Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As the son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham spent his childhood at the feet of rock ‘n’ roll royalty when he wasn’t at the drums himself. By his teens, he was in bands opening for Queen, Meatloaf and Ted Nugent and has played Led Zeppelin reunions, Woodstock 2, tributes to Muddy Waters, has numerous film credits and has toured and recorded extensively.
The legacy drummer will bring his 2022 version of “Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening” to the East Tennessee State University Martin Center for the Arts on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the center’s ETSU Foundation Grand Hall. Local tickets went on sale on the ETSU Martin Center website at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 18.
“We are thrilled to announce an ETSU Martin Center Series event featuring yet another rock ‘n’ roll legend, actually a legend’s son, touring in his father’s memory,” said Jennifer Clements, executive director of the Martin Center and University Events. “Jason Bonham and his ‘Led Zeppelin Evening’ has an amazing 2022 tour scheduled, and we can’t wait to hear those timeless Led Zeppelin tunes and classic riffs reverberating through our Grand Hall.”
The JBLZE tour was born out of the one-show 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion in London, dubbed Celebration Day, which featured Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones with Jason Bonham on drums, in an homage to his father, considered by many to be the greatest drummer in rock ‘n’ roll history.
“Since 2010, JBLZE has celebrated the music of Led Zeppelin, giving fans a rare look into the legendary group’s inner sanctum …” said a Forbes magazine article. “On stage during each JBLZE performance, Jason Bonham goes to great lengths to expose a new generation of Led Zeppelin fans to the legacy of his father.”
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening has been lauded for its authentic Zeppelin sound, from vocals to instrumentals.
“The son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason, and his fellow musicians replicated the sound of the iconic rock band perfectly,” said Tahoe Onstage. “Bonham dominated the stage on a massive, elevated drum set, playing out his father’s staccato legacy beat for beat.”
The set list for the “truly magical evening,” according to a Sonic Perspectives review, includes classics such as “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Kashmir,” “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” “The Ocean” and “Celebration Day.
“This was a hugely enjoyable show, because of the familiarity of the tunes, the uproarious atmosphere with an enthusiastic crowd, and because of the concrete lineage of Bonham and his efforts to preserve and honor his late father’s legacy and music,” says Tahoe Onstage. “This was definitely no tribute band, but a living, breathing, rocking piece of Led Zeppelin’s history.”
To purchase tickets vist ETSUMartinCenter.org or call the Martin Center Box Office at (423) 439-2787.