Below is a video of Eric Johnson playing Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” with Ian Thornley of Big Wreck and Paul Langlois and Bobby Baker of the Tragically Hip. In all the videos I’ve seen of EJ, I’ve never seen him playing a Zeppelin tune. He seems a little out of place in this environment. What do you think?
Love that solo. Out of place? If anything it seemed like some of the other guys were outta place on the stage next to Eric. Love seeing those impromptu jams though!
Stylistically the song might not be the first fit that I’d expect for EJ… He’s too smooth for something like Immigrant Song. But on the other hand his solo was the only one that was any good to my ears.
I agree that his solo was the best of the bunch, as well as the most cohesive. But, given that the rest of the band was fairly sloppy, the smoothness of his solo stood out to me as not fitting in.
What band/concert is this from? And who are the rest of the guys on stage, other than those mentioned?
Jason, unfortunately I’m not sure.
This clip is from an Internet web-cast live with ‘Big Wreck and Friends’ at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Ontario back in October 2001.
Eric Johnson did two dates with Big Wreck:
September 13, 2001 – Winspear Centre Concert Hall – Edmonton, Alberta as part of the ‘Du Maurier Ltd. Concert Stage’
October 6, 2001 – Roy Thomson Hall -Toronto, Ontario – which was filmed for the live web-cast.
Big Wreck was joined by Robby Baker and Paul Langlois of The Tragically Hip, Eric Johnson, along with members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Le Cirque Éloize and Canada’s premiere professional taiko drumming group Uzume Taiko for a high concept performance.
Two other Canadian musicians – guitarist Colin James and folk musician Tom Wilson (formally of the band Junkhouse) and members of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra were on the Edmonton date.
Eric Johnson guested with Big Wreck on the following songs:
Look What I Found
West Virginia
Defined By What We Steal
May This Be Love? (Hendrix intro) which goes into Blown Wide Open.
Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin cover