Bringing Eastern’s campus back to the 1970s would be a challenge, but this Led Zeppelin tribute band hopes to give everyone the experience of seeing Led Zeppelin live like back then.
The tribute band Kashmir sold out the 568-seat concert hall in the Doudna Fine Arts Center for its performance this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“The whole thing about Kashmir is we’re trying to capture the spirit of Led Zeppelin. What I mean by that is we are trying to make people feel like you are gonna go back in time and see Led Zeppelin live,” lead singer of Kashmir Jean Violet said.
Dennis Malak, the director of programming, publicity and promotion for Doudna, said he was glad about the success of Kashmir’s show.
“We did Tusk the year before, which is a tribute band– Fleetwood Mac, and it was fairly successful,” Malak said. “So, we thought we would try again. I was looking at a company that we like to go through for these artists, which is Blue Raven Entertainment. So, I was looking at them and I was talking to other people in the office, and everybody liked the idea of Led Zeppelin. It was a little bit different.”
The success of Kashmir has led the group through many journeys where it has met other bands including Coldplay.
So, how does the band stand out compared to other Led Zeppelin tribute bands?
“I asked that same question to Chris Martin of Coldplay,” Violet said.
Martin had hired Kashmir to play a private party two years ago in Malibu, California. The party included movie stars and celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Robert Downey Jr, Violet said.
“He [Martin] said many of his colleagues recommended us, and that he saw us on our website, the video and YouTube videos,” Violet said. “He felt we were the best representation of a Led Zeppelin tribute, and there are many Led Zeppelin tributes out there.”
Violet emphasized the nostalgia factor connected to Kashmir.
“Many of the guys [in Kashmir] look like Led Zeppelin. We play the songs live,” said Violet. “That is our thing where a lot of the fans after our shows tell us they felt like, especially the older fans that did see Led Zeppelin, they tell us that they feel like they just went back in time to 1973. Then we get a lot of younger people, especially college students and high school students that say to us, ‘well, this is the closest thing I will ever get to seeing a live Led Zeppelin performance.’”
According to Violet, Kashmir was named after the song former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant believed best represented Led Zeppelin.
The band formed in New York City because they found it fun to play in front of a live audience.
“So, we played this place called Kenny’s Castaways,” Violet said. “We figured we would do it for fun, to make some money, because we were both on our off time. We would do this on Bleecker St. So, we did it and it took off and it did so well that we played at Madison Square Garden for an indoor arena football team over the summer of 1998.”
It is going to be cold Friday, but the performance is still set for the EIU and Charleston community members coming out for a fun night.
“Just come bundled up,” Malak stated. “Come for a wholesome, fun evening and experience the Doudna and all that we have to offer.”
For more information on Doudna upcoming performances and to buy tickets, visit Doudna’s website.
Chandler Smith can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
