includes: Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, (Bring It On Home intro) Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love (incl. Let That Boy Boogie)
Press Review: Thursday night’s Led Zeppelin concert at Memorial Coliseum was not a University of Alabama activity. For one thing, most university students have gone home. For another, university students are older than teenie boppers.
The place was packed, though, with 15,000 or 16,000 kids who loved Led Zeppelin. They had to. Inside the Coliseum it must have been 100 degrees, with so much moisture that it was practically raining.
How did I sit through all of that? I didn’t. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. Unless you were a diehard and hot there early (I’m not and I didn’t), there were no seats where the show could be seen.
It was however, a good show. Led Zeppelin brought, I’m told, everything the Stones carried on their famous tour except it was all bigger, better brighter and louder.
The sound system was incredible, the lighting creative. There were even global prisms to surprise everybody at the end of Stairway to Heaven, the new Zeppelin hit.
Otherwise, it was all very depressing to me. I saw too many kids who were going to get into too much trouble, too early, at too great a cost.
Since the concert was obviously not a service to university students (though I did see a handful there), the whole thing raises two questions. Who makes the money? And is it worth the price? [J. Salem / 5-11-73]
includes: Rock and Roll, Celebration Day, (Bring It On Home intro) Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love (incl. Let That Boy Boogie)
Press Review: Thursday night’s Led Zeppelin concert at Memorial Coliseum was not a University of Alabama activity. For one thing, most university students have gone home. For another, university students are older than teenie boppers.
The place was packed, though, with 15,000 or 16,000 kids who loved Led Zeppelin. They had to. Inside the Coliseum it must have been 100 degrees, with so much moisture that it was practically raining.
How did I sit through all of that? I didn’t. I couldn’t have even if I wanted to. Unless you were a diehard and hot there early (I’m not and I didn’t), there were no seats where the show could be seen.
It was however, a good show. Led Zeppelin brought, I’m told, everything the Stones carried on their famous tour except it was all bigger, better brighter and louder.
The sound system was incredible, the lighting creative. There were even global prisms to surprise everybody at the end of Stairway to Heaven, the new Zeppelin hit.
Otherwise, it was all very depressing to me. I saw too many kids who were going to get into too much trouble, too early, at too great a cost.
Since the concert was obviously not a service to university students (though I did see a handful there), the whole thing raises two questions. Who makes the money? And is it worth the price? [J. Salem / 5-11-73]
September 4, 2012 10:52am Frank Stanley
The 70's was the greatest of times for concerts and this was one of the best, particularly for me as I saw my wife for the first time at this concert. She was on the Program Council that was partly responsible for lining up Zeppelin to stop in Tuscaloosa. It was before the lights went off and people were still filing in, I looked down toward the stage and standing in front of it there she was. Hip hugger blue jeans (remember those?), black bikini top, long blonde hair.....WOW! We've been married now for 35 years. It just makes this awesome concert that much more meaningful for me. Led Zeppelin was THE greatest band of all time with songs that still give the goose bumps when played. I wish I had had the technology we have today to have a good video of some of that concert but my memory (and my marriage) will last forever!
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Tuscaloosa concert
February 9, 2009 10:31pm Sue
I was most fortunate to be at this concert,as well as many others at the Memorial Coliseum.Those were the days!Lots of great ones!I still have the Led Zepplin ticket stub as well as partial tee shirt.
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Led Zeppelin 1973
September 10, 2010 9:35am
I was there. My Sophomore year in Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama. Several rows back, slumped low in my seat, engulfed by weed and hash smoke. I don’t remember who opened for Zep. There’s a lot I don’t remember about my college days, but I usually remember most things about music.
Music was my life. Well, a major part of my life. Bama football was also my passion. It still is.
But music was my therapist, my surrogate mate, my sanctuary. I could always count on music. It would always be there and always comfort and soothe me.
So it was Zep’s heyday. As I look back on it, it was probably my heyday, too. May, 1973. The lights dimmed; the Bic lighters flashed like frenzied lightning bugs punctuating the darkness. Plant emerged like Venus on the Half Shell in the lights and haze.
By the time Zep hit the stage, we were so mellow, the roar of applause was more of a rumble that shook Memorial Coliseum like a primal earthquake.
They kicked off the set with Rock and Roll. We were mesmerized. Singing every word and yowling every note verbatim. Some of us were deep into the music and listened intently. Eyes closed to block anything that would distract from the sheer delicious moment.
We immersed ourselves into the music. When Plant moved, we moved. When he groaned and yelped, we felt it. When Bonham beat the Holy hell out of his drum kit, we felt each crack and explosion of his wood drumsticks in our solar plexus. When Page pulled, teased and coaxed unearthly sounds from his guitar, we devoured and tasted every nuance like it was our Death Row meal.
The set list had all the good stuff: Celebration Day, Black Dog, Over the Hills and Far Away, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I’ve Been Loving You, No Quarter, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Moby Dick, Heartbreaker, and, yes, Whole Lotta Love.
Yes, it was a Whole Lotta Love. And still is.
Come to Vintage Basement and check out our great Led Zeppelin t-shirts.
Can you tell we love what we do?
Have a groovy day.
Jacki
http://www.vintagebasement.com/Led-Zeppelin-Classic-T-shirt-1214.htm
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Tuscaloosa, May 10, 1973
December 18, 2007 2:35pm Russ
I have been a long time fan of LZ and had the great privelege of seeing them in concert at this event. It was awesome and solidified me as an LZ fan for life. I was a junior in college at the time. I had been to many concerts and went to many more afterwards, but this concert will always be one that is at the top of my list.
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Incredible memories!
April 26, 2009 12:47am Bob Harris
I was a Junior in HS and skipped school with some friends to see the concert in Tuscaloosa. It was general admission and we had to wait in line for hours before the doors opened. I remember the lights went out in Memorial (now Coleman) Coliseum just before the Robert, Jimmy, Bonzo and John Paul came out and they opened with "Rock and Roll." After the concert, I went down on the floor and swiped the printed set list that was taped to the soundboard for a souvenir. I wish I knew where it was today.
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Tuscaloosa Show
July 13, 2008 2:31pm John Etheridge
This was my first time to see them live. The ticket cost $5.50 and it was a general admission seat. The venue was about 5,500 seater and was sold out. Page's guitar was the loudest I had heard to date, and the show was just incredible. Thanks for the memory, fellows!!!
BONZO (R.I.P.)
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Greatest tour
March 13, 2011 4:05pm Dana
I was there. I want to see them again.
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Concert-Tuscaloosa
April 22, 2008 10:16am Rip Weaver
I was there! Simply awesome....
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I was at the show at U. of
March 1, 2009 5:51pm D.Michael Gurley
I was at the show at U. of A, and from what I remember, and what I was told, it was an excellent show. Still have my tick stub...I remember there were barracaides in front of the venue and we werer herded back and forth to get in to the building...
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Frank and his pretty droogette
January 26, 2013 1:37am Jbradenhmm
I was there too! Coulda been me, Stank. Glad it wasn't, for our children's sake
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TUSCALOOSA, MAY 10, 1973
June 7, 2016 2:18pm CRAIG ANDERSON
SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL WENT THINKING WET WILLIE OR CHARLIE DANIELS MIGHT BE BACK UP SUPPOSED TO HAVE STARTED AT 8PM
AT THE THEN COLEMAN COLLISEUM 815 THEN 830 AND WE STARTED THINKING DARN IF A BACKUP GROUP COMES OUT THEY MAY PLAY AN HOUR THEN LEAVE THEN ZEPPLIN WILL HAVE TO SET UP AND IT COULD BE ALMOST 10 BEFORE WE HEAR THEM-- THE VERRRY MELLOW MOOD OF THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE WAS DECREASING UNTIL LIGHTS WENT OUT AND WE WERE THEN BLASTED BY THE INTO TO BLACK DOG- THEN PLAYED 30 MINUTES THEN SAID GOOOOOD
EVENING PLAYED FOR 1&1/2 HOURS WALKED OFF WE WENT WILD AND THEY CAME BACK OUT SAID GOOOOOD EVENING AND PLAYED ANOTHER 1&1/2 HOURS I CANT FIND THIS PERFORMANCE ANYWHERE I HAVE SEEN MOBILE AND THE CROWD WAS PATHETIC
ON OUR FEET DOWN FRONT FOR 3&1/2 HOURS OF THE GREATEST CONCERT EVER I JUST READ THE REMARK OF A MOBILE PAPER
BEING TOO MUCH THEY SHOULD GO TO A DANCE AT THE VFW
FOR MYSELF IT IS A NIGHT I WILL NEVER FORGET
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I was 14 years old and there.
May 16, 2019 5:48am Jeff Mitchell
I was 14 years old and there...the memory is etched in my mind forever.....today's generation will never experience such emotional joy......long live Rock-nRoll..
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I owned a jingle company in
May 17, 2021 11:51pm ERNEST HEMPLE
I owned a jingle company in Birmingham, and the studio I did my recordign, had three limos. Led Zeplin was playing in Tuscallosa and they hired the limos. I pulled rank and ddrove down to the campus. I was too late to pick them us at the airport, however, I was able to to the venue wher I parked th elimo inside the building. I watched the whole concert just feet away from the group. After the concert, Page and amother member of th egroup got in my limo, my engineer was sittign in the passenger seat up frnt, when tha big polyneisan opend th edoor, grabbed his arm, and literally threw him out of th ecar. We then drove them directly to theiir small private jet, which was parked on the runway. In those days there was not rerstrictions to airport access. Great experience.
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