There's nothing like the real Led Zeppelin

Imitators can be fun in pop music, especially if they camp it up or add a clever twist, like Lez Zeppelin, the all-girl Led Zeppelin cover band.

But when imitators try to play it straight, and attempt to re-create the actual look and sound of a rock star or band, they invite comparison and ridicule.

The weekend's double dose of Led Zeppelin cover acts — the Windborne Symphony's orchestral take Friday night at the elegant Paramount, and No Quarter, a cover band, Saturday at the funky Tractor Tavern in Ballard — both tried to conjure the young Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones.

Neither came close.

Nevertheless, the band's local fans, probably frustrated at not having seen Led Zeppelin live since it broke up in December 1980, after the alcohol-overdose death of Bonham, not only flocked to both events (the Tractor was sold out) but also loved them — except for the few who walked out in disgust (I confess I fled both before they were over).

Led Zeppelin had a big, dramatic sound, so it was fun — for a while — hearing a live, 50-piece orchestra accompany a five-piece rock band playing things like "The Song Remains The Same" or "All My Love," the originals of which had big, orchestral arrangements.

Watching the formally dressed violinists sawing away — especially some young players who seemed to be enjoying it, and a fellow with a long, ZZ Top-style beard — was amusing, for a minute.

Randy Jackson, formerly of the rock band Zebra, was like a well-practiced karaoke version of Plant, but gratingly off the mark. His corny comments ("I know I wore the grooves out of this one") didn't help. The guy covering Page was competent and flashy, but not gifted.

The huge sound filled the theater — I know, because I took a tour of the place, from the main floor to the top balcony, during the show's second half, just to keep myself awake.

The college-boy types who make up No Quarter, the cover band that played the Tractor, seemed to be having fun onstage, but the closest they came to Led Zeppelin was the lead singer's long blond hair and bare chest. Their tempos were off and their musicianship was undistinguished.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com