Get The Led Out @ The Electric Factory
WRITTEN BY: Allison Salmon
PHOTOS BY: Allison Salmon
The energy was high as I entered the Electric Factory last Friday night for my 4th consecutive year at Get the Led Out. The show occurs at the same place during the second week of December each year and is highly anticipated by myself and a few close friends. There is no doubt these guys know how to put on a show and appeal to Zeppelin fans of all ages. The group definitely brought in a way bigger crowd than usual, and everyone was ready to hear some of Zeppelin’s greatest hits.
The band is native to Philadelphia and consists of lead singer Paul Sinclair, drummer Adam Ferraioli, electric guitarists Jimmy Marchiano and Paul Hammond, bass guitarist Billy Childs, and keyboardist Andrew Lipke. The group rifled through some of Zeppelin’s most vibrant songs such as “Ramble On” and “The Ocean” before going into a calming acoustic set. The guys grabbed a few chairs and the venue suddenly became a lot more intimate. GTLO performed some soothing hits like “Going to California” and “Tangerine.”
The group took a lengthy intermission before coming back on stage to take us through some more of Zeppelin’s catalog. Before diving right back into the music, Sinclair shared with the crowd how they are not there to impersonate Led Zeppelin, but rather they are fans just like us. Nonetheless, Sinclair’s vocals are almost identical to Robert Plant’s, which is most likely why this cover band is so successful.
GTLO then broke into “Moby Dick,” a nearly five-minute-long drum solo. This song remains constant on their set list each year, and is definitely a highlight of the concert. Ferraioli went to town on the drums for what felt like forever, leaving the crowd in complete awe.
After an intense performance of “Kashmir,” the band thanked the crowd for coming out to the show and subsequently exited the stage. Since I’m not a newcomer to Get the Led Out, I knew they weren’t going to leave the crowd hanging on that note. After about 10 minutes of anticipation, the band ran back out on stage and the crowd went wild. They immediately began to play the instene “Whole Lotta Love,” from Led Zeppelin II.
Just when we thought this electric performance was closing out the show, the band excited the crowd with the mystical “Stairway to Heaven” the most popular song from Zeppelin. The audience was noticeably thrilled to have two encores of a couple of the band’s greatest hits.
I was disappointed the group didn’t play “No Quarter” or “Thank You,” two songs I look forward to every year. However, Get the Led Out did not disappoint once again, and I strongly urge all Zeppelin fans to catch these guys in concert while they are still touring!
