On Wednesday night, Robert Plant, former lead singer of Led Zepplin, performed a three-song guest set at the Austin Music Awards. The set was in tribute to local DJ Paul Ray, who passed away in January. Plant enjoyed his radio show Twine Time while living in Texas for a few years. Plant’s performance was backed by famous blues guitarist Jimmie Vaughan and his band, and also AMAs musical director Charlie Sexton, who is known to play guitar with Bob Dylan. This year, the Austin Music Awards benefitted the SIMS Foundation, an organization that offers affordable psychological therapy, addiction recovery, and crisis counseling services to local musicians.
Plant kicked it off by playing the 1957 hit “Young Blood” by The Coasters. This immediately hyped up the crowd and got them up and dancing. Next, Plant performed “When I Was Single” from the Jive 4, something Ray enjoyed playing on his radio show. Plant then ended his performance on an upbeat note, playing “Let the Boogie Woogie Roll” by Clyde McPhatter. To officially close off the show, the band played an instrumental version of the theme song to Ray’s radio show, the Alvin Cash instrumental “Twine Time”, and Plant played the tambourine.
Rock and roll legend @RobertPlant kicking things off at The 34th Annual Austin Music Awards. #SXSW @AustinChronicle pic.twitter.com/U646bgOQFI
— SXSW (@sxsw) March 17, 2016
This Monday, Plant will return to Austin to film a segment of the PBS-TV concert show Austin City Limits with his band Sensational Space Shifters. The concert will also be live-streamed.
Robert Plant 2016 Austin Music Awards Setlist
01. Young Blood
02. When I Was Single
03. Let the Boogie Woogie Roll
04. Twine Time (instrumental)