When word seeped out last week that Jimmy Page would be coming to town to promote the International Show of Peace concert, brainchild of international music promoter cum man of peace and love Rick Garson, a healthy dollop of skepticism about the show’s concept accompanied the original reactions from various points around town (see here and here for the musings of our fellow English-language publications, here for some professional skepticism, and here for our own, somewhat less scathing, observations).

And really, why not? After seeing the ambitions of international act after international act founder on the rocks that are the reality of bringing off bigtime concerts in China, news of an event that styled itself the successor of such massive undertakings as Live Aid and Live 8 was bound to be taken by local commentariat with a grain of salt the size of Barry Bonds’s head.

In an interview with CW earlier this year, Garson promised that, come his January 13th press conference, the curtain would be drawn aside and all would be revealed. We just got back from that conference, and we feel 100% certain saying that, come April 17th, something musical will be happening in the square out in front of the Bird’s Nest.

What exactly that something will be is a question upon which we’re going to have to reserve judgment. Although Garson’s stated ambition is a culture-crossing, continent-spanning international musical extravaganza, at the moment the event has the shape of something very Chinese.

Garson & Co.’s partnership with the powerful Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries appears to have opened the door to cooperation with CCTV—who’re set to broadcast the event live—and with the management of the Bird’s Nest, whose general manager put in an appearance at the presser to talk up his excitement for the ISoP, calling it “the biggest event” that the Nest has hosted to date (we know some folks who would beg to differ). They’re off to a good start on the musical side of things too. None of the Leehom Wangs or Jay Zhous of the world are signed on yet (mercifully), but they have managed to line up New Pants, Xie Tianxiao of Cold-Blooded Animal, and Xiao Ke, composer of the “Beijing Welcomes You” ditty that was boring its way into everyone’s eardrums two Augusts ago. The first two, notably, aren’t your typical CCTV sugar-sweet Mandopop material.

The big question, the answer to which will determine whether this is a mind-blowing global musical megaconcert or just another CCTV music gala, is how much foreign firepower Garson can bring on board. Guitar god Jimmy Page and up-and-coming Aussie guitar goddess Omiranti were in attendance at the presser to pledge their support, as did Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who said, via video, quote: “I’ll do anything, play guitar, host, work the cameras”. Other names confirmed at the conference included Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, and Lady Gaga, although the offhand way the host (not Garson himself, notably?) dropped the information and the lack of any video confirmation from the aforementioned names set the suspicion fairies dancing in our heads. A few other artists, most notably Common and Andrea Bocelli, also dropped in via prerecorded video, offering their own words of support, but weren’t confirmed as day-of performances. Also confirmed, in keeping with Garson’s desire to make the ISoP the kind of event everyone, everywhere can find a favorite artist or two, were Spanish pop sensation David Bisbal and the Cuban band Moncada. Once again, sounds like a good start, but still quite a ways to go if ISoP is really, truly going to be an event that draws eyeballs from every corner of the globe.

Where’s all this going to end up? Your guess is as good as ours. At the very least, Garson now officially has our attention. He’s promised more announcements to come. Watch this space closely for the latest developments.