparent they needed an outlet for their original material. Thus was
born The House of More, which in April recorded an as-yet-untitled 10-song album that
will be released later this year.
"After so many years of being in different bands and projects, we finally stumbled in to
this situation where there is this magic chemistry, and we were writing songs, so we
thought it was a great opportunity to use Zepparella to get our original music out there."
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Music/Content?oid=oid%3A83774
10/31/2006
Tucson Weekly : Music : Intent and Approach
ARMSTRONG (0425-2002)
Rhythm & Views Just Like the Fambly
Cat by Grandaddy by
MICHAEL PETITTI
(05-25-2006)
Page 3 of 4
In many ways, The House of More's music is a combination of the various influences
and background that the members bring to the table: blues, R&B, jazz, funk, metal,
classic and progressive rock.
Naturally, Zepparella gigs make a great platform from which to launch The House of
More, Clem says.
"We really like to combine them in one show. The real benefit of having two bands is
that we get to be on stage longer, and that is our favorite place to be."
Rock in the archives »
In terms of Zepparella, Clementine admits that she and her partners have had to prove
themselves, and often have do so anew at each performance.
"When you first start playing Led Zeppelin, people in the audience were very
challenging. You know, you can see them with their arms crossed and looking very
skeptical."
Prophet and Loss
A path of pain and
perseverance, polemics and
party jams has led Montreal MC
the Narcicyst to a life beyond
borders of blood, tongue and...
Montreal Mirror (10/26/06)
But usually, Zepparella wins over the skeptics with their obvious passion for and
commitment to the music of Led Zeppelin. And Clem says she's never had a rabid Led
Zep fan corner her after a show and claim she wasn't playing the high hat or the bass
drum correctly.
Gentle Into That Good
Night
Mac McCaughan embraces his
adulthood....
Chicago Reader (10/27/06)
Two for the Road
"We'd welcome that, actually. Even though playing Led Zeppelin songs is like learning
from the masters, we are always learning. If anybody wants to come up to us with tips,
go ahead!"
Cut Chemist explores another
side of West Coast hip- hop....
Seattle Weekly (10/26/06)
More Music from
AltWeeklies.com
Although Clementine's dreams are the only place she's likely to meet Bonham, one
wonders if the members have ever met any of Led Zeppelin's surviving members.
"No, we haven't," she says.
"We do have a friend--in Tucson actually--who knows John Paul Jones and Robert
Plant. My ultimate dream come true would be to have Robert Plant or John Paul Jones
produce The House of More."
Recently in Music:
Demons Begone - Greg Dulli is not the man you think he is by STEPHEN
SEIGEL (10-26-2006)
Blues Ambassadors - Pinetop Perkins headlines this weekend's 'Boogie Woogie
Blowout' by GENE ARMSTRONG (10-26-2006)
A Music Mountain - South African activist/musician Vusi Mahlasela is finally
finding U.S. success by GENE ARMSTRONG (10-19-2006)
Music in the archives »
More stories by Gene Armstrong:
Good Folk - Singer-songwriter Greg Brown returns to Tucson. by GENE
ARMSTRONG (01-01-2004)
Messy Structured Brass - Tuba, coronet, trombone and percussion come together
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Music/Content?oid=oid%3A83774
10/31/2006
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06/29/2006 07:48 AM
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ABOUT US
Adrienne Lake is an LA music biz refugee often
described as a "fiery redhead" who has found solace
among the tumbleweeds and dive bars in the dusty
burg of Tucson. Come fly with her as the monkey on
her back becomes rabid, surly and overfed.
A whole lotta love for Zeppelin - Catch Zepparella at Plush
2006-06-27
Adrienne Lake
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6/29/2006
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Today's quick hits:
36th Army Band
America and
Christopher Cross
Band of Horses with
Mt. Egypt
Bob Log III with
Old Man and Miss
Alex White & The
Red Orchestra
Brass concert
Hardcore Junglism
Joe Ely
Joe Ely
Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse
The Determined
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Youth Diabetes
Support Group
In general, hearing the words, “Let’s go check out that tribute band, dude,” is enough to make
any red-blooded indie rocker’s skin crawl. Images of beer-gutted, mulletted, middle-aged men
still living in the 80s flash through the mind. A typical band guy might sneer, “They were too
talentless to write their own music so they have to leech off someone else’s.”
But that was before the modern era of tribute/cover bands existed. These days it’s not just
about Super Diamond and Creedence Clearwater Revisited types. Now we have the likes of MiniKiss, Nudist Priest, Lez Zeppelin, Metallagher, Hell’s Belles, AC/Dshe and of course, Zepparella.
The difference? All these bands decided to start playing covers out
of love and respect for the music, but they all have a twist. This
is a brand of tribute band that the indie rockers can actually get
into. Mini Kiss are, well…just what they sound like they would be
– Midget Kiss. Nudist Priest are again, just what they sound like…
naked guys playing Judas Priest. Metallagher is Metallica fronted
by a Gallagher impersonator…all self-explanatory. Lez Zeppelin,
Hell’s Belles and AC/Dshe are all female, obviously.
But what separates Zepparella from other XX chromosome status
acts?
They’re serious. And they eschew the term “tribute band.”
Drummer Clementine explains, “We avoid the words ‘tribute band’
because to us that conjurs up a sort of stiffness and uncreativity
to the delivery of the material.”
Anna
San Francisco’s Zepparella don’t have a schtick. They don’t dress
up like Plant, Page and company. They don’t imitate signature moves. They just play Led
Zeppelin. And they do it well. They could have picked something a little less complex and joined
the ranks of the rest of the Ramones or Sex Pistols cover bands. And that is what makes them
different from the rest of the cover bands playing the indie club circuit. No silly hijinx. No
elaborate costumes. Just good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll…sans fake mustaches and midgets –
that and the fact that the women’s original “heavy orchestral rock project” House of More will
be the opening act for their June 30 show at Plush.
The band’s well-spoken drummer and backup vocalist Clementine, took some time to answer a
few questions just before the kickoff of their western tour.
AZNB: How was Zepparella born and how did that lead to House of More?
Clem: “The band (Vocals-Anna, Guitar-Gretchen, Bass-Nila, Drums-Clementine) began as a
practice project for me and Gretchen in 2004 while we were playing together in an AC/DC band.
We had this idea that learning the Zeppelin catalog would be a great education. Pretty soon
after beginning to learn some songs we figured that if we were going to do the work, we might
as go all the way and perform them on stage. Nila and I had played together for nine years in
the New York metal band Bottom, so there was no way she wasn’t going to be the bass player.
We started out with another singer and Anna joined the band in July 2005. She is a favorite Bay
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06/29/2006 07:48 AM
Area singer and actress, and has made a living as a singer for the past eight years. We met
through a mutual friend.
“Zepparella was always about trying to capture that feeling that
people speak of when they saw Zeppelin live. We start with
playing the songs as exact as we possibly can (although
accomplishing that is going to be a lifetime process) and then we
do what they did on stage – let the songs breathe. (We) try to let
the songs take over and key into the conversation going on
between the three other players and play like ourselves. It’s such
a thrill not to know what’s going to happen, to hear Gretchen
start a guitar rhythm in the mid-section of ‘Whole Lotta Love’,
hear Anna pick it up, and then suddenly be playing something I
didn’t expect at all.
Which of the upcoming
Tucson and Phoenix
summer music
festivals do you plan
to attend?
Ozzfest - I live for
the Prince Of
Darkness.
Warped Tour - I
love my punk-rock
summer camp.
KIIM-FM Freedom
Festival - Thank God, I
am a country boy (or
girl!).
Some combination
of two - I am a little
bit country and a little
bit rock n roll.
All three - There is
nothing like live music.
None - You have
got to be crazy to go
to a music festival in
the middle of summer
in Arizona!
Submit
“Nila says that sometimes as she’s playing she looks down at her
fingers and has this feeling that she has no idea how they know
how to do that. It’s the best kind of freedom. And I think the
audience feels that energy. There’s a lot of laughing and mutual
adulation onstage, as well as respect for the phenomenal music
Gretchen
we’re trying to play. It’s really the most fun in the world. And at
this point we feel like – ‘People pay to see us do this?’ We’re the luckiest people in the world.”
Clearly, Zepparella is not just a fun project to do in their free time or a way to get a little
action. These women are dead serious about music. They are classically trained guitarists and
teachers (Gretchen), are in other bands (Mudface-Nila, The Bedrockers-Clem) and they do
session work (Clem again). This is rarely the case with Zepparella’s peers.
AZNB: Over the past couple years, female cover bands have been getting a lot of press (I just
heard a all-girl Morrissey cover band called Morrishi). It sounds like you don’t accept the label
“tribute band” because you don’t dress in costume or mimic performances. Any other reasons?
What are your feelings on the growing genre of female “tribute bands” and the like? What is the
draw?
Clem: “I think that there have been more cover bands period – a veritable deluge of them –
and so naturally there are more female ones. If it means that there are more women out there
learning instruments and devoting themselves to music, I’m all for it. Covering someone else’s
music is an incredible learning tool, and fun. But of course the ultimate goal should always be
to take those tools learned and apply them to writing and playing original music. Of course,
Zeppelin’s music gives us a lot of license to be more creative than other music would be.
“I don’t really care what it’s called. A good band is a good band, playing covers or not. You
can’t fake that.”
AZNB: Do you think that the extra attention that all female bands receive is a double edged
sword or a harmless way to get your music out to more people?
Clem: “It is double-edged. You get attention at the beginning, but
at the same time it’s hard to break through that novelty thing
and you’re always having to prove yourself. Some of the bands
I’d love to play with and in would never have a female in the
band unless it was as some very supporting role. It’s just the way
it is, and as time goes on and more and more women accomplish
more and more, and all the young girls coming up don’t even
realize there was ever an issue, it’ll change. I would love to not
ever promote ourselves as a female band, but show promoters
never go for it. Much as I hate to say it, it still is a novelty to see
a woman just shred on guitar.”
Being that Zepparella feels that playing other’s music is a great
way to become more skilled, one might hypothesize that now that
these women have an album’s worth of original songs, Zepparella
might slowly be put on the back burner.
AZNB: As you continue to record and tour with House of More,
do you think you will put more of your energies into it or will you
always make Zepparella a priority?
Nila
Clem: “We love playing Zeppelin’s music. It’s challenging, and beautiful, and once we figured
out how to do it and people seemed to like our interpretation, it just became the most free and
fun thing to do. But we’re lifers, and the real deep fulfillment will always come from our own
words and music. The two bands are the best of both worlds. We want to have it all, so I don’t
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06/29/2006 07:48 AM
see a time when we won’t want to do both.”
House of More’s CD is full of moody and serious songs. There is a bit of a Zeppelin influence,
but it’s much more straight forward. The music is seeped in the 70s and early 80s classic rock
vibe, yet they list Wilco, the Arcade Fire, the Flaming Lips, Portishead, Mogwai and Tom Waits
as influences. Frankly I couldn’t find the slightest traces of these artists’ influence or spirit in the
House of More’s first album, which at times had a Heart meets Fiona Apple feel.
To add to the seriousness of the approach these women have to playing music, the lyrics
express themes of frustration, longing and discontent:
Waited all night for a whisper of kittens
Inventing a word from the cardboard and the tacks
Killed me a nightmare made into a Victrola
Hung out the ivories taut on the racks
Squeeze me or shake me, but no I’m not waking me
Nothing else you say will prove you more wrong
Everything else in the world you can take from me
Swollen Canadian cut down in prime
AZNB: What inspires you lyrically?
Clem: “The album started out as a sort of concept
record, of moving from the dark to a place of
hopefulness. The words to most of the songs sort of
tumbled out of me while I was staying in the hospital
with my mother, who was very ill for a short time (she’s
better now). It’s a lot of reflection of the past, and the
struggle to get to a positive mind.
Also, after a few years of difficult interpersonal
relationships in bands, suddenly we found ourselves with
very like-minded people, with no conflict and real joy in
the creative process. That joy is in there too.
And overall, I just want to put music into the world that
reflects the struggles of life, but also uplifts people. It’s
easy to just sink into darkness these days, and I try to
keep my head above water by grasping any hopeful thought I can.”
Clementine
AZNB: I have to ask…have you heard of any reaction from the members of Led Zeppelin to
your band?
Clem: “We know that Robert Plant has been told about us, and that he asked if we were any
good. That’s as close as it gets.”
AZNB: What can we expect next from Zepparella and House of More?
Clem: “Zepparella has a song on a Century Media compilation to be released in August. Our
live record, Live at 19 Broadway, is being distributed nationally and on iTunes. The House of
More album will be ready for release in August, and we’re not sure yet on which label that will
be. We’re still talking to a couple and figuring that out. But it will be out in the fall.
“Next year, we hope to be touring steadily throughout the States, playing the House of More
shows during the week and Zepparella on the weekends. We’re just trying to sucker people into
letting us be on stage every night, and for as long as possible. That’s all.”
The women of Zepparella have more in common with their idols than the average cover band
that appeals to indie nerds. Besides their passion and conviction to do right by the music, it
seems like at times they feel like they are on a mission – like it’s their duty to interpret
Zeppelin in front of a crowd, like unseen hands and vocal cords are guiding them. They take a
disciplined and unrelenting approach to their work. And unlike the current trend, they are
determined to not make a joke out of playing covers of a band from the 70s.
In comparison with the tribute acts I have seen of late, this in itself is a novelty worth the price
of admission.
“From our first show, the musical and personal connection between band members was
tangible,” Clem says. “A lot has to do with the pure fact of meeting three other people who
have the same work ethic, perfectionism and dedication to making music the priority. Just to
have met three other women who have made a life-long commitment to music, eschewing all
the comforts of regular jobs, having families – heck, regular haircuts! – makes us feel like
http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/subbacultcha/1848/
Page 3 of 5
AZNightBuzz.com: subbacultcha
06/29/2006 07:48 AM
somewhere the planets have aligned.”
Bring thine earplugs.
House of More and Zepparella play Plush on Friday, June 30.
The ladies of Zepparella
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Article published - May 26, 2006
CITY SCENE
All-girl band takes on Zeppelin at Mystic
Jazz singer leads fellow bandmates on what she calls 'a left turn' in her life
nosale The all -girl cover band Zepparella will perform at Petaluma’s Mystic Theater on Saturday. The band will rock out to Led Zeppelin. Courtesy photo
By SHELLEY SHEPHERD KLANER
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The guitar-driven sound may be familiar to fans of classic rock 'n' roll, but the faces are hardly the same.
Zepparella, which comes to the Mystic Theater in Petaluma this weekend, plays familiar Led Zeppelin songs like "Stairway to Heaven" and "Dazed and
Confused."
But the members of this cover band aren't Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones. As a matter of fact, they're women.
Cover bands have become increasingly common in the rock 'n' roll world, and all-girl bands are a twist on the phenomenon.
Two members of Zepparella got their start in another all-girl cover band, AC/Dshe, which plays the music of rockers AC/DC.
The two left to play Zeppelin because the music is so colorful and rich, according to Anna Kristina, another member of Zepparella.
In Zepparella, Kristina, a onetime jazz singer, steps into the shoes of Plant, Zeppelin's lead singer.
The band brings its cocky loud guitar style to the Mystic Theater in Petaluma at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $12.
Kristina and her band-mates built enough excitement imitating Led Zeppelin that they just recorded an original CD.
They called themselves House of More for the CD, and recently opened a Zepparella show as House of More.
The Zepparella singers, who only use their first names professionally, include Clementine and Gretchen, who were members of AC/Dshe and refuse to
give their last names.
Kristina and a fourth woman, Nila, who also doesn't give her last name, later joined the band.
Kristina described her new gig as a "left turn to what she was doing."
A professional singer for a decade, much of her previous stage time was spent in the realm of jazz, blues and pop.
She covered songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, Sting, Ella Fitzgerald and others as a solo performer in clubs such as Slim's and Bimbo 's in San
Francisco and at festivals.
At age 5, Kristina already was feeling her musical roots. She sang "Hush Little Baby" with her father's jazz band.
She performed at her first festival when she was 11. She studied theater arts and American studies at UC Santa Cruz.
Despite the big change, "a left turn" in her words, Kristina said if there is a jazz of rock, it is Zeppelin, because it "is deep, sophisticated and soulful."
Zepparella doesn't perform the roles of Led Zeppelin as theatrical characters but does ad opt their mannerisms on stage.
They don't wear wigs or use props to make the music real, just their delivery.
The band members don't let the lyrics of songs written for a male voice stop them in their tracks.
"I'm not really a screamer," Kristina said, "but I dive into the music. I studied Plant and I hint at it."
The House of More offers Kristina a chance to sing what she describes as more pop, soulful rock, but she says Zepparella is the first priority for her.
She also continues to perform solo jazz gigs at restaurants and private parties.
When asked about her goals, she said: "I want to travel all over the world and get bigger and more well-known."
Last changed: May 26, 2006 © The Press Democrat. For copyright information view our User Agreement
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AS NOT SEEN ON TV: San Francisco's CARNVAL is WILD! Sunday May 26.
May 27: Crazy Ballhead/Madeline Roa/Justin Farren
LAKE TAHOE's NEW CLUB VEX BOOKING DANCERS NOW
WIN Tickets to The Grape Escape June 10th
Last night, we checked out the Maxim Exposure party at Empire which was so over
the top, it was ridiculous. They were filming commercial footage for Budweiser
Light so it was slightly corporate with staff running around looking busy with
oversized headsets. We're not sure why they needed so many staffers looking busy. The scantily dressed
models in cages were sexy, but that game is so played out, who's coming up with this stuff? Is anybody thinking
out of the box anymore? It felt like Vegas or Tahoe or San Francisco. In other words, it's all the same. Big
lights, lots of cameras, VIP area, half naked dancers and staff running around looking busy. Did I say that
already?
The REAL party seemed to be at Harlows with Zepparella playing their second gig. I recall having a drink with
owner Peter Torza at their first gig a few months back. "Damn, they're good. I'm booking them all year," he
said. And apparently he meant it. The all female band punched Zep tunes out so hard, so crisp, even the
feedback sounded right. Imagine if you can, attending a Zeppelin show back in say, 1968, a year before they
went on label. You're at a small bar in Liverpool and 4 guys come out and rock the fuck out of the stage. You're
like, WTF was that? That is exactly the vibe Zepparalla put out. So next time they're in town, we promise to let
you know way in advance. In fact, we'll give some tickets away. Why not, that's what we do best. By the way,
does anybody know how hard it is to play a live set of the Zep? Nearly impossible. It really does take genius.
Good work ladies, again. Sacvibe hereby pronounces Zepparella the new hot shit, even if they are covers, at
least they're great covers.
Sacramento Jazz
Jubilee Gets With It
By the Vybemeister
Sacramento, Calif.
May 21, 2006
After nearly 30 years, organizers
of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee
admitted this week that they got
stuck in a route moving too many
venues too far from downtown
and not booking enough "other"
jazz, which is to say, they booked
some really funky, younger jazz
ensambles like Bonerama and
locals like D'Baba (The Momo Lounge / Black Pearl. Check the complete venue listing here.
LISTEN to choice music selected by
Sacvibe from the
http://www.sacvibe.com/
Bonerama
Rock/Jazz/Funk
D'Baba
Jazz/Funk
Rigomania
Zydeco
5/31/2006
Touring Tips
Ideas on making money on the Road
Touring Tips each month I will bring in a guest expert on
touring, road managers, promoters, booking agents - the
people out there getting it done. In this first issue we get
some insight from Jim Stewart, the Road Manager for the
band Zepparella, an all female Led Zeppelin tribute band
out of San Francisco. With a background as a “Commercial
Pilot and Flight Instructor” Jim knows the importance of
details - especially when it comes to making money on the
road.
Video: Zepparella Playing the Nugget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsCerO4bjc
While
videoing
the
Zepparella
show
at
John_Ascuaga's_Nugget_Casino_Resort in Reno
this past September I had the chance to ask Jim a few
questions about life on the road and he gave me some great
insights into their plans to save money and tour further in
2009. It starts with the new van they bought …
Two questions – a lot of ideas...
CJ – Jim, I hear Zepparella has plans to tour into
Colorado this winter. That is a bit more of a haul than
heading up to Lake Tahoe area or down to the clubs
in LA, have you made any special plans to prepare for
the trip?
Jim - We did make some changes, we bought a new
Diesel Sprinter van, made by Mercedes, imported by
Dodge . It saves a bundle on gas and it fits all the
gear, the band, and the crew. We have been averaging
22 mpg, which works out to be about $100 a day in
gas savings. We have converted the interior of the van
to allow sleeping births for 2. This saves us 1 hotel
room a night and everybody can still grab a shower.
In total we save approximately $200 a day over the
old gas burning extended Chevy style vans. With the
Sprinter you can also go more green, and further
reduce your costs by running Bio-diesel. For the truly
committed you can go the whole way and convert the
van over to Waste Vegetable Oil. Free fuel is a reality
for many hard working bands.
CJ - Times are tough out there for a lot of people,
how receptive are the venues on booking and pricing?
Jim - Every body I have talked to from big to small is
feeling it. Touring costs are up for bands, and
attendance at gigs is down. A lot of promoters I talk
with are saying the same thing "keep the ticket price
low", and people will still come out. Obviously that
hurts the touring act the most as we have the highest
overhead and are the ones most likely to take a risk
on a low paying gig. Our response is to keep playing
shows and work harder at keeping our touring costs
down.
We are doing a 10-date tour this winter
starting in California then hitting,
Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and back
through Vegas, and Southern
California. We could not have accepted
the promoters offers without the cost
savings realized by the Sprinter van.
As a result we will be able to expand our
presence into several new markets and
afford to eat!
Jim Stewart
Road Manager
ZEPPARELLA
www.zepparella.com
www.myspace.com/zepparella