On June 2, 1973, Led Zeppelin took the stage at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, delivering one of their most iconic and electric performances of the 1970s. Among the many highlights of that sun-soaked afternoon was Jimmy Page’s haunting and otherworldly theremin solo, which transformed the outdoor stadium into a surreal sonic temple. As twilight approached, Page stepped away from his Les Paul and moved to the theremin — a relatively obscure instrument at the time, consisting of two metal antennas and no strings or keys.
Plugged into an Orange cabinet — known for its rich, booming tone — the theremin’s high-pitched frequencies cut through the humid Bay Area air. Page manipulated the instrument with wizard-like hand movements, coaxing eerie wails, shrieks, and moans that mesmerized the crowd. His performance wasn’t just musical — it was visual theater. With each wave of his arms, he summoned sound from thin air, bending pitch and volume in ways that seemed supernatural.
The theremin section, often incorporated into “Whole Lotta Love,” gave the band a space for improvisation, psychedelia, and raw experimentation. Backed by John Bonham’s primal drumming, John Paul Jones’s thunderous bass, and Robert Plant’s otherworldly vocals, Page’s theremin transformed Kezar into a swirling vortex of sound. The Orange cab gave his tones an added edge — warm but aggressive, saturated yet clear — a fitting match for the chaos he conjured.
For many fans in attendance, that moment symbolized the fearless, avant-garde spirit of Led Zeppelin at their peak. It wasn’t just a concert — it was a ritual, and Page, with his theremin and Orange cab, was the high priest. The sonic spell he cast at Kezar remains one of the most unforgettable displays of musical sorcery in rock history.
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