Dubbed the “best tribute act in Cali” by LA’s Rock City News, Zoso has brought Led Zeppelin back to the masses, working to recreate Zeppelin’s 1968-80 “Hammer of Gods” career for the past thirteen years. After the band’s seventh night at Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, SC, Matt Jernigan (Zoso’s Robert Plant) had a quick chat with buzz about life on the road and why he thinks good ole’ “rock and roll” will never die. If only the real Robert Plant could see this quartet in action.
buzz: What type of audience does Zoso attract?
Jernigan: From 10 to 60 years old. We see parents bring their kids. We’re also well received in college towns. We try to keep their legacy alive. I never got to see Led Zeppelin. We try to recreate the band so the audience can get a grasp of what they were. It’s not as easy as people think. You’ve gotta work at it, you’ve got to study it.
buzz: How do you channel your “inner” Robert Plant?
Jernigan: It’s almost like second nature to me now. I just turn it on or turn it off. It’s like acting.
buzz: How do you think the music industry receives (classic) “rock and roll” today?
Jernigan: They don’t. You can’t recreate this music, you can only rehash it. When I hear contemporary punk, I think to myself — I’ve already heard this with the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. It’s a new, younger face, but the music’s not new. Punk has become pop, which strikes me as very hypocritical. The punk movement was always “anti-pop,” not “popular.”
buzz: What do you enjoy most about performing at the Canopy Club?
Jernigan: We can always count on a good, responsive audience. Plus, the guys who run the Canopy Club are really supportive. I’m really appreciative of Jay Goldberg Events and Entertainment, as well as talent buyer Mike Armintrout for getting us on the line-up for June’s Summer Camp Festival.
buzz: How would you describe Zoso’s group dynamic?
Jernigan: Everyone is qualified in terms of both musical ability and professionalism. We aren’t 20 year-old guys; we’re older, so we’re not trying to “find ourselves.” The maturity is there. Everybody does their job, so we don’t have to worry about someone being a “ball-and-chain.”
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