No love for Jimmy Page at the Oscars

A week ago, after the umpteenth post in a row on this site about nothing but Them Crooked Vultures, somebody commented that Lemon Squeezings had in effect become a news site for developments on that band.

Feeling sorry for that person who wasn't getting a steady Led Zeppelin fix over here at LedZeppelinNews.com, I started putting some more stuff up at OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com right away.

In the past week, there have been new posts about Jerry Wexler signing Led Zeppelin to Atlantic Records in 1968 and turning operations over to Ahmet Ertegun, the band proceeding exactly one year later to begin recording music for a third album in a row, and John Paul Jones reflecting on the band's BBC sessions during an interactive online interview in 1997.

While I felt sorry for this one disenchanted reader of LedZeppelinNews.com, I felt even more sorry for Jimmy Page, the member of that band who put it together from day one, lingered in the studio to put onto tape the sounds in his head, painstakingly mastered the tapes again and again through the years to make sure they fit his vision, and sought time and time again to do something a little more for us unworthy fans.

Like last year, when he wanted to assemble a new band. We now know that it fell by the wayside.

Ever since his last bout of rehearsals and planning came and went without any fruit, Jimmy's been out of the limelight for a little while. Some of the reason is he hasn't done much to put himself in the limelight, but another part of it is because the film "It Might Get Loud" didn't make the big splash I thought it deserved.

I've seen three public showings of this film, twice on opening day in New York City and once in Washington, D.C., a little while after it opened there. Of those three showings, only the second, a noontime showing in Greenwich Village, was packed. Energetic people in the theater burst at the funny moments, and they waited patiently during the film's exaggerated lulls for the next thing to grab them by the arm and entertain. It was a thrill to see so many people so into this movie.

But for the third public showing I attended, I was the only person in the theater. Sure, I suppose downtown D.C. mid-day on a weekday is a thriving metropolis, but not the kind that has people flocking to the cinema at that time. Everybody was busy. I couldn't even coax a friend of mine, a closet U2 fan who works for one of the government agencies, to skip work for a couple of hours and watch his favorite guitarist and mine share the silver screen.

I don't think this film had the crossover appeal it was destined to have. Maybe the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray releases, and the online release preceding that, will make it easier for people to know of it, enjoy it, talk about it, recommend it and really make something of a sleeper hit out of it. I think generations to come should be watching this film.

The sorrow I feel for Jimmy Page was enhanced today when I noticed some news outlets are reporting "It Might Get Loud" has been overlooked by the Academy Awards in nominating films to the documentary category. Director Davis Guggenheim's previous work, "An Inconvenient Truth," may have picked up an Oscar, but "It Might Get Loud" evidently won't share that fate, which is regrettable.

True, the Grammys overlooked Led Zeppelin in the '70s, and that didn't hurt anybody, so there's really nothing to sweat here. Yet this is a different day and age. Most of the Led Zeppelin news these days is from Them Crooked Vultures, whose members have signaled they're in for round two. Robert Plant earlier this year created waves, picking up five Grammys with Alison Krauss and then creating enough momentum to earn a second wave of sales.

Now, although a follow-up album by Plant and Krauss has stalled, and Plant's fit not to be on tour right now or have any particular album to peddle, his bluegrass turn of the past few years still manages to get acclaim from all directions:

• National Public Radio has just named Plant and Alison Krauss's album Raising Sand one of the current decade's "50 Most Important Recordings."
  
• Furthermore, Crawdaddy contributor Angela Zimmerman now believes that the work by Plant and Krauss has, in retrospect, totally overshadowed the possibilities of a Led Zeppelin reunion.

That just has to be eating at Jimmy Page.

Now, can it be the right antidote to coax him into action again and generate some new music for people to hold up and appreciate?

Update, 4:45 p.m.: Ah! I did not see this until just now, but similar thoughts were posted three weeks ago by Matt Patterson, a National Review Institute Washington Fellow and the author of "Union of Hearts: The Abraham Lincoln & Ann Rutledge Story." His remarks are also reflective of the sentiments I expressed here on Sept. 2, in my post "Do musicians ever really retire?"

Online release of 'It Might Get Loud' scheduled to precede DVD release by two weeks

Davis Guggenheim, the director of "It Might Get Loud," has just contributed a Q&A with Billboard.biz. (At first, the site incorrectly listed his first name as "David.")

In the interview, Guggenheim plugs the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray releases of his film documentary that centers on guitarists Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. But he also discusses an online release of the film by iTunes.

The iTunes download of the movie is currently scheduled for Dec. 8, two weeks earlier than the physical releases on DVD and Blu-Ray on Dec. 22.

Yukari Iwatani Kane of the Wall Street Journal's Digits blog reports this is part of a new iTunes focus on "Music Movies" -- "music documentaries, concert films, musicals and other music-related content."

"As part of the new iTunes feature, Apple has signed two deals to distribute music movies exclusively for a limited period ahead of their release through other outlets. The first is a new concert film, 'Kings of Leon, Live at the O2,' featuring the rock band. It will be offered a week before other outlets on Nov. 3. The other is Davis Guggenheim's music documentary 'It Might Get Loud' about the history of the electric guitar, focusing on Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White. That will be available first on iTunes on Dec. 8, ahead of its wider distribution on Dec. 22."

From the interview:

WSJ: How did this partnership with iTunes come about?

Guggenheim: We all felt like this was the kind of movie that is perfect for iTunes. I'm sort of suspicious of the fads, but when you can imagine that at ten o'clock on a Friday night, wanting to see a certain movie, specifically a rock and roll movie, you're sort of following the instinct that you might have had in the '70s in Greenwich Village, when you could walk out and go find films like this. After you watch the movie you might say, "I'm going to download that song by Jimmy Page." If you were a music lover, you follow these paths.

Guggenheim also spoke with the L.A. Times blog Pop & Hiss about the upcoming release of "It Might Get Loud" on iTunes. The resulting piece says:

"Guggenheim spoke fondly of mom-and-pop record stores, but added, 'there's no music store that can have everything that iTunes has.' ... 'To me, iTunes is my own mom-and-pop,' Guggenheim said. 'That sounds counter-intuitive, but it actually is.'"

Addressing the quality of a downloaded movie, Guggenheim posits in the Billboard.biz Q&A:

"I used to assume the quality was terrible. And for a while it was. But I downloaded 'The Sting' the other night and I couldn't tell the difference between that and a DVD. I think the quality issue is gone."

As for the convenience of a downloaded movie, the director tells Billboard.biz:

"It's perfect. If you're just a guy out there that loves movies, rock and roll music, and rock documentaries, you've seen all the music and movie venues disappear. The local music store, the local art house theater ... they're gone. That's the bad news. The good news is now there's a home for documentaries and music movies, and you don't even have to leave your home."

Yet the loss of the local music store is exactly what some people are mourning.

Led Zeppelin author Dave Lewis said this April he was reading "Last Shop Standing: Whatever Happened to Record Shops? A Journey Through an Industry In Turmoil" by Graham Jones. Within months, his hometown newspaper published a letter to the editor by Lewis, reading, in part:

"It's all too easy now to order CDs from the likes of Amazon and download songs from iTunes. This is all well and good but the download generation, which includes my own children, will never experience the excited buzz of a Saturday morning trawling the record shops in search of the latest singles and albums.

"The whole interaction of the buying and selling of records created a social network long before the emergence of the internet generated My Space and Facebook sites and one whereby we actually talked to each other face to face as we shared our passion for our favourite artists.

"I am sure I am not the only one whose record collection inspires fond memories of many hours spent in the likes of Carousel, Harlequin Records, Carlow's, Andy's, MVC, Our Price etc."

'It Might Get Loud' slated for December release on DVD, Blu-Ray

Coming this December to DVD: the film documentary showcasing Jimmy Page's and two other guitarists' affection for, and personal encounters with, their electric instrument.

"It Might Get Loud" was still opening theatrically in some U.S. markets this month, but Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced a new way for enthusiasts to catch the movie. Beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 22, it will be available for purchase on the DVD and Blu-Ray formats with a collection of bonus features.

Sony says the press conference held at last year's Toronto International Film Festival will make it onto the new releases. During that September 2008 press conference, Page and his costars and fellow guitarists, Jack White and The Edge, fielded questions about the movie.

Page, who is an associate producer for the film, has already described some scenes not included in the film that could be destined for the home releases. He told Billboard magazine earlier this year, "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit," referring to the scenes that document his interactions with the others. "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit, that's obvious. I know there's another number I did. There was a lot that was played at the summit, that Edge did, I'm sure, and Jack."

Update: Sony now states deleted scenes will be included on the DVD and Blu-Ray. Also, the Blu-Ray is to include "an interactive playlist where you can bookmark your favorite songs featured in the film" as well as a special feature called BD-Live, which "connects you to access real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie."

The movie shows the initial gathering of the three guitarists, as filmed in January 2008, and their jam sessions on their own songs such as "In My Time of Dying," "I Will Follow," "Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground" and "Whole Lotta Love." The movie also shows a reflective Page as he arrives at the mansion Headley Grange about 37 years after he first recorded Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album there.

Do musicians really ever retire?

There's an unconfirmed report that Charlie Watts is quitting the Rolling Stones. The veteran drummer apparently isn't interested in touring or recording with the group anymore.

So, in effect, would Charlie be retiring? I mean, he's not forfeiting his license to play Stones songs. But if he's not playing them with Mick and Keith anymore, then who's he gonna play 'em with?

Is Charlie going to go the Ringo Starr route and start up his own cavalcade of stars, rock musicians who go around and play yawn-inducing versions of their songs to aging folks in lawn chairs?

Drummers aren't afforded the same luxuries given to singers. If Robert Plant doesn't want to tour with Led Zeppelin, he can still record an album with Alison Krauss and sing "Black Dog" in concert -- and he does, and then people vilify him for doing the same thing others praise him for doing.

Or is Charlie just going to sit at home and relax now that he is in advanced age and enjoy the fortunes he has earned playing his limited role in the creation of songs like "Street Fighting Man" and "Start Me Up"? And if that's what he's doing, doesn't the word "retirement" come to mind? How many times do you hear that word in this discussion?

Jimmy Page hasn't been on a major tour since 2000, and he didn't even finish it for reasons that were explained at the time as medical. There was probably a time last year that he genuinely thought he would be on the road this very day, playing Led Zeppelin songs with John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and the singer of their choosing. It fell through for reasons not exactly explained, and Jimmy must be disappointed about that, if not absolutely heartbroken.

He says he wants to be seen again, and thank goodness for that -- because if things continue to carry on the way they have for the past decade, Jimmy will soon find himself in declining health and moping that he missed out on being seen, and enjoyed, when he certainly was capable. People want to see Jimmy and enjoy him.

Les Paul never retired. To the very end, he made himself available to his fans. Those who met him found a man who was very proud of his accomplishments and who was very friendly with those who admired him. Les was a great role model for any artist, not just guitarists but singers, drummers, everybody.

There's still a market for Jimmy Page, no doubt. There's still a market for Charlie Watts too. But is it the Rolling Stones crowd? Is that the only vehicle for his career today?

Does Charlie still have any unrealized aspirations? His technical abilities aside, could Charlie be the mastermind drummer in a spontaneously arranged supergroup not unlike the one John Paul Jones is in, and go out and write new music that has nothing to do with "Street Fighting Man" and more to do with, say, "The Day that Never Comes"? Might Charlie have some skills he's been shielding from the spotlight, like a decent singing voice?

As I watched "It Might Get Loud," it struck me when Jimmy Page declined to sing along with The Edge and Jack White when the three attempted "The Weight," the classic by The Band. Jimmy used the word "can't" when asked to sing. Aren't we taught as children to aspire higher than that? "Can't" was a naughty word in my household. Jimmy does end up singing a third harmony on the "and" at the end of each chorus, so kudos to him for overcoming one of his anxieties.

Jimmy also sang backup a few times during Led Zeppelin's career, and don't forget his pre-Yardbirds solo single "She Just Satisfies"; he was all over that one vocally. But why a man at his age would be debating whether or not to sing in the company of The Edge and Jack White is beyond me. Just go out there and do it, Jimmy. I encourage you!

Don't retire, Jimmy, and don't make us think you retired either. There's a market for you. There's a band for you. You're not washed up, and you never will be. Go out there and be seen. We promise your fans will be there.

Jimmy Page recasts his life story in 'It Might Get Loud'; echoes of Les Paul observed in another flick also showing in New York this week

Reminders of the late Les Paul permeate anything having to do with modern music. The 94-year-old guitarist and multi-track recording pioneer is remembered in two new music documentaries that premiered in New York City, coincidentally the day after his death.

In "It Might Get Loud," associate producer Jimmy Page employs a unique opportunity to relate some of the key stories of his musical career. His two co-stars are as mesmerized with Page as they are forthcoming with stories of their own formative moments.

Meanwhile, "Rock Prophecies" focuses on recent developments in the life of longtime rock photographer Robert M. Knight. For more than four decades, he has lived to capture still images of little known bands and artists who would later become the world's most seminal figures in rock music. In the '60s, his subjects were Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Knight, in the film, says he collects rock stars. His shots of ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Slash, Panic at the Disco and many more are highlighted in the film.

In both movies, electric guitar features prominently. It is the central muse of "It Might Get Loud," which director Davis Guggenheim has described as "a love letter to the electric guitar." The instrument figures no less in "Rock Prophecies," where Knight's discovery of blues guitarist Tyler Dow Bryant at age 16 gives way to a turning point in the unfolding plot as Knight champions and courts the youngster to some of his formidable connections in the music world.

Knight, in his narrative asides and on-screen encounters, peppers "Rock Prophecies" with anecdotes about the musicians he's photographed. In one scene, he passes on to the young band Panic at the Disco some insight he attributes to Robert Plant: that the more successful you become, the lower the quality of the people you meet.

In "It Might Get Loud," numerous witticisms and observations come straight from the artists themselves in personal revelations by Jack White, The Edge and Page. When Edge asks Page what songs from his '60s studio session work in London he would recognize Page's uncredited playing on, the elder guitarist names one, Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" and immediately relates a story about the recording session. Edge follows up and asks if Page played with the Kinks, and the elder guitarist ends up saying yes but the reports of his pervasive contributions to them have largely been exaggerated.

While White discusses how unpopular it was to play any musical instrument in his native town and Edge recalls the impact the punk music movement and violence in his Irish homeland had on his music in U2, Page talks moviegoers through every phase of his career prior to and including Led Zeppelin. As a visual backdrop is a showcase of many still photos of Page as a youth.

The film may not have many new revelations for the ardent Zeppelin fans who have ingested the liner notes of every box set to the point of memorizing dates and facts, but this film may possibly represent the most accessible way for fans of rock music in general to learn, directly from Page, about his direct line of progress from his early road work to art school to his session days to the Yardbirds and, finally, Led Zeppelin. While playing an instrumental version of the recognizable "Ramble On" for the cameras, a cleverly placed voiceover from Page demonstrates the concept of "light and shade" in Led Zeppelin's music.

If "It Might Get Loud" is a love letter to the electric guitar, it is also a tribute to Les Paul. "Rock Prophecies" is a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan and a love letter to Knight's mother, who is living with Alzheimer's disease under his care. Touching moments in "Rock Prophecies" make the film suitable for all audiences with a heart.

"It Might Get Loud" is playing daily in New York at the AMC Empire 25 and the Landmark Sunshine Cinema through at least Aug. 20. It is also showing in Los Angeles. Further theatrical release dates in U.S. locations have been scheduled through October.

"Rock Prophecies" is playing daily at the IFC Theater near New York University through Aug. 20. It will also show Aug. 27 in Aspen, Colo., and Sept. 5-6 in Seattle, Wash. Click here for more details.

Jimmy Page foreshadows his next musical project in new interview

Tomorrow's theatrical premiere of "It Might Get Loud" in New York and Los Angeles allows people to hear the early workings of some new music Jimmy Page says is destined for a future project of his.

As Lemon Squeezings reported in April 2008, the movie contains instrumental numbers called "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2." These are the first new compositions from Page released in any form since October 1999.

Now, Page tells Billboard magazine he intends to morph these, and other new tracks, into fully developed studio compositions.

In exactly what setting the "Embryo" pieces will emerge, Page didn't specify. But he did tell Billboard he had "played them with other musicians relatively recently, in the last year or so."

By this he might mean John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, even possibly with Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy. It has been widely reported that those four considered assembling a band for some time last year, even to the point of rehearsing new music and eventually going out on tour to support an album release.

By the end of last year, that prospective band project was no longer being considered. Now, Jones has just debuted his new band, Them Crooked Vultures, reportedly after six months of rehearsals and studio recording. Page, meanwhile, seemed to have given no indication to his manager, Peter Mensch what projects he would be working on in 2009. Mensch said in an interview with MusicRadar this January, "F--- if I know" the direction in which Page's career would head.

Page now tells Billboard what's been going on and what he has in mind. "This year I've had quite a lot of things going on," he says, "sort of things relative to preparing for projects. There's a lot of groundwork that's been going into that so that I can be getting on with things next year. I really intend to be doing some playing and ... be seen, if you like. If you've got ambitious projects, they take time to put together if you're going to do them properly."

Page's last publicly disclosed comments on the subject came in June, as reported by the LA Weekly blog West Coast Sound. In that interview, Page said:

"I've got some new music. There's sort of little tastes and shades of it in the documentary. Bits. It's just a question of actually doing it now. Actually getting a project that I've had in mind for a while. I've just got to go and do it. Don't want to tell anyone about it. But, yes, I've got a big project I'm working on."

As for tomorrow's public premiere of his "Embryo" pieces in the film "It Might Get Loud," Page says he is excited. He's even hinting toward a future DVD release of the film packed with surplus footage of songs its starring guitarists played each other.

"It's inevitable there'll be a DVD on the horizon," he offers. "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit, that's obvious. I know there's another number I did. There was a lot that was played at the summit, that Edge did, I'm sure, and Jack. I'm sure there'll be a DVD, and I can tell you with a certain confidence there'll be extras because that's the way things work these days."

Theatrical release dates for "It Might Get Loud" in various U.S. cities stretch into October, and a U.K. premiere has been promised for this autumn. Sony Pictures Classic last year purchased widespread international distribution rights for the film, which has been screened at numerous festivals worldwide.

Update:

After watching "It Might Get Loud" in a theater twice today (Friday, Aug. 14), I couldn't pick out "Embryo No. 1" either time in the film. It's listed in the credits as having appeared very early on, but I listened for it twice and either missed it twice or it was not really there. Have any sharp-eyed readers spotted "Embryo No. 1" in the film?

Also, I was somewhat disappointed to learn that this so-called "new" composition, "Embryo No. 2," is a mere remake of the instrumental that was called "Domino" and included during a Net Aid set in October 1999 with Guy Pratt on bass and the late Michael Lee on drums.

If there was no "Embryo No. 1," and if "Embryo No. 2" is only an unfinished version of an instrumental track written 10 years ago, then perhaps Page isn't all that far into what he describes will be a "big project"!

Further update:

After my third screening of "It Might Get Loud," I realize "Embryo No. 1" is what's playing over the opening credits. Furthermore, it's what you hear in the background between seconds 25 and 53 on the trailer. Listen!

Les Paul, father of the electric guitar and modern sound recording, dies at 94

Jimmy Page spent his teen years teaching himself how to play guitar, and one of the jazz guitarists who inspired him at that time was Les Paul.

Page once said, "Les Paul was so far ahead of the time, he was like a scientist."

Paul died today at a hospital in White Plains, N.Y., after a bout with pneumonia. He was 94.

In addition to being a pioneer in utilizing the complexities of the electric guitar, Paul was also responsible for developing multi-track recording processes.

Page grew up listening to the jazzy hit records Les Paul made in the 1950s with his wife, Mary Ford, on vocals. Often, Ford would be harmonizing with herself on two separate tracks, while her husband would be playing a lead track on top of a rhythm track.

Multi-tracking became an industry standard, and it is certainly a part of the Led Zeppelin sound on albums.

In the movie "It Might Get Loud," which opens tomorrow in New York and Los Angeles, Page tells his fellow guitarists Jack White and The Edge that as a kid, he used to listen to any records that had guitar in them at all. This clip, which also shows Page playing air guitar to "Rumble" by Link Wray, is available below:



Les Paul played weekly jazz sets in New York, often with special guests. Page attended Paul's birthday celebration on June 9, 1987, and the two jammed together.

'It Might Get Loud' release dates

As previously reported, the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud, starring Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White, is to premiere Aug. 14 in New York and Los Angeles. The movie's official site says, without providing any further detail, other opening dates are to follow in other cities.

The following U.S. theatrical release dates for It Might Get Loud were announced this morning by Sam Rapallo, webmaster of the official Led Zeppelin site. At the time of publishing on LedZeppelinNews.com, these premiere dates have not been confirmed with Sony Pictures Classic, distributors of the film.

ALABAMA

• Trussville: Oct. 2 (Trussville Cine)
  

ALASKA

• Anchorage: Oct. 2 (Fireweed Seven)
  

ARIZONA

• Scottsdale: Sept. 11 (Luxury Shea 14)
  
• Tucson: Sept. 25 (Loft Cinema 2)
  

ARKANSAS

• Fayetteville: Oct. 2 (Fiesta Square)

CALIFORNIA

• Berkeley: Aug. 28 (Shattuck 8)
  
• Encino: Aug. 14 (Town Center 5)
  
• Hollywood: Aug. 14 (Arclight Holly)
• Irvine: Aug. 14 (University Town)
  
• Los Angeles: Aug. 14 (The Landmark)
  
• Mill Valley: Aug. 28 (Sequoia Twin)
  
• Monterey: Sept. 11 (Osio)
  
• Palm Desert: Sept. 11 (Palme D'Or)
  
• Palm Springs: Sept. 11 (Stadium 9)
  
• Palo Alto: Aug. 28 (Aquarius Twin)
  
• Pasadena: Aug. 14 (Laemmle's Playh)
• Pleasant Hill: Aug. 28 (Century Five)
  
• Rolling Hills Estates: Sept. 11 (Promenade Stade)
  
• Sacramento: Sept. 11 (Tower Angelika)
  
• San Diego: Aug. 28 (Hillcrest Cinem)
  
• San Francisco: Aug. 28 (Embarcadero Cen; additional showings at UA Stonestown T beginning Sept. 4)
  
• San Jose: Aug. 28 (Camera 12)
• San Luis Obispo: Sept. 11 (Palm Theatre 2)
  
• Santa Cruz: Sept. 18 (Nickelodeon Fou)
  
• Santa Rosa: Sept. 11 (Rialto)
  
• Ventura: Sept. 11 (Century Downtow)

COLORADO

• Boulder: Sept. 18 (Century 16)
  
• Denver: Sept. 11 (Mayan Three)
  

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

• Washington: Sept. 4 (E-Street Cinema)
  

FLORIDA

• Boca Raton: Sept. 11 (Shadowood Squar)
  
• Gainesville: Sept. 25 (Gainesville 14)
  
• Jacksonville: Oct. 2 (Beach Blvd Cine)
  
• Jupiter: Sept. 25 (Jupiter Mall 18)
  
• Miami Beach: Sept. 11 (South Beach 18)
  
• Sarasota: Sept. 25 (Hollywood 20)
  
• Tallahassee: Sept. 25 (Miracle Five)
  
• Vero Beach: Oct. 2 (AMC Indian Rive)
  

GEORGIA

• Athens: Oct. 16 (Cine)
  
• Atlanta: Sept. 11 (UA Tara Cinema)
  

HAWAII

• Honolulu: Sept. 25 (Kahala Mall 8)
  

IDAHO

• Boise: Sept. 25 (Flicks Four)
  

ILLINOIS

• Chicago: Aug. 28 (Century Centre)
• Evanston: Aug. 28 (Cinearts 6)
• Highland Park: Aug. 28 (Renaissance)
  

INDIANA

• Indianapolis: Sept. 25 (Keystone Art)
  
• Notre Dame: Oct. 15 (Browning Cinema)
  

IOWA

• Des Moines: Sept. 25 (Fleur 4 Theatre)
  
• Dubuque: Oct. 9 (Mindframe)
  

KANSAS

• Olathe: Sept. 25 (AMC Studio 30)
  

LOUISIANA

• New Orleans: Sept. 25 (Canal Place Cin)
  

MARYLAND

• Baltimore: Sept. 11 (Harbor East)
  
• Bethesda: Sept. 4 (Bethesda)
  

MASSACHUSETTS

• Cambridge: Aug. 28 (Kendall Square)
  
• North Falmouth: Sept. 25 (Nickelodeon 5)
  
• Waltham: Aug. 28 (Embassy Cinema)
  

MICHIGAN

• Royal Oak: Sept. 18 (Main Art Theatr)
  

MINNESOTA

• Minneapolis: Sept. 4 (Lagoon Theatre)
  

MISSOURI

• Columbia: Oct. 16 (Ragtag Cinema)
  
• Kansas City: Sept. 25 (Cinemark Palace)
  
• St. Louis: Sept. 18 (Tivoli Theatre)
  

MONTANA

• Missoula: Oct. 16 (Wilma Four)
  

NEBRASKA

• Omaha: Oct. 2 (AMC Oakview 24)
  

NEVADA

• Las Vegas: Sept. 18 (Village Square)
  
• Reno: Sept. 25 (Riverside)
  

NEW MEXICO

• Albuquerque: Sept. 11 (Century 14)
  
• Santa Fe: Sept. 11 (UA Devargas Cen)
  

NEW YORK

• New York: Aug. 14 (AMC Empire and Sunshine Cinema)
  

NORTH CAROLINA

• Charlotte: Oct. 2 (Manor Twin)
  

OHIO

• Columbus: Sept. 25 (Gateway Theatre)
  

OKLAHOMA

• Oklahoma City: Sept. 25 (AMC Quail Sprin)
  
• Tulsa: Oct. 2 (AMC Southroads)
  

OREGON

• Bend: Oct. 2 (Pilot Butte 6 P)
  
• Corvallis: Sept. 25 (Darkside Cinema)
  
• Eugene: Sept. 18 (Bijou Twin)
  
• Portland: Sept. 11 (Fox Tower 10)
  

PENNSYLVANIA

• Philadelphia: Sept. 4 (Ritz East)
  

TENNESSEE

• Knoxville: Oct. 2 (Regal Downtown)
  
• Memphis: Sept. 25 (Ridgeway Quarte)
  
• Nashville: Sept. 25 (Green Hills Com)
  

TEXAS

• Austin: Sept. 11 (Arbor Cinemas)
  
• Dallas: Sept. 4 (The Magnolia)
  
• Fort Worth: Sept. 18 (Modern Art)
  
• Houston: Sept. 4 (Angelika Theatr)
  
• Plano: Sept. 4 (Angelika Plano)
  
• San Antonio: Sept. 25 (Fiesta 16)
  

UTAH

• Salt Lake City: Sept. 25 (Broadway Centre)
  

VIRGINIA

• Arlington: Sept. 4 (Shirlington 7 T)
  
• Richmond: Sept. 25 (Westhampton The)
  

WASHINGTON

• Seattle: Aug. 28 (Harvard Exit Tw)
• Spokane: Oct. 2 (River Park Squa)
  
• Vancouver: Sept. 25 (City Center Cin)
  

WISCONSIN

• Milwaukee: Sept. 18 (Oriental 3)
  

Bob Lefsetz thrilled with Jimmy Page's rendition of 'Ramble On' in new movie

The movie "It Might Get Loud" features Jimmy Page performing five songs alone.

Two are "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2," which are pieces of new music perhaps destined for a "big project" Page says he has "had in mind for some time."

The three others are "The Battle of Evermore," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Ramble On."

The way he played "Ramble On" onscreen prompted Bob Lefsetz to revive his writing in "The Lefsetz Letter" for the first time in 10 days. He viewed the film at its L.A. premiere on Friday, a few seats from Page himself.

Just as I was getting comfortable in my seat, just as I'd settled into WATCHING this movie, Jimmy strapped on a sunburst Les Paul and started to play...

A tingle just shot through my body thinking about it.

You know how Jimmy holds his guitar so low, down by his pubic area, like it's a sexual being, not a musical instrument? He's not just playing, he's romancing the entire instrument, the neck is bobbing and weaving, the body of the Gibson is throbbing, and with his nimble fingers, Jimmy Page is playing RAMBLE ON!

The track has not been overdubbed after the fact, the original master has not been stripped in, this is the guy who wrote and played it standing there and WHIPPING IT OFF! And in classic "Led Zeppelin II" fashion, he's not playing to the last row, there's that subtlety that separated the band from its imitators, they could be quiet as well as heavy.

And speaking of quiet, when Jimmy sat on a stool in the garden of Headley Grange and played "The Battle Of Evermore", I got goosebumps.

But "Ramble On" was the peak. Better than Jimmy playing the riff from "Whole Lotta Love" on the soundstage. There was a lyricism, a whole story was unfolding in his playing.

I played "Led Zeppelin II" for a week straight. After buying it the day of release. I thought I never needed to hear it again. But years later, when the focus was no longer on it, it turned out to be one of those mementos of youth that was just as vital today as it was back then. Somehow, music can do that. People age, but not tunes. Not the best ones.

My leg is bouncing, my body is twisting. I'm surveying the theatre, I see no concomitant movement. How can this BE? Has our nation been castrated to such a point that viewers need to take their cues from television? Can they only be infected, jump up and down when they're in front of the stage at an overpriced gig? This performance of "Ramble On" was the essence of the experience. It was the zenith of rock and roll. Jimmy said how the critics didn't get it. And he was right. But the public did. Led Zeppelin was instantly successful.

Lefsetz also mentions another scene in the movie with Page:

Like I said, they shot a bunch of footage at Headley Grange, where the fourth album was cut. Jimmy hasn't been there in a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. He's overwhelmed at first. Then he starts telling stories. About the mobile truck outside (and a picture is flashed...that truck was HUGE!) They ran cables up the stairways, out the windows, it was key to be in an environment unsullied by everyday life.

And John Bonham ordered a new set of drums. And his tech set up this kit in the entry hall, with its multiple story ceiling, so Bonzo could check it out. And once Bonham started to play, they decided to record RIGHT THERE!

Then Jimmy claps his hands. As he's standing in this entry hall. And you hear that unmistakable echo, the sound of late night seventies parties, of lying on your bedroom floor in the dark, listening to "When The Levee Breaks".

It was ASTOUNDING! It sounded JUST LIKE THE RECORD!

Lefsetz also writes about his meeting Page at the afterparty:

We ended up having a conversation about being best man at failed weddings. Had to give Jimmy credit, he knew how to play this game, he knew how to be warm and personable. And how do you not love a man who lets his hair go gray, who owns his age?

From there, he closes with his thoughts on Jimmy Page's long and storied life, plus the place Led Zeppelin has earned in rock history and our culture:

It's been a long strange trip. From discovering a left behind guitar in a new abode to playing sessions to being in the biggest band of its era, the second biggest band of all time.

Yes, the Beatles were bigger. But they were different. They were the darlings, the sunny boys who could be endorsed by the media, cheeky and lovable. Zeppelin were different. There was an inherent darkness. You hear it in the music. They're looking for satisfaction, but still living along the way. And life is hard. It's dark and creepy with a bit of exuberance sprinkled in. Like Led Zeppelin's music. Zep's music wasn't one note, it was like life, it covered the spectrum of emotions. And for this reason, we cannot forget it.

When you see Jimmy Page play these tunes up close and personal in this movie you'll be flabbergasted. It's not like a concert, where you can hear but not really see. When you see Jimmy's fleet fingers fly across the fretboard, when you see his right hand pick out the notes, you experience the true spirit of rock and roll, in all its power and glory. These moments are not only worth the price of admission, they're what we live for!

Six minutes of segments from the film are included (with French overdubbing) here:

Jimmy Page and Jack White discuss future plans, video games at L.A. press conference

Reuters and the New Musical Express are reporting on a press conference with Jimmy Page and Jack White that took place this morning in Los Angeles. Both are in town for the city's film festival and tonight's premiere of "It Might Get Loud" there.

Both stories carried a humorous quip from White on whether he might consider playing again with Page, such as on the solo album White is rumored to be embarking on. "I think Jimmy needs to practice a little more," he commented. Yeah, he was joking.

The Reuters coverage carries more interesting remarks from both guitarists on the way music is presented to today's youth. For instance, neither thinks video games are very useful for musical practice.

White said, "That's like the only outlet now, that you have to put [your music] in a video game to get it in front of [kids]. That's a little sad."

Reuters carried a long, candid remark from Page about amateur musicians setting out to imitate their heroes:

"If you start with the first track on the first (self-titled Led Zeppelin) album, 'Good Times Bad Times,' and you think of the drum part that John Bonham did there, how many drummers in the world can actually play that? Let alone Dad on a Christmas morning? There might be a lot of alcohol to be consumed over Christmas, he still ain't gonna get it."

Interestingly, as the NME story tells us, Page pointed out that both he and White, and also their third co-star, The Edge, are all self-taught guitarists.

The film premieres in L.A. about an hour and a half from the time of writing.

Update: Getty Images and the Associated Press have photos of Page and others at the premiere. Also, the video below is from a Q&A session at the L.A. film premiere.

Rare Zep footage included in guitar documentary's trailer

What happens when three generations of guitar heroes meet?

"Probably a fistfight," predicts Jack White, on his way to an arranged guitar summit with The Edge and Jimmy Page.

This comical prediction comes courtesy of a newly released trailer for the feature film "It Might Get Loud," which heads to theaters this August.



The trailer cuts to a scene with Page shot on location at Headley Grange, known to Led Zeppelin fans as the place where many of that group's songs were recorded. At the bottom of a staircase, Page names off one of them, "[When the] Levee Breaks."

The shots, in this film directed by Davis Guggenheim of "An Inconvenient Truth" success, bring this mythical and storied mansion to life for a mass of Zep fans who have never seen inside it before.

Just as this comes to life, Page says memories are coming back to him, and the shot changes to home footage I haven't ever seen before. Probably from 1971, Jimmy Page is shown wielding a guitar in a garden, presumably on the grounds of Headley Grange, with a dog relaxing on one side and an energetic Robert Plant bouncing around on the other side.

The trailer later cuts to a glimpse of Page playing air guitar, as has been explained before, to his recording of Link Wray's "Rumble." Get a load of the library of records behind him! This was filmed at his home, which video crews are said to have never been allowed before.

The trailer begins and ends with White building his own makeshift guitar -- "Who says you need to buy a guitar?" -- but also includes a moment of three-way laughter as Page treats the two agape and onlooking guitarists to a personal performance of "In My Time of Dying."

No fistfights are apparent in this trailer!

In L.A. for Jimmy Page's movie? Why not pick up John Bonham's gong too!

As of this morning, tickets are currently on sale for films associated with the Los Angeles Film Festival, including for two theater presentations of "It Might Get Loud," starring Jimmy Page along with Jack White and The Edge.

It's only $12 a pop to see the three guitarists rock out "In My Time of Dying" together on the big screen, so you'll have some money left to burn, right?

OK, I'm broke too. But still.

Why not pick up some authentic John Bonham percussion just a traffic jam away?

Bonzo's gong will be up for auction on Sunday, June 14, just in time for the L.A. festival's premiere of "It Might Get Loud" on the 19th.

Yep, it's John Bonham's original gong, as seen in concert. It was made by made by Paiste, but instead of featuring the drum company's logo, it instead depicts a pair of Chinese letters.

James Cartledge reports in the Birminghm Mail that the gong was contributed to the auction by none other than the drummer's younger sister, singer and Atco recording artist Deborah Bonham.

The auction house says the gong's final price will range between $80,000 and $120,000.

Now I know I can't afford it!

That is, not so soon after I just dropped $30,000 for Jimmy Page's stage-used 1971 200-watt Orange MATAMP.

Just kidding, I wasn't the winning buyer on the eBay auction. The buyer's identity was withheld.

Anyway, Bonham's gong is one lot in the Entertainment Memorabilia auction. Advance viewings are being held June 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Bonhams and Butterfields Offices at 7601 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

If you're nearby, you ought to check it out.

Oh, and here's something else to look at if you happen to find yourself in the L.A. area with a craving for anything connected to Led Zeppelin.

And I do mean anything.

The photographer behind some candid shots of Robert Plant sporting a Speedo in 1978 is showing that series of photos, and many others, in Los Angeles right now.

Nicholas White of the L.A. Times reports that California-based paparazzo Brad Elterman has an ongoing exhibit of his unauthorized shots of Michael Jackson, Phil Spector, Duran Duran, Joan Jett and more, right on through July 23 in Venice, Calif.

But the ones Elterman took of Robert Plant in 1978 take the cake. The Times article explains:

Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant was playing a game of soccer, wearing a blue Speedo. In the pictures, Plant is angrily pointing his finger toward the camera, shouting.

According to Elterman, after he took the pictures, Plant approached the teen, took his business card and told him that he would never take a picture of the rock star again.

"For a couple days I was scared," Elterman says. "[I heard] that a few days [later] he kind of laughed it off. But I wanted to make this picture. That's the risk you have to make. If you didn't, it would be gone."

So, there's lots to see out west, if you're so endowed.

Endowed? I meant inclined.

Tickets on sale Friday for L.A. premiere of 'It Might Get Loud'; Australian debut set for June 3

Music and movie buffs around the world are preparing for some more early screenings of "It Might Get Loud" beginning next week.

The guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge is destined for theatrical distribution in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Distributor Sony Pictures Classic indicates the film will open in New York and Los Angeles beginning Aug. 14 with other cities to follow shortly thereafter.

For now, Hollywood types will be gearing up to witness the flick's early showings at the Los Angeles Film Festival in mid June.

• The L.A. premiere is to take place on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m., at the Mann Festival Theatre.
• An additional L.A. screening is scheduled for Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m., at the Landmark 8.
• Tickets for these two Los Angeles Film Festival showings go on sale this Friday, May 29.
• Ticket queries can be e-mailed here, or call toll-free: (866) 345-6337.
• Festival passes are already on sale; click here for pricing.
• "It Might Get Loud" is eligible to receive an audience award for Best Documentary Feature. It will compete against 10 other entrants in the Summer Showcase section for the honor.

By then, "It Might Get Loud" will have already made its Australian debut courtesy of the Sydney Film Festival.

• Tickets to June 3 and 6 presentations of the guitar documentary with Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge are already on sale.
• The first showing down under is slated for next Wednesday, June 3, at 8 p.m. at Sydney's Greater Union George Street.
• A second showing at the same location is to follow on Saturday, June 6, also at 8 p.m.

Past screenings of this film since last year have taken place in Toronto and Berlin as well as at Sundance. All three guitarists featured in the movie attended the world premiere in Toronto last September, answering press questions.

The film's segments profiling each guitarist center on his unique approach to the guitar throughout his career. In the case of Jimmy Page, the film presents his first-ever TV appearance, at age 14, and some new music as it is created out of thin air. Two new pieces written and performed by Page -- "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2" were created as the filming unfolded.

"Jimmy played us previews of two new tracks he was writing -- both of which actually ended up in the movie," director Davis Guggenheim says on the film's official Web site.

The "Embryo" tracks turn out to be the first new music offered commercially by Page in longer than a decade, despite studio recording sessions that took place 10 years ago this month that he could not persuade Robert Plant to take part in. (Listen to the May 29 episode of "Get the Led Out" for more on these abandoned recording sessions of May 1999, involving Page and the late Michael Lee.)

Another of Guggenheim's favorite "It Might Get Loud" moments involves Page:

We were filming in Jimmy Page’s home outside of London -- which he has never allowed before -- and he starts pulling out his favorite albums and playing them for us. These are the records that he listened to and learned from as a young musician. Just watching him listen to the records was incredible -- and then he started playing air guitar!

In writing for the Toronto Film Festival, Thom Powers also mentioned this moment:

Contrary to the stereotype that rock 'n' rollers are sullen and guarded, these three display an infectious joy when discussing their craft. Anyone who has ever played air guitar along with a Zeppelin song will be thrilled watching Page mimic the licks of one of his own favourites, Link Wray's "Rumble."

A member of Internet discussion group Royal Orleans, ajoso, wrote the following upon seeing the film in Toronto:

The film had a lot of humor and made me laugh with delight on more than one occasion. ... When Jimmy shows the riff to "Whole Lotta Love" to Jack & the Edge, the latter two are grinning like: "I can't believe I'm two feet away from Jimmy Page playing 'Whole Lotta Love'!"

Guitar documentary with Jimmy Page to screen at L.A. Film Festival

The much-talked about "It Might Get Loud" guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page is part of the upcoming Summer Showcase just announced for the Los Angeles Film Festival taking place next month.

Ten other films round out the Summer Showcase's full lineup, and they will compete for three audience awards: Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Documentary Feature.

Details on individual film screenings have yet to be announced, and movie tickets will go on sale to the general public on May 29. First, festival passes will go on sale to the general public on May 18. The festival takes place June 18-28.

"It Might Get Loud," directed by Davis Guggenheim, has previously been screened at film festivals in Toronto and Berlin and at Sundance. The L.A. Film Festival would mark the flick's second festival appearance in the United States, where it is scheduled to open in theaters on Aug. 21. It is also to be distributed to other countries this summer.

As portrayed in the movie, a soundstage in Los Angeles provides the setting for the arranged first-ever meeting of Page and fellow guitarists The Edge and Jack White. The three guitarists jam on the songs "I Will Follow," "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "The Weight" and "In My Time of Dying."

In other segments, Page is shown creating and performing original pieces called "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2." The film crew also follows Page to Headley Grange, the mansion where parts of three Led Zeppelin albums were recorded. There, Page discusses the recording techniques used on the songs "Stairway to Heaven" and "When the Levee Breaks."

Update, May 14: The reel is also headed to Australia's Sydney Film Festival, to be held June 3-14. Tickets are already on sale.

Guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page to compete at Berlin Film Festival

A new guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page is now among films set to compete in the Berlin Film Festival next month. "It Might Get Loud" has been selected for the competition at the festival, which begins Feb. 5 and spans 11 days. Variety's Ed Meza reports:

"The main section will unspool 26 films. Among those, 18 will contend for the Golden and Silver Bears, while eight will screen out of competition."

Tickets to the film's only two screenings at the Berlin Festival, scheduled for Feb. 10 and 11, are to become available Feb. 2. There will also be two screenings in Berlin affiliated with the European Film Market, on Feb. 7 and 11.

As previously reported by LedZeppelinNews.com, "It Might Get Loud" documents the first meeting of three generations of guitarists, including Page with Jack White and The Edge.

Following the film's screening at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month, Blake Wood writes for the Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph that "It Might Get Loud" was his "personal favorite" among the documentaries:

"Though Sundance is known for its politically, socially and environmentally conscious work, my personal favorite was 'It Might Get Loud,' by Davis Guggenheim ('An Inconvenient Truth'). The creative spirits of three master electric guitarists, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), the Edge (U2) and Jack White (White Stripes) radiate, as they wax eloquent about inspirations and jamming together in this elegant film."

It was previously announced that the film would be slated for international distribution in theaters beginning around August, through Sony Pictures Classic. The Nashua Telegraph article inaccurately mentions a DVD release of the film around that time, while a press agent for the film confirms that a theatrical release is planned for August instead.

In the movie, the three guitarists jam at an arranged "summit," performing U2's "I Will Follow," White's "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," the Band's "The Weight" and Led Zeppelin's "In My Time of Dying." The sight of the three of them playing that Zeppelin song left an impression on Guggenheim, who says in a Q&A:

"What I love about this movie, and what makes it so unique, is how the scale will change from Edge alone in his studio late night - to the three of them jamming on a Led Zeppelin track together with the volume full blast and the cameras capturing every angle."

The film also contains the first new music from Page aired publicly since 1999: a pair of instrumentals called "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2." Viewers also watch as Page turns tour guide at Headley Grange and recounts what it was like to record Zep's fourth album there, and how they mic'ed up John Bonham's drums.

The movie made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, with a screening attended by all three guitarists. White attended the film's U.S. debut at Sundance.

'It Might Get Loud' makes U.S. premiere at Sundance Film Festival

Was anybody there at the first U.S. showing of "It Might Get Loud," the guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge? Like to comment?

I do know that in the film, Jimmy Page performs the following songs alone in the movie: "Embryo No. 1," "Ramble On," "The Battle of Evermore," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Embryo No. 2."

Don't recognize the first and last of these titles? That's because they're new original music by Page. Director Davis Guggenheim (shown at right, with Page) says, "Jimmy played us previews of two new tracks he was writing -- both of which actually ended up in the movie."

Page himself mentioned his new musical pieces when he was interviewed last March by David Cavanagh. "They're the sort of vehicles and frameworks that could be applied [or] used in various situations," Page said, as quoted in the May 2008 issue of Uncut magazine. "I might have one thing that could be just as easily recorded with an ethnic drum orchestra as with a rock 'n' roll band. Do you see what I mean? Or you could play it acoustic. It's the application of it. But I'm ready. I'm ready, now, to present the stuff that I've got."

Also in the movie, Page, Edge and White jam on the following songs at an arranged "summit": U2's "I Will Follow," White's "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," the Band's "The Weight" and Led Zeppelin's "In My Time of Dying."

The movie interpolates recordings of Led Zeppelin playing "How Many More Times," "When the Levee Breaks," "The Battle of Evermore," "Over the Hills and Far Away," "Whole Lotta Love," "White Summer," "Going to California," "The Rain Song," "Stairway to Heaven" and "Ten Years Gone."

So, there are tons of Zeppelin moments in this movie, probably none greater than the scene in which Page turns tour guide at Headley Grange and recounts what it was like to record Zep's fourth album there, and how they mic'ed up John Bonham's drums. That's one story I've read a number of times, but to hear Page tell it in his own words while seeing him there has to be on a totally different level. I can't wait to see this film.

It will be distributed this summer, but first it will be shown four more times at Sundance. Hopefully, somebody who has seen the movie will chime in here with a review!

Sundance Film Festival to include Jimmy Page guitar documentary's U.S. premiere

The guitar documentary "It Might Get Loud," starring Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White, is set to make its U.S. premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month.

Directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Thomas Tull and others, the film makes its second festival appearance following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September. It is destined for wider distribution next summer, having recently been purchased by Sony Pictures Classics.

"It Might Get Loud" successfully unites Page, White and Edge for the first time, as the film's official Web site explains:

"While each guitarist describes his own musical rebellion, a rock 'n' roll summit is being arranged. Set on an empty soundstage, the musicians come together, crank up the amps and play. They also share their influences, swap stories, and teach each other songs. During the summit Page's double-neck guitar, The Edge's array of effects pedals and White's new mic, custom built into his guitar, go live."

Sony describes "It Might Get Loud" as "a musically and visually uplifting love letter to the electric guitar told through the experiences of these three major figures across three generations of rock 'n' roll."

Back to the official Web site:

"The musical journey is joined by visual grandeur too. We see the stone halls of Headley Grange where "Stairway to Heaven" was composed, visit a haunting Tennessee farmhouse where Jack White writes a song on-camera, and eavesdrop inside the dimly lit Dublin studio where The Edge lays down initial guitar tracks for U2's forthcoming single. The images, like the stories, will linger in the mind long after the reverb fades.

"'It Might Get Loud' might not affect how you play guitar, but it will change how you listen."

What's particularly notable about this film for Jimmy Page enthusiasts is the fact that it contains new music from him, created on screen. He had gone all decade, from 2000 on, without releasing any original material -- a point he addressed in an interview with David Cavanagh for Uncut magazine earlier this year: "That doesn't matter!" said the guitarist. "No! What does that matter?"

The Sundance announcement arrived Dec. 4 by way of a press release pertaining to films that to be screened at the festival that are not taking part in the competition.

Despite its seemingly Led Zeppelin-related title, another film slated to run at Sundance has nothing to do with Led Zeppelin. There's a film called "Over the Hills and Far Away," directed by Michael Orion Scott, that "chronicles the journey of the Isaacson family as they travel through Mongolia in search of a mysterious shaman they believe can heal their autistic son." Again, it has nothing to do with Led Zeppelin; I'm sorry I mentioned it.

The festival runs Jan. 15-25 in Utah. Ticketing information is available here, and other information about the festival is available here.

Update: It Might Get Loud is now scheduled for five screenings at Sundance. The first and second are on Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The other screenings are on Jan. 17, 18 and 24.