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MISTY MOUNTAIN

We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were.” — statement issued by Led Zeppelin in 1980 following the death of John Bonham.

With those simple words, one of the greatest rock bands of all time was gone. Led Zeppelin, devastated by the loss of its drummer, had decided to disband. And with the exception of a few select shows over the years, they’ve stuck to it. There has never been another album. There has never been another tour.

Thankfully, however, bands like Misty Mountain help keep Zeppelin’s music alive. Sure, you’ll always have your Zep records. And the band remains a mainstay on rock radio. But if you want to hear some Zeppelin live, acts such Misty Mountain can help you get your fix.

“The first song I ever heard was either ‘Black Dog’ or ‘Stairway To Heaven,’” says Misty Mountain guitarist Justin Mazer. “I was a teenager, and I was blown away. But when I really got into Led Zeppelin, and I started watching videos, and you saw the attitude that those guys had on stage, it was everything you’d been looking for from a rock band.”

Based out of Wilkes-Barre, Misty Mountain’s members are all under the age of 30. Some are still in their early twenties. Thus, none were even alive before Led Zeppelin disbanded. No matter, says Mazer. Once they discovered the music, they had a full appreciation for Zep’s pioneering sound.

“I was compelled on how with their earlier stuff, they took standard music and even pop music at that time and just made it so heavy and so over-the-top,” he says. “They really did their own thing, and that’s why they’re remembered as one of the best hard-rock bands of all time. They took the attitude and the emotion of blues music and put even more attitude behind it, and more power and really interpreted it in their own way.”

Joining Mazer in Misty Mountain is Mike Dougherty on vocals, Jay Stesanski on drums, Jesse Ruppert on bass and Fares Houssein on keyboards. Despite their love for Zep, Mazer says the band has no desire to offer an exact recreation of their songs. In fact, he says even Zep had no desire to play in such a way.

“We try to not necessarily learn the music note-for-note, but capture the presence and the vibe that they had on stage,” he says. “We’ve seen different Led Zeppelin tributes before — bands that have five or six or seven members on stage — and they learn the music right from the CD. If we wanted hear that, we could go home and listen. People that would actually go and see Led Zeppelin live would know that songs would never in fact be the same. They would always change stuff around. It was always more about performance and about the emotion that you put behind it. It was almost very Grateful Dead-esque in how they would change their songs, improvise, and do their own thing on a show-to-show basis.”

Misty Mountain will perform on Saturday, March 19 at the River Street Jazz Cafe. It will be a special show, as the band will offer the music of Zep’s milestone live album and concert film, “The Song Remains The Same” in its entirety, as well as other gems. Dougherty says some of the songs frequently featured in the band’s set include “No Quarter,” “Trampled Under Foot,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Fool In The Rain” and “Heartbreaker.”

“We like to pick the best of each album and the best of what they did live,” says the singer. “We definitely like to please the crowd, play what we play best, and we try to pick the songs that touch us the most and that we love the most.”

Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Rock had never heard anything quite like them, and in the 31 years since they disbanded, it’s safe to say few groups have even come close to being as dynamic. But you can hear their music on Saturday at the Jazz Cafe. And Dougherty says he looks forward to singing it for you.

“I like that I don’t have to be myself on stage, and I can break out of myself and sing like crazy all night,” he says. “Playing songs that everybody loves and knows is a great feeling.”

Misty Mountain, Sat., March 19, 9:30 p.m., River Street Jazz Cafe (667 N. River St., Plains Twp.). $8 at door or at tpmmusic.com. Info: 570.822.2992, myspace.com/mistymountains