New Bedford’s Feast of the Blessed Sacrament Headliner Announced

After a three-year halt, New Bedford's 2022 Feast of the Blessed Sacrament has named Get the Led Out, a celebration of "The Mighty Zep," as the opening night main attraction on Thursday, August 4. The Led Zeppelin tribute band is revered nationally as the greatest Led Zeppelin tribute band ever by Led Zeppelin itself.

What goes into selecting the entertainment and how does all that go?

"This year, since we had plenty of time because of COVID, the Feast's Entertainment Committee conducted an interesting survey that took into account the diversity of age groups that attend the Feast," said Randy Santos, chair of the committee. "We found that Get the Led Out had the highest and most consistent appeal rating among the multiple generations, which is a rarity. Twenty-five-year-olds and 65-year-olds alike are familiar with Led Zeppelin."

That universal appeal to rock fans of all ages is what makes Led Zeppelin such an important part of the music landscape, even more than 40 years after the death of drummer John Bonham effectively ended the band as a unit.

"Led Zeppelin are sort of the great classical composers of the rock era," said Paul Sinclair, vocalist for Get the Led Out. "I believe 100 years from now, they will be looked at as the Bach or Beethoven of our time, because their music is timeless."

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Committee member Gary Santos said it will be just like as if the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers had reunited on the Feast stage.

"If you haven't seen Led Zeppelin live, I promise you, this will be the most realistic experience you can have, as the band that most closely performs the music, and that endorsement comes straight from Led Zeppelin," he said.

You can bet that they'll play one classic Led Zep track: "Moby Dick."

Perhaps the food may cost a little more than prices did before COVID, what doesn't? It's definitely worth getting out to this free concert and partying for while.

"We've all been cooped up inside for too long, so I have a strong feeling that this one – the 106th Feast of the Blessed Sacrament – is going to be the greatest Feast ever," Gary Santos said.

As a world leading cultural event honoring the customs and religiosity of the Portuguese people, the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament runs August 4-7 at the Madeira feast grounds in New Bedford.