They’ve been rocking Tahoe for years now, keeping the music of Led Zeppelin fresh and sounding like it should. They are the four women of Zepparella — singer Anna Kristina, guitarist Gretchen Menn, bassist Nila Minnerock, and drummer Clementine — and they are coming back for a show at the Tahoe Biltmore this Saturday, Feb. 16.
The details: Zepparella (all female Led Zeppelin tribute band) live at the Tahoe Biltmore in Crystal Bay Saturday, February 16 Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 day of the show This is a 21 and over show
In anticipation of their Feb. 16 show at the Biltmore, Tahoe World Web Editor Paul Raymore spoke with Zepparella drummer Clementine by phone last week:
Tahoe World: Zepparella has played the Tahoe area a number of times over the past couple years. Do you feel like you’ve built up a decent fan base up here?
Clementine: Yeah, I think so. The last time we played it was at more of a rock club [Sawtooth Ridge Cafe] than a casino. And that was cool because it was a lot of local people and it was kind of in the middle of the shoulder season. But that show was full and we had a great time, so I think so.
TW: The band has a relatively new album, A Pleasing Pounding, out these days. Can you tell me a bit about it?
Clementine: We’re into recording live records; we don’t really see the point of recording a Zeppelin record in the studio since they are the best recorded records ever and there’s no reason to set the bar so high. But we love the live records because we tend to do songs different every time we play them so we like to capture that. This one was recorded in September at the Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco, which is a small club. And it was a good show and it came together really fast. We tried to keep [the album] as live as possible with no overdubs — I think there was on three-word overdub on the whole thing — and just kind to let it go. And I’m really proud of it. I think it sounds pretty good and we’re really excited about it.
TW: Is there a lot of pressure to be perfect when you know you’re recording a live show for a record?
Clementine: Definitely. Especially since we knew that we were only going to have five days in the studio to mix it, and the goal was really to not have any overdubs. Everybody knew we really wanted to leave it the way it went down. So that’s a little more pressure.
You know, in this day and age you can do anything [in the studio], but we really didn’t want to do it that way. So I think that show, if you were there, probably was a much stiffer show than your typical Zepparella show. Usually everything’s kind of all just hanging out. But overall, at a certain point you just have to get into the music and forget about the red light of the recording equipment.
TW: Can you tell me a little bit about what a typical Zepparella show is like, from your perspective?
Clementine: I think Robert Plant said he believed that a Zeppelin show was like taking the audience on a journey from beginning to end. And that always sticks with me. I really like to immediately engage the audience and then take them along with us. Because playing this music, for each of us, is so much fun. After spending years trying to be as good as possible with our instruments, to have music that really showcases where we’ve come, where we need to be, the connection between the band members musically (and personally too, because we all really love each other), we want the audience to get out of there feeling really uplifted. It’s a celebration of great music, great songs, things that are really evocative of times in your life when Zeppelin was really there for you. We want people to feel good about it. So that’s hopefully what we’re getting across in a show.
TW: Do you think you’re also bringing Zeppelin’s music to a new generation? Are there younger fans at your shows that maybe didn’t grow up listening to Zeppelin? Or is it mostly long-time Zeppelin fans?
Clementine: It seems to be divided into: People who really love Zeppelin, have heard about the band, and are excited to see it; people who believe that there’s no way it’s going to be any good and are kind of going to prove themselves right; and then in this day and age, I think the sound of the older music, the Zeppelin records, is so different than the sound of songs from the digital age, that I think it’s kind of drawing younger kids in.
I was playing in an AC/DC band for a while and 4 year olds and 5 year olds could sing those songs. So many kids would come up to me singing those songs. And it’s really fun to have the type of shows where parents bring really young kids and show them something new and different.
And you also see those 17- or 18-year-old kids [at shows] who [like the music] even though it’s outside of what everybody else is listening to and they have good taste.
TW: Do you all go into shows with a set list? Do you ever take requests from the audience?
Clementine: We definitely have a set. It’s really challenging music and in a set there are certain things that need to happen: certain songs need to be played early on before certain players are tired, certain songs just don’t go well together when you’re trying to build an exciting set, and the way the songs are arranged can really make or break a show. At smaller shows, we have on occasion taken a request from people. But generally, at the bigger shows, that’s just not possible. We try to play from beginning to end with very little break in between songs, so there isn’t much room for it.
TW: Do you have a favorite song you guys currently play?
Clementine: My favorite may be “Dazed And Confused.” We love “In My Time Of Dying” — everybody loves that song and it really showcases everybody. I tend to be really excited about the ones we’re learning. But in a live set, “The Lemon Song” is always tons of fun to play, and I really like “Custard Pie,” that’s a fun one to play. I don’t know, they’re all fun, I love them all. I never get tired of them.
The players:
Anna Kristina, the popular Bay Area stage actress, vocalist and solo artist, brings her seductive style and powerful range to front the band with consistently transcendent performances. Her soulful delivery is mesmerizing. For a list of her many projects and accomplishments, visit www.annakristina.com.
Gretchen Menn applies her dazzling and emotive guitar playing to the leads. After her stint as Agnes Young in the top-grossing Bay Area band AC/DShe for three years, and then touring as the second guitarist in the national metal band BOTTOM, she now takes on the Page lines with an arresting ability that can’t be missed.
Nila Minnerock’s seminal bass playing, dark, beautiful, aggressive, melodic, fills out the bottom end of the band. Her joined-at-the-hip connection with Clementine began nine years ago in BOTTOM, and close to 20 trips around the US, Canada and Europe and three records have created the remarkably intuitive rhythm section that Zeppelin deserves. Nila also currently plays in the metal band Mudface with Ted Aguilar of Death Angel.
Clementine tackles the best rock drumming ever written with her own powerfully passionate style, bringing the Motown influence of the Bonham groove to the forefront. As Phyllis Rudd in AC/DShe and throughout the run of BOTTOM, she developed a heavy-hitting sound suited to attempt Zeppelin. The musical connection established with Gretchen in AC/DShe and the lifelong rhythmic conversation with Nila creates the bond required to do this great music justice. For more information check out www.clemthegreat.com.
Check out a slideshow of Zepparella photos from a past show at the River Ranch:
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Clementine: Yeah, I think so. The last time we played it was at more of a rock club [Sawtooth Ridge Cafe] than a casino. And that was cool because it was a lot of local people and it was kind of in the middle of the shoulder season. But that show was full and we had a great time, so I think so.
Clementine: Definitely. Especially since we knew that we were only going to have five days in the studio to mix it, and the goal was really to not have any overdubs. Everybody knew we really wanted to leave it the way it went down. So that’s a little more pressure. 
TW: Do you think you’re also bringing Zeppelin’s music to a new generation? Are there younger fans at your shows that maybe didn’t grow up listening to Zeppelin? Or is it mostly long-time Zeppelin fans?
TW: Do you all go into shows with a set list? Do you ever take requests from the audience?
Anna Kristina