A whole lotta love for Led Zeppelin.

Byline: Andrea Damewood The Register-Guard

Go on, Zep fans: Ask them to play "Stairway to Heaven."

You'll be denied.

As a tribute band to 1970s rock legends Led Zeppelin, Stairway Denied gets to take the best of these guitar gods - the music - and leave everything else behind (see: the extremely tight pants, overrated eight-minute-and-three-second rock odysseys and drug overdoses).

"Although, people don't usually request (`Stairway'), because the name implies that," lead singer Noah Stroup said of the band's name, derived from a joke in the movie, "Wayne's World."

Stairway Denied strips itself of the cover band staples of ridiculous costumes and affected attitudes.

The Corvallis band formed two years ago and has been getting the Led out around the Pacific Northwest about three times a month. The group played its first Seattle gig last month.

Band members rock onstage in baggy T-shirts and jeans, letting their musical prowess speak for itself - treating those who, by accident of birth, could never see Led live and giving flashbacks to their parents.

"For me, the most rewarding part is bridging the generation gap with Led Zeppelin," Stroup said. "The kids go crazy, and unfortunately we don't play a lot of all-ages shows."

A heavy dose of the members' own musical stylings are injected into the music as well: The musicians are all in their 20s, giving some riffs a modern flavor. They cite Phish, Nirvana, ZZ Top and Bob Marley among their influences.

"We try and mimic a lot of things in spirit," lead guitarist Curtis Monette said. "But there's also a lot of us in there."

But a bit of improv may be a wise choice when emulating the four members of Led Zeppelin: singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham, all of whom boast some of the most distinctive styles in rock history.

Besides, exact imitation can be dangerous. Stroup once heard the voice of the lead singer of a Guns N' Roses tribute band give out halfway through the set, victim to his own Axl-style shrieks.

Imitation gets personal

Each member has his own way of imitating his rock alter-ego. For example, drummer Chris Harver knows his movements could never be as epileptic as Bonham's.

"I try to get his energy and tenacity on stage," he said. "I try to imagine myself as Animal from the Muppets."

Denied even added a second guitarist, Dylan Nelson, to the mix to help Monette and bassist Dustin Stallings achieve the layered sound that Zeppelin achieved in the studio.

The added shred power comes in handy on stage, as the band tries to mix the album sounds many casual fans love with the extended solos and riffs that hardcore fans expect.

"We spend a lot of time watching live footage on DVD or bootlegs," Harver said.

Monette and Stroup are known for 20-minute exploratory jams - a la Page and Plant - during songs such as "Whole Lotta Love."

And while Denied won't do "Stairway," perhaps the most-played tune on FM radio, it will draw from a playlist of about 45 songs. Selections range from the well-known "Black Dog" to the obscure honky-tonk number "Hot Dog," from 1979's "In Through the Out Door."

So, most fan requests can be honored. That's what being a tribute band is all about.

"We're just trying to play music we to love to people who love it," Harver said.

CONCERT PREVIEW Stairway Denied What: Led Zeppelin tribute band with special guests Substitute, a tribute to the Who Where: Wetlands, 922 Garfield St. When: 10 p.m. Saturday Admission: $5, 21 and older

You can call Andrea Damewood at 338-2364 or e-mail her at [e-mail].