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 (incl. 'Your Time Is Gonna Come' jam), The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Moby Dick, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love (incl. Honey Bee, Let That Boy Boogie), The Ocean.
Review: Led Zeppelin Hits Peak At Sellout
The culmination of all rock ‘n’ roll of a decade appears to have occurred with Led Zeppelin and the crowning achievement capable of its star instrument, the guitar, seems to be the possession of Jimmy Page, the British group’s leader, if such there be.
Appearing Monday night in the Sports Arena before a sold-out house of 16,000 persons who began to gather outside the entrances at noon, Led Zep attested to all praises that have preceded its performance here, namely sold-out concerts all around the country and gold record sales that continue to mount.
Accompanied by John Bonham, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant in combinations on vocals, guitar, drums and keyboards, Page shone as the supreme master of the heavy fuzz box guitar riff. His evolution from the early days of British rock with the Yardbirds appears complete. Nobody, but nobody plays guitar like Page. His is the final force, the power of a riff. A few solos Monday night were too excessive, but the sheer driving power of most over-shadowed any inadequacies.
Led Zep devoted themselves an on other dates on the tour to the entire concert performance without a second act on the bill, which made for a full evening of immersion into their heavy metal rock.
A drum solo, Moby Dick, interrupted the screaming flow of Page’s guitar once during the show, but that was because the time was needed to find a missing piece of guitar we were told.
Essentially, however the set was as powerful as rock ‘n’ roll ever gets. Raunchy, flashy, and full of fuzzy sheet metal noise that brought a musical form to its culmination – or, perhaps just into another dimension. Whatever, Led Zep has the power. (Carol Olten, S.D. Union, May 1973)
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), Moby Dick, Stairway to Heaven, Heartbreaker, Whole Lotta Love (incl. Honey Bee, Let That Boy Boogie), The Ocean.
Review: Led Zeppelin Hits Peak At Sellout
The culmination of all rock ‘n’ roll of a decade appears to have occurred with Led Zeppelin and the crowning achievement capable of its star instrument, the guitar, seems to be the possession of Jimmy Page, the British group’s leader, if such there be.
Appearing Monday night in the Sports Arena before a sold-out house of 16,000 persons who began to gather outside the entrances at noon, Led Zep attested to all praises that have preceded its performance here, namely sold-out concerts all around the country and gold record sales that continue to mount.
Accompanied by John Bonham, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant in combinations on vocals, guitar, drums and keyboards, Page shone as the supreme master of the heavy fuzz box guitar riff. His evolution from the early days of British rock with the Yardbirds appears complete. Nobody, but nobody plays guitar like Page. His is the final force, the power of a riff. A few solos Monday night were too excessive, but the sheer driving power of most over-shadowed any inadequacies.
Led Zep devoted themselves an on other dates on the tour to the entire concert performance without a second act on the bill, which made for a full evening of immersion into their heavy metal rock.
A drum solo, Moby Dick, interrupted the screaming flow of Page’s guitar once during the show, but that was because the time was needed to find a missing piece of guitar we were told.
Essentially, however the set was as powerful as rock ‘n’ roll ever gets. Raunchy, flashy, and full of fuzzy sheet metal noise that brought a musical form to its culmination – or, perhaps just into another dimension. Whatever, Led Zep has the power. (Carol Olten, S.D. Union, May 1973)
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Zeppelin Alchemy: Transmuting Led Into Gold
The majority of the San Diego crowd, not unlike those in the 29 other tour stops, had spent at least seven hours waiting outside the Sports Arena in anticipation of the evening's performance by British rockers Led Zeppelin. Sold out by mail-order weeks in advance, the event had led many to pitch their sleeping bags outside the doors the night before. Now, with house-lights dimmed and 8 o’clock several moments away, 18,000 hold their lighted matches high while throngs crush toward the stage-front
Just as hysteria reaches a peak, four musicians take the brilliantly lighted stage and the thunderous opening notes of "Rock and Roll'' blast through 33,000 watts of amplification, more wattage than the sound system used at Woodstock. Robert Plant, the group's sexually taunting singer struts euphorically and boldly flaunts his machismo.
Plant is flanked by the legendary guitar virtuoso Jimmy Page. Several yards behind the two focal points, bassist-organist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham provide a taut and driving rhythm section operating with inconspicuous efficiency.
Zeppelin's three-hour set is flawlessly paced with a well-chosen. crowd-satisfying cross-section of the high-powered material that has characterized each of its five albums, all of them million sellers and platinum discs. There is no intermission, no supporting act, and in short, nothing but Led Zeppelin throughout the concert. "Three hours!" ex-.claimed backstage well-wisher George Harrison. "The Beatles were never on stage more than 40 minutes when we were doing concerts." (Cameron Crowe / LA Times)
October 17, 2012 9:52pm Susan Jessup
Better than MSG IMO. More personal and kicked back. Jimmy, best guitarist EVER, Robert was great, John Paul Jones backed it up, and Bonham rocked. Why aren't there any videos? Would love to re-live even a moment of San Diego Sports Arena 1973.
This is a different time that we'll never get back, but well worth remembering for so many reasons.
Last wish is to hear Jimmy play Stairway to Heaven riff...
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Led Zep 1973
January 1, 2013 6:34am M Arnold
Tickets to this show was my 21st birthday present from a friend. One of the best concerts I have ever attended.
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Concert description
March 16, 2008 11:48am Argenteum Astrum
This show is something like a group's attempt to returning to a good form but still the band is little loose. Page flubs twice during the last part of Black Dog, repeating the bum note to make it seem intentional after the first mistake, then bursting with another flurry of notes, as he attempts the end the song a second time. No Quarter is a really nice version here and Jonesy is in peak form tonight playing some really interesting jazzy notes. Curiously, Moby Dick is played right after Dazed And Confused and Plant introduces Bonzo as something the people in China and Korea are never gonna see; something the people in Russia will never get a chance to look at; a gentleman “full of shit and speed”. Unfortunately, Jimmy’s guitar goes mute, leaving Jonsey and Bonzo alone. After some fun during Heartbreaker, as the boys chase each other around, perhaps the highlight of this set follows. After the theremin madness, Jones launches into a bit of The Crunge, but it’s ignored by Page. Plant then sings a bit of Honey Bee, answered by a flurry of buzzing notes from Page, circa 1970! After that brief interlude, and a tease of “one night….” from Plant, Page answers with notes from Going Down. Plant and company pick up on this and the band launches into a full version of the song, complete with solo, a real rarity during the more static shows of the 1973 US Tour. A rousing version of “The Ocean” closes out the show.
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My 1st. concert
August 4, 2009 4:56pm John Britsas
At 13 yrs. old I believe I was the youngest kid at this show.I went with 16 & 18 yr. old girls.It was her 16th B-day, her dad got tickets, and I went on the house ! Smoked out and watched the show from a stairway it was so packed !
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Led Zeppelin May 28th,1973 San Diego Sports Arena
January 30, 2008 12:46pm Steven Babb
This was my very first rock concert. I stood 10 feet away from Jimmy Page and was awestruck!
I thought to myself "This is what I want to do - play the guitar!"
That night was pure magic! This was Led Zeppelin at the height of their dynasty. Robert's vocals were amazing, Page was brilliant! Jonesy was tight and Bonzo was in rare form!
Best show ever....
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SANDIEGO 1973
June 17, 2008 3:22am RICKSTER
I REMEMBER WHEN WE GOT TOTHE SPORTS ARENA, THERE WERE FANS ALL OVER THE PLACE.WE HAD PUFFED HASH OILERS&GREASERS BEFORE THE SHOW.THEY HAD TO LET EVERYONE IN BY 3PM. IT WAS GENERAL ADMISSION AND WE GOT THE FRONT ROW SEATS. WHEN ZEPP CAME ON, I COULD'NT BELIEVE HOW LOUD IT WAS. THE BLOUSE THAT ROBERT PLANT WORE THAT NIGHT,I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM WEAR IT SINCE. IT WAS A DARK GREEN SEE-THRU SILKY TOP. IF ANYONE HAS PHOTO'S OF THAT SHOW, PLEASE POST, AS I HAVE ALWAYS DUG THAT TOP ROBERT WORE. TO THIS DAY THAT SHOW HAS ALWAYS STUCK IN MY MEMORY OF HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO GET TO WITNESS SUCH A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE, AND HOW MANY SONGS THEY PLAYED. I ALSO REMEMBER BEFORE THE SHOW, FOR ALMOST 3 HOURS, WE HEARD THE SAME SONG OVER AND OVER BY THE DOOBIE BROTHERS= LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. THAT WAS THE ONLY SONG THAT WAS PLAYED BEFORE ZEPP CAME OUT THEY STILL RULE
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Cool show, I was there 19
July 18, 2009 5:11am Jon
Cool show, I was there 19 years old. Still have tickets stubs.
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I was there too
July 19, 2011 4:43pm
I saw this show in San Diego in '73. I was 15. It was my second concert. My first was Alice Cooper a few weeks earlier.
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i was at that concert also, and gave him a shirt i made for him
March 1, 2014 12:08amjo
they were wonderful remember it well he was in his prime
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Zep rocks!