The music from the lot grew louder and our anticipation built as we walked amongst the crowds descending on the Roanoke Coliseum, destined to see what has been dubbed the perfect blend of two of music’s most powerful forces… That’s right, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss visited Roanoke, VA last night, June 2nd, for one spectacular and very special evening of bluegrass, rock, and a little bit of everything else in between.

It was a special night for my family too. We don’t always get together as often as we’d like but last night we were celebrating my mom’s 60th birthday so all six of us grabbed our seats and excitedly watched the night unfold, and did it ever…

The opener, Sharon Little, got the crowd warmed up with her resonating and soulful vocals. Little was hand picked from hundreds of others to open the legendary show, and it’s amazing to see just where true talent can show up. According to her site, she was waiting tables at the beginning of 2008 and within just a few short months she’s now touring internationally with some the best-known names in music. I think it is definitely only a matter of time until the world catches on, just as Alison Krauss and Robert Plant did, to her uniquely powerful voice! For more about Sharon Little or to take a listen, click here!

After the opening act, the energy in the coliseum continued to build as the stage crew quickly changed and tested the instruments. The lights dimmed again and this time from either side of the stage the two people that everyone had come to see appeared. Alison looked just like the delicate and rare flower that she is and Robert Plant arrived in true rocker style, hair askew, in jeans. They wasted no time getting comfortable on the stage, singing, in impeccable harmony, everything from Townes Van Zandt’s “Nothin,” where Plant was able to stretch his lungs and soar, to revitalized Zeppelin classics including “The Battle of Evermore” and “When the Levee Breaks.” They even managed to squeeze in, last minute I’m sure, a version of “Who Do You Love?” as a tribute to Bo Diddley who sadly died yesterday at the age of 79.

Two songs during the show that I will not soon forget and are still resonating with me today are an a cappella “Down To The River To Pray” that literally brought the house to a hushed and peaceful silence and Alison’s “Trampled Rose” from their Raising Sand record. Her voice and stage presence during this song can only be described as simply angelic.

And not to be forgotten, the acclaimed writer/composer and producer of the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack (just to name one), T Bone Burnette, did his own wailing on the guitar and even interjected a few of his original tunes in between Krauss and Plant’s songs. As Plant mentioned about halfway through the show it was, after all, Burnette, who scheduled the meeting between, Krauss, Plant, and destiny.

And fortune it was to see the two of them at their best, without any ego attached. Numerous times throughout the show the humble and generous pair would simply step out of the light to let the band shine and Krauss applauded the band almost as much as the audience did. There was a polite, yet playful energy between the entire group that seemed to reverberate through the show so you just knew that these folks weren’t playing for the fame or the money but for the music itself, a true appreciation for the art of collaboration to which the audience responded with several standing ovations and awe.

I feel honored to have seen such musical luminaries perform together. And I look forward to seeing what future collaborations they may have in store! This is one birthday that I doubt my mom will soon forget! Thanks Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for one amazing date with destiny.

There are tour dates left… some as close as DC (the Merriweather pavilion, a wonderful outdoor space), as well as Asheville and Raleigh, NC. For more information, check out robertplantalisonkrauss.com