Plant And Krauss Turn Folk Up to "11"

As rock 'n' roll carries on after its 50th birthday, we're finally starting to see what it's like for some of rock's biggest legends in the battle to age gracefully. Of the many attempts, Rod Stewart seems to have cornered the market with his successful collections focusing on American standards.

But it certainly looks like Robert Plant could give him a run for his money in his collaboration with bluegrass fiddle player and singer Alison Krauss and guitarist/producer T Bone Burnett. Judging from the crowd at Monday night's performance, it also seems that, unlike Stewart, Plant still maintains a good relationship with his original fan base. The smell of weed was in the air and vintage Led Zeppelin shirts were everywhere.

Plant, Krauss and Burnett took the stage about an hour after receiving their platinum and gold records at a short press conference. Most of the set focused on last year's Raising Sand, which mixes country, blues, bluegrass, '50s twang and the incredible pairing of Plant and Krauss' voices.

The set itself was well mixed and allowed the band to explore the possibilities of what was basically an acoustic act running through a gigantic PA system. The band created a good sense of dynamics when needed, and the sound was allowed to thunder when necessary.

But the venue's vastness somewhat hurt the presentation because Raising Sand is more suited for a smaller and more intimate setting. It's hard to recreate some of the disc's more atmospheric moments in a place like this — especially when it comes to some of the subtle vocal bits.

Overall, it was great to see the three main participants sharing the stage and knowing when to hold back. It was really shocking to see Plant, the man who many consider rock's greatest vocalist, do nothing but clap or provide some quick backing vocals. You could also see how important Burnett (who was dressed kind of like a southern gothic preacher) is to the whole project. He kept the band on track and played some cool guitar.

Even though this may be an attempt to age gracefully, you can't ignore your roots, and Plant didn't. Early in the set, they did a dirge-like rendition of the Zep classic "Heartbreaker" that could have been on Raising Sand, which showcased Burnett's arranging powers. They also did a stirring version of "The Battle Of Evermore," on which both Krauss and Plant shared the unique vocal work.

The whole thing really makes you wonder what other collaborations are out there waiting to happen. Personally, I'd love to see Burnett get Iggy Pop and Nancy Sinatra together for a record. But for now, I can handle Plant and Krauss.