Four gorgeous women with long hair loose on their shoulders take the stage, fashioned in tastefully revealing all-white ensembles. They’re unapologetically feminine. Despite their appearance, they aren’t a pop group, a country quartet, or a chorus. They break out their guitars.
Zepparella is an all-female Led Zeppelin cover band that’s bringing the clitoris to classic rock. They’ll be playing at the Chance on March 14.
Clementine, the drummer, started the band, joining forces with Gretchen Menn (guitar), Angeline Saris (bass), and Noelle Doughty (vocals), the latter a local graduate of SUNY New Paltz where she earned a B.A. in art history.
There are plenty of Led Zeppelin tribute bands, but few are strictly female, and fewer still approach the rock and roll dynasty with such reverence. In Zepparella’s band bio on their website, they give a kind of humble prelude to their music:
How to honor the legacy of a band deemed sacred? To tread on holy ground is perilous, and must be done with the intent and spirit of a disciple—Pay attention to the intricacies of the magic, explore the far ends of the innovation, strive for ever-growing ability, and let the purity of the love for the music drive it all.
Individual bios for each band member are also available, detailing each member’s musical background, how they all met, and the way they connect with Led Zeppelin.
Similar to the original band’s style, Zepparella “explores their own improvised music within the framework” of Zeppelin’s music. Their first and thus far, only, self-titled CD, produced in 2014, features some of the greatest Led Zeppelin hits, including “Ramble On,” “The Ocean,” and “Whole Lotta Love.”
The band is also featured on Girls Got Rhythm!, a compilation album of various rock and roll all-female tribute bands. Similar to Zepparella, almost every band included on the disc based their names on the bands they’re based on with a girlish twist: The Ramonas, ThundHerStruck, The Iron Maidens, and the Ms. Fits, amongst others.
For more information on their upcoming performance at The Chance, visit Zepparella.com. To purchase tickets, visit Livenation.com.
