It is said that imitation if the sincerest form of flattery. Rock gods Led Zeppelin have certainly been flattered by many, including tribute bands. One of the most popular out of a handful of quality Zepp recreations is Zoso (Matt Jernigan, John McDaniel, Adam Sandling, and Greg Thompson), which formed in 1995. Fronted by Matt Jernigan, they were recently ranked #44 of 50 of the top touring bands in the U.S. They not only capture the spirit of the band, but the energy of an era.
Taking a short breather during their tour, Matt Jernigan recently took time to answer a few Examiner.com questions.
Examiner: How and when did Zoso form?
Matt Jernigan: The bass player, drummer and I were out in L.A. in 1994 working with a management company trying to get a deal. At the time, the labels were not interested in our kind of music (heavy blues-based rock), so someone from the agency asked us if we might want to try and do a tribute to Led Zeppelin. We had a good guitarist, but he was not into doing it, so we recruited John McDaniel (Thank God!).
Examiner: What was your setlist for your Tokyo show back in April?
MJ: We did everything off of The Song Remains the Same soundtrack and then some.
Examiner: When does the Zoso cruise start? How much does it cost? Where does it stop in the Caribbean? What songs will you be performing? How did the cruise come together?
MJ: It starts on Oct. 21st, 2013 and goes through the 27th of this year. I think it's $800.00 per person. It stops in St. Martin, St.Thomas, and another little island. We will do 3 shows; at sea, only at night. We'll be doing various songs from all 8 Zeppelin albums. The travel agent knew my brother and asked him if I was in Zoso. After that, he contacted us and proposed the idea.
Examiner: Have you ever met any of the members of Led Zeppelin?
MJ: Unfortunately, no, but we hope to before any of them pass on (fingers crossed).
Examiner: What's your favorite Zeppelin song? Who's your favorite member?
MJ: I really don't have a favorite song. I think some songs are better than others, but there really isn't a bad one. Jimmy Page is my favorite member.
Examiner: What's Zoso's practice process?
MJ: We don't practice really. When we learn, or have learned, songs we do our homework, then we apply it during sound check. We work pretty fast at getting it down. Besides, what better place to play it than the stage, since that's where we will be doing it any way?
Examiner: What do you find most rewarding about performing in the band?
MJ: We get to play some of the greatest and most epic music of our time. Led Zeppelin were the Mozarts of our day. And I'm not saying that just because I'm in this band.
Their music speaks for itself. They really were the perfect band. It's great that the fans seem to appreciate all the time and effort that we've put into recreating the best rock band ever...!
