Written by Jim Bille

Has it really been 15 years since Alison Krauss and Robert Plant took their first and only tour in support of their groundbreaking collaboration Raising Sand? The answer is yes; but they are finally offering up a second act touring once again which included a stop at The Woodlands Pavilion on Wednesday night, after the release of their latest joint effort, Raise the Roof.

The duo’s slick production at The Woodlands was as polished as a new penny thanks in part to their stellar back up band that includes Dennis Crouch (stand-up bass), Viktor Krauss (keyboards and guitar), Jay Bellerose (drums), Stuart Duncan (mandolin, guitar and fiddle) and JD McPherson (electric guitar).

Plant played the crowd with banter and stories throughout the show setting up songs while Krauss was mostly subdued with little crowd interaction other than her constant appreciative smile and stunning vocals. Krauss also featured her fiddling prowess throughout the show which augmented the already full sound of the band to a higher level.

Plant’s vocals were no worse for the wear as he seamlessly crooned his way through the set with an occasional classic hint of his Led Zeppelin flare built into some of the tunes at just the right moments.

Plant and Krauss’s music has a mystic Americana sound based on a foundation built on folk, bluegrass, blues, rock and previous individual influences that helped inspire them both.

Songs featured during the performance included music from both of the duo’s releases. From their 2007 award winning album, Raising Sand, the fans were treated to numbers such as “Rich Woman”, “Fortune Teller” and “Please Read The Letter” and “Gone, Gone, Gone”.

New songs featured from Raise the Roof, included “Quatro”, “High and Lonesome”, “Last Kind Words”, “You Led Me Wrong”, “Trouble With My Lover”, “Go Your Way”, “It Don’t Bother Me” and “Can’t Let Go”.

With a few reworked Led Zeppelin tunes like “The Battle of Evermore”, “Rock and Roll”, “When the Levee Breaks” and one really hip Ray Charles tune called “Leave My Woman Alone” you have just about all you need for an outstanding show from two fantastic performers.

Plant remarked at one point during the concert that they were a little mellow but can occasionally rock out, “But Don’t Hold Your Breath”. How true for this concert, but that’s not what Plant and Krauss are about. Heartfelt and sometimes ethereal, the show had a pristine delivery and was one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long while.