Well, our journey is just about over. We’ve reached the end of the line.

It’s fitting to say, as we reach the end of our A to Z journey through the Music-Fan Connection, that the music never dies. Fans may fade away and bands may part ways, but the music will endure. And it will inspire countless others to walk the path and step onto the stage.

As I write this, there is a tribute act of some band, taking the stage in some venue, somewhere. And for that brief moment under the spotlight, the music they play connects them to the fans. I’ve seen some really amazing tributes: from The Silver Beats, a Beatles tribute from Tokyo, Japan to The Iron Maidens, the world’s only all-female tribute to Iron Maiden. I could have picked any of them, really. But I am going to go with Z, in keeping with our Challenge.

To get you to Z, I need to take you to A.

To Argentina. With ZOSO.

ZOSO in Argentina

Zoso is a Led Zeppelin tribute band based in the Atlanta area. Billed as “the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience”, the act formed in 1995 to perform the most accurate and captivating Led Zeppelin live show since the real thing. According to Zoso’s web site, “it’s much more than just being a tribute. It’s about touching a golden era in music.”

Golden era, indeed. Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980 after the death of their drummer John Bonham. And the Golden Gods themselves have said they will never truly reunite (here are their 10 reasons why). But the music endures, and fans will always rejoice in it –  from Celebration Day to the prestigious Kennedy Honors. And yes, even through tribute bands like Zoso.

Last year, my husband Topper (yeah, everyone calls him that. Even me, when we’re working!) was part of a team that promoted a Zoso show in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Argentinians are pretty passionate about their football, and their music. Tribute bands do fairly well down there, probably because the real acts don’t make it a frequent stop on their itinerary like in the States or Europe. And to Topper’s and the other promoters’ knowledge, no Zeppelin tribute band had ever played down there.

Check out this Argentinian  ZOSO concert announcement – can’t you just feel the excitement?!

Throughout his twenty-plus years in the music business, Topper has witnessed a lot of amazing things. But I don’t think he was quite prepared for the reception the fans gave Zoso. “The crowd was going nuts,” he emailed me. “It was like they were the original band. Everyone was chanting ‘Olé Olé Olé, Zoso!” even long after the band finished their two encores.

For a brief moment in time, I do believe a tribute band touches upon whatever magic the original act made – through the music, through the fans. And that is one of the reasons I wanted to journey through A to Z and explore the Music-Fan Connection – because that connection is a truly magical thing. All you music fans out there, think about that connection the next time you raise your hands to cheer at a show, at that thrilling, goosebump moment when the lights go down. And bands – never let that thrilling, goosebump moment when the lights go down slip away or become old-hat. Play every show as if it were your first, and your last. Play on!

Thanks for joining me during the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge!