It’s been a long time since wine country rock and rolled.
Robert Plant brought old school rock to Napa Valley on Saturday (May 30) night. “It’s good to be here,” he told the crowd. His hour and a half of music brought just the right amount of Zeppelin nostalgia to wine country, while allowing his newer work to shine.
Here’s more on Plant and other things you missed from Day 2 of BottleRock:
BottleRock 2015: Day 1 | Photos | Backstage Portraits
Robert Plant Warms Up
Dressed in a shiny silver shirt and black pants, the former Led Zeppelin frontman began his set as the temperature cooled way down in Napa Valley. “We’ll be playing some new songs and some songs from yesterday,” Plant promised. Plant performed many new tracks including “Turn It Up, “Rainbow,” and “Little Maggie,” mixing in classics like “Black Dog,” and “Going to California.” And although his “Black Dog” was a barely recognizable arrangement, by the time he sang “Whole Lotta Love” and ended with “Rock and Roll,” the rocker reminded everyone of his legendary status.
Passion Pit or Plant?
Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos had the toughest slot on the BottleRock Day 2 bill, playing opposite the night’s headliner: Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant. During one break between songs, you could even hear the guitar strains of “Dazed & Confused” waft over the crowd.
But the indie dance rocker — dressed simply in a blue oxford shirt and khakis — still drew a sizeable crowd and had fans singing along to his catchiest songs, including “The Reeling” and “Take a Walk.” Before the last song, Angelakos celebrated the fact that the festival set was the last date on Passion Pit’s latest tour.
Capital Cities Have It Covered
The “Safe and Sound” pop duo turned the Jam Cellars Stage into a giant dance party with a trio of crowd-pleasing covers. First they gave the Bee Gees‘ “Stayin’ Alive” a modern spin, then they turned Sinead O’Connor‘s “Nothing Compares 2 U” into a dance track, and finally, they wrapped up their set with Madonna‘s “Holiday.”
Scott Weiland‘s Redemption Song
After a string of not-so-great headlines, the frontman strutted all over the stage with his new band The Wildabouts and — much to the crowd’s delight — did a set list of half Stone Temple Pilots songs. For more on Weiland’s performance, check out our recap.
Young the Giant Wants More Cowbell
In the middle of their time on the Intel Stage, Young the Giant‘s lead singer Sameer Gadhia wanted everyone to know that it was “time for more f—–g cowbell.” Gadhia’s enthusiasm shone through during the band’s set, which included fan-favorites like “Mind Over Matter” and “My Body.”
ZZ Ward Sings the Blues
The singer/songwriter was clearly having fun during her set, chatting with the crowd (“All I need is love — and maybe sunblock”) and playing the harmonica throughout. But the vocal highlight of the performance was her ultra-bluesy song “Lil’ Darlin” (sample heartbreaking lyric: “Quit dragging my heart through them coals … Stop trying to fix it, ’cause, baby, it’s broke”).
It’s Always Sunny in Portugal. The Man
The Alaskan rock band sprinkled a few covers into their set — including Oasis‘ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and Pink Floyd‘s “Another Brick in the Wall” — but their best source material had to be the “Dayman Song” from Charlie’s musical on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. If you’ve never watched the episode, here’s a taste:
Cellos Can Rock
The Avett Brothers’ Joe Kwon has some serious cello skills — including his ability to own the stage while carrying around a giant instrument.
The Second Season of True Detective Looks Like a Butchered Pig
This according to actor Earl Brown, who joined Scott Weiland on the culinary stage at the festival, and stars in the second season of the highly anticipated HBO drama.
Oh, Weiland Likes Corona Light
He’s no Dom Touretto. Weiland revealed on the culinary stage the Corona Lights are on his rider. He also said his favorite meal to cook at home is pork tenderloin with oyster mushrooms.
Finish Ticket Sounds a Lot Like The Killers
At least when they are covering “When We Were Young.”
Too Many Bands Used Smoke Machines During the Day
Young the Giant and The Avett Brothers brought out the smoke during sunlight hours. Robert Plant also later remarked about the effect, “I don’t know what the f–k’s going on with the smoke. It reminds me of something from 40 years ago.”