Jason Bonham: Led Zeppelin Experience

Jason Bonham prepares for an explosive performance at Wellmont!

jason bonham
Photo courtesy of Live Nation.

Jason Bonham, the son of legendary drummer John Bonham, will bring his Led Zeppelin Experience to Montclair’s Wellmont Theater on June 1. Much of Bonham’s career has been a tribute to his father and the groundbreaking music that was made by John Bonham while he was with Led Zeppelin. Rock and roll fans from across the world still love Led Zeppelin’s music, and after Bonham’s death in 1980, many fans believed that would spell the end of the bands magic. Bonham was an integral part of the band because of his exemplary skill in drumming, but Jason has done his best throughout his career to demonstrate and showcase the values and techniques that made his father so loved and admired.

There was never much room in Bonham’s life for anything but drumming. At the age of four, Bonham was introduced to drumming and from then on the drumsticks rarely left his hand. He appears in Led Zeppelin’s great concert film The Song Remains the Same, drumming alongside his father, John.

Jason Bonham got his first taste of band life in his teen years, joining a band called Airrace and later on Virginia Wolf. Virginia Wolf encountered mild success and released two albums, also touring the U.S. While Bonham was capable of handling life in a band, much of his career has been comprised of tributes to his father. As there isn’t anyone to better represent John Bonham and his music, former band members, festivals and venues call upon Jason to play his father’s music.

His performance at the Wellmont will be part of something that Bonham calls “The Led Zeppelin Experience.” Bonham has worked with various bands to see his father’s music celebrated. He joined forces with the band Heart, and later joined the group The Circle, which is who will be performing at the Wellmont Theater. It is no secret that Led Zeppelin had some of music’s most passionate fans, and much of that passion has carried over to Jason’s career.

Felix Stein, a longtime fan of Led Zeppelin and a native of Dusseldorf, Germany, expressed his delight that Bonham is continuing to bring pride to his father’s music. “Bonham’s son brings so much life and originality to his tributes,” Stein said. “Many times, the only link I had to the musical world was through Led Zeppelin and John Bonham’s drumming. Bonham may be gone, but his son carries his magic with him.”

The Wellmont Theater is known to be equipped for a wide variety of shows, so Jason Bonham’s “experience” will be working at the best level it can. Fans should expect Bonham to play many classic Led Zeppelin songs, such as “Stairway to Heaven” and “When the Levee Breaks.” The show will begin at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1. Tickets are available at wellmonttheater.com. Parking for the show is limited, so plan travel accordingly.

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