Who thought he'd live to be 65?

I saw Page & Plant in 1995, twice, the second time in the bay area.

Blind Melon opened for them--pop-py rock, songs mostly similar, okay sound. they exit, the lights go down.

Page begins playing alone in the dark, a desert dirge. the crowd goes wild. eventually, a pause, and the lights are thrown on the band and Plant and crew roar to life. Plant sounds good, still has his voice. the crowd is jubilant, throats already hoarse. I see people of all ages around me, some mouthing words, some just standing dumbstruck like they've never heard rock such as this.

they were amazing. Page played like a 20-year-old. rumor had it that he'd cleaned up and practiced like a fiend, and it showed. he was better than he was in the 70s. playing fast and slow and stomping around the stage, taunting the theremin and bowing the Les Paul, all I could think of was the difference I heard between Blind Melon (the opening band) and this sound:

good band; *legendary* band.

rumor has it that Blind Melon stood offstage and watched Page & Plant play, and that Hoon (the lead singer) wept and cursed, blown away by it all.

a few weeks later, Hoon died of an overdose.

Gee, I sure hope Page is no longer practicing black majick. And that he is drug-free.