I haven’t listened yet but wanted to say that The Last Waltz is perfect and I love it so much
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I’m using it as an excuse to re-watch The Last Waltz (as if I needed one). It Makes No Difference is one of my all-time favourite songs.
What’s everyone’s fave non-Band performance in the show? For me, it’s Such a Night by Dr. John.
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Mavis Staples
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So glad they recorded this. Rewatching The Last Waltz the day before Thanksgiving has been a yearly tradition in our household for the last 6 or so years. Cant wait to listen to the pod tomorrow too.
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So glad that @ChickPhilA gave a shout out to the great Rockin’ Ronnie Hawkins and his performance of ‘Who do you love’.
I grew up in Canada and The Hawk was often on Canadian TV and toured the country regularly. As a kid, I thought he was Canadian because he was always around. Such a great performance.
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Clapton. I could watch him play for hours.
Honorable mention to the horns on Caravan and Van the Man’s coke dealer.
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Me when Emma Rose starts playin with the radio: 
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Levon smiling at Van during this part is maybe my favorite moment of the entire show
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Here is a Spotify link if you’re looking for one.
Shout out to our guy Phil for weaving some of the music into the pod. This one was so much fun.
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Off topic, I had no idea Robbie was the Music Supervisor for basically every Scorsese movie since King of Comedy.
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One of the few deities we recognize in my house.
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This isn’t the old Monday Night Football opening?
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Has anyone ever heard of/seen this act? Strongly considering going next weekend…
They should genuinely just have Stapleton sing are you ready for some football instead of the over serious in the air tonight cover they use now. He even has the hat to go with it.
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Warning: long post coming…
But I love The Band. Just love them.
I don’t remember the first time I heard The Band but I remember the first time I heard The Band. I was probably 13 years old and driving home from church with my dad and two college students who were billeting with us while the traveled around leading worship etc. I was sitting in my folks minivan next to the cutest college boy my 13 year old self had ever seen when the Weight came on the radio. Of course my dad goes full dorky, middle aged dad, turning up the music, air drumming on the steering wheel, pointing and singing. Mortifying. But at some point during my pure dred embarrassment, something dawned on me: “My dad is right. This is amazing.”
And it’s weird to reflect on. In my memory, my dad was so old and out of touch but he was basically the age I am now. That cute college boy. Don’t remember his name. Couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. He’s probably some dorky, middle aged dad mortifying his teenaged daughter somewhere. But I still love my dad. And I still love The Band.
The Last Waltz was my soundtrack to studying. I found a DVD of it in a bargain bin at the HMV while killing time waiting to meet friends. Zipped it into my coat pocket which I checked at the club. I don’t know how many times I watched it in full. More often in parts.
Something about the music of The Band - it’s so raw and real and collaborative. The TrapDraw crew talked about the Levon vs. Robbie of it all and how most fans of The Band lean toward Team Levon. If Robbie is right then we have to be wrong. Robbie can’t have all the credit for writing the songs because surely the songs came into existence in jam sessions where instruments were passed around and different people came up with different chord progressions and stupid interjections (“did you ever milk a cow?” “I had the chance, but I was all dressed up for Sunday”) became songs.
The Last Waltz is both beautiful and tragic. I’ll probably have too much wine and watch it again this weekend. Let it break my heart and build it back over and over again. I love it so much. Every time someone takes over a new instrument, the knowing looks, Joni behind the curtain. Obviously Robbie and Levon are amazing and, yes, rockstars. Rick and Richard break me - @KVV mentioned they both died young. He didn’t include tragically…Garth is secret MVP, bringing so much musicality to the table. Plus he gives my favourite quote and pretty much sums it all up:
“There is a view that jazz is evil because it comes from evil people, but actually the greatest priests on 52nd Street and on the streets of New York City were the musicians. They were doing the greatest healing work. They knew how to punch through music that would cure and make people feel good.”
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Longer version of Don’t Do It. Goddam this song whips so hard…
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I loved your entire post but I have to pull this part out because as a dad with 14-, 13- and 11-year-old daughters, I want to embody this energy so so badly.
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Do it ! Our kids made and make so much fun of me for my air drumming.
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I LOVE The Band & The Last Waltz is perfection, can’t wait to listen to this pod on my back from Thanksgiving. If I ever get a time machine, those shows will be a very early stop. But, I was lucky enough to see these 40th anniversary shows and they were incredible:
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