Valerie Hill, writing on ocolly.com reviewed the Austin City Limits Music Festival appearance:

Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T. Bone Burnett created an aura Saturday night that was nearly unmatched by any other band.

Accompanied by a back-up band, Plant and Krauss performed songs not only from the T. Bone Burnett-produced “Raising Sand,” but also classics from the Led Zeppelin catalog and the soundtrack to “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”

The combination of Plant’s road-weary voice, Krauss’ smoky and velveteen harmonies and Burnett’s superior production skills combined to give Austin City Limits a performance that will not be soon forgotten.

An achingly smooth and slow rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” with boisterous accompaniment from the audience, was a welcomed surprise.

An official statement from Robert:

Robert has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years. Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such event will be buying bogus tickets.

“It‘s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” Robert Plant said.

“I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects.”

While in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Robert was spotted shopping at a local music store. Cliff Brown, Jr. took a moment for a thank you:

“After he bought his items at the counter, he stood outside against the wall, alone, so I walked up and said thank you for all the wonderful music you’ve done then shook his hand and that was my Robert Plant moment.”

Michael D. Ayers of Billboard on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at the Austin City Limits Music Festival:

Plant explained to the audience that he’s been a pupil of American music his entire life, and is now discovering the sounds of Mississippi and the Appalachia region via his work with Krauss on last year’s “Raising Sand.” The pair breezed through several cuts from that album, including “Killing the Blues” and a rousing “Gone Gone Gone,” while the traditional folk song “Down to the River To Pray” was done a cappella. The Led Zeppelin catalog was also dipped into in the form of “The Battle of Evermore.”

Statement from Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett regarding their September 26, 2008 Benefit Concert:

When we saw the devastation that Ike had wreaked upon Houston and the Gulf Coast area, we immediately made the decision to turn our scheduled show in the area into a benefit for the victims of this disaster. When it was made clear to us that we wouldn’t be able to bring our show in, we immediately sought out an alternate city and venue to host the benefit so that badly needed funds could get into the proper hands as quickly as possible. To this end, we are grateful to the people of Oklahoma City for stepping up and contributing to this cause.

To the great people of Houston and the Gulf Coast, please know that you are in our thoughts as you continue to recover from all you’ve been through.

Sincerely,

Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T Bone Burnett

Uncut Magazine has launched the Uncut Music Award which will find the “most inspiring and richly rewarding album of the last 12 months”. The first list will consist of 25 albums. From those albums and industry panel will choose a shortlist of 8 albums. The winner will then be chosen from those eight.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss appear on the long list with their album Raising Sand.

Uncut Music Award 08

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss joined Levon Helm onstage on September 17, 2008. The Nashville Scene posted their comments on the evening:

After things got rolling late for the Americana Music Festival’s official opening night at the Ryman last Wednesday and some guy coaxed us through a brief television applause tutorial, Billy Bob Thornton took the stage to introduce Levon Helm and it stayed star-studded—Americana-style—from there on out. Before the night was over, a bunch of Levon-revering folks who live here-ish (like Buddy Miller, Sam Bush, Sheryl Crow and Alison Krauss) and who don’t (like Robert Plant, who’s been reborn as a harmony-singing Americana artist; Thornton, who seemed mildly preoccupied; and Steve Earle, who now calls N.Y.C. home) had each sung a song—or at least a chorus—from a Band or Dylan tune, or a roots standard. But what was even more striking than the parade of famous voices was the atmosphere. We can’t remember when we’ve felt more love passing between the stage and the Ryman pews. Even the security guards—on our side, at least—seemed to be in a good mood. And that was probably all because Helm never stopped grinning the whole night. He’s a slight, wiry 68, and he can still lay into a drum groove with spirit and control while he sings. Even when he’d frayed his voice down to a raw thread, he never stopped ’til he carried everyone through “The Weight” and an encore performance of “Forever Young.” Now that’s love.

Nashville Scene

Mon, September 29 at 12:00pm ET on RAVE HD
Soundstage
Rebroadcast of the show with Strange Sensation

Wed, October 1 at 2:00am ET on RAVE HD
Soundstage
Rebroadcast of the show with Strange Sensation

Robert and Alison were scheduled to appear at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Houston on September 26, 2008. The venue was damaged during hurricane Ike, and the show was subsequently cancelled. Instead, the pair will perform at the Zoo Amphitheater in Oklahoma City and the show will be a benefit to help those affected by hurricane Ike.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, September 22 at Tickets.com or by calling (800) 511-1552.

John Hiatt, who picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Americana Music Awards, comments on how Robert’s appearance makes perfect sense:

“It’s perfect. You got Robert Plant in there, who is not only so connected to American Southern roots music, but is also connected vis a vis his mining of old English folk music, which of course is connected to us and connected to Southern American music, and thus Americana music. It’s all these long threads. So him being here is a perfect piece of the puzzle.”