As a long time guitar player, I have been somewhat obsessed with finding, supporting and enjoying women who also pick up the axe. For at least 15 years now, I have trawled my socials and others to find exemplars.
One of them is Gretchen Menn. I first heard of her when she was part of a project album by the Bulgarian player, Alexandra Zerner.
I bought her album and tracks from this are woven into my large “Daily Grind” playlist.
Then I discovered that a) she plays in a Led Zeppelin cover band (Zepparella), and b) she and the band are in the north SF Bay Area. I made it a point to look for shows to go see of them, and finally, on January 18, 2025, they came to the Guild Theater in Menlo Park1.
A co-worker who lives nearby the venue alerted me to this, and we snatched up tickets.
Last night, we were treated to a blistering performance.
Opening Act: The Gretchen Menn Trio
I will describe the venue later in this post, but once we got there, I noticed that there was a second drum-kit setup on the stage. To me, this meant an opening act. I had no clue who it was (the tickets just listed the band Zepparella).
When at about five minutes after eight PM the band walked on the stage, I got excited. It was the Gretchen Menn Trio, to play a short-ish set of instrumental music.
To be blunt, the set was fantastic. Very technical playing, demonstrating the facile dexterity, it was complex jazzy chords with a lot of connecting tissue.
Just delightful. About 30 minutes in, she announced that a fourth player would take the stage, her husband - Daniele Gottardo - who is a fabulous player - for a pair of songs, one of which was a tribute to Jeff Beck.
All told, the GM Trio spent about 50 minutes on stage, before vacating to allow the switchover to Zepparella
The main act
As the Gretchen Menn trio exited, Gretchen stepped up to the microphone and mentioned that she would be doing a quick switcheroo to the white garb. The Engel amp came down, and her cord was plugged into her stack for the main gig, and an interesting case was brought out to place on top of the main gear.
About 15 minutes later the lights dimmed, and front and center, Zepparella took the stage.
The main act burst out as the band bounded on the stage, garbed in their traditional all white, carrying their instruments.
The game was afoot!
They had a solid set list, and while I didn't write it down, most of the classics from the Led Zeppelin catalog were in play. Immigrant Song, Bring it on Home, Dazed and Confused, So Many More Times, Good Times / Bad Times, Moby Dick, and the closed out the main set with Whole Lotta Love, about 12 minutes by my watch that veered into other classic riffs (Black Dog was in the mix), and an encore of Kashmir.
Each of the members took a spotlight piece (Clementine did a great job in her John Bonham imitation!) that didn’t feel forced or gratuitous, unlike 1980’s vintage hair metal bands that felt a 20 minute drum solo was de riguer.
The playing was tight, the music rocked, and these ladies really put on a clinic. Some snaps from the show:






Zepparella played from 9:15 until about 11:15, and they truly brought down the house. Speaking of the house, how was the venue?
The Guild Theater
The venue is a smallish, two tiered theater, with a large floor area (the GA) that is split into two shallow levels. We stood on the second of these where a railing to lean on was a life-saver.
Our vantage point was about 20 feet (4.5 meters) from the front of the stage. Great unobstructed view, prime location for the best sound.
And the sound was amazing. The acoustics of the venue are really dialed in for live shows.
The concert was sold out, and there were probably 500 concert goers. Each tier had a full bar, and while I didn’t have any alcohol, my colleague had a couple of Bud Light tallboys. $8 each ($10 with a tip). That seems rather reasonable!
It was clean, well organized, and a pleasure to attend.
Located on the El Camino Real, it is smack dab in the heart of downtown Menlo Park. Tons of parking, great restaurants and bars nearby if that’s your jam (we ate an early dinner of Mexican food at a small cafe that was quite good!).
Wrapping up
In all, for the ticket price of $68, this was a bargain. I got to see nearly three hours of one of my favorite guitar players, Gretchen Menn, take in just amazing music, and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
The only downside is that as an old dude, I was out WAY past my bed time. I didn't roll into home until about a quarter past Midnight.
Totally worth it (until my dog got me up at 5:05 AM - sigh)
If Zepparella comes to your neck of the woods, HIGHLY recommended that you score tix and enjoy the music. Their videos on Youtube are great, but they’re even better LIVE!
Menlo Park is just south of Atherton, a rather posh community on the Peninsula
This 68 year "old dude" thanks ya' for your post's appearance here. Nice review style of a band and venue I'm unfortunately unfamiliar with, but I'll definitely play catch-up. It's a bit difficult to stay current when someone one is outside a music circle, especially when retired. Sadly there are too many, in my personal circle, who feel music died after December 31, 1979. Fortunately, there's the Internet to swim around in, looking for lost treasures.
So, I'll jump back in and troll your past postings. Thanks for helping me avoid the sharks.
OOOHHH! What a great night you had. You've turned me into a Gretchen fan. And an $8 beer is a bargain for sure! I totally get the late night thing...you're a warrior. 😂😂