"LAST WALTZ" FIRST-RATE

          Martin Scorsese's 1978 film of The Band's final concert.
          Featuring an all-star lineup with performances by Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Ron Wood, The Band, and more, The Last Waltz is more than a concert. It's a celebration.
          At the time it was celebrating having, as guitarist Robbie Robertson states, "been together 16 years on the road." More specifically, not doing that anymore. But the statement is misleading. The title of The Band's 1968 seminal album Music From Big Pink refers to a house in New York state where they holed up writing music and developing their mystique, so it's not like they were constantly on the road.
          Still, Robertson had had his fill. Indeed, no one on the planet expected The Rolling Stones or anyone else to play for 50 or 60 years.
          It begins at the end, with Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Robertson playing the perhaps prophetically titled "Don't Do It." For those unfamiliar with The Band, in the early-'60s they played for Ronnie Hawkins as The Hawks. By the mid-'60s, Bob Dylan saw them perform and was so impressed that he started playing electric guitar and changed his sound to folk-rock. Around this time The Hawks took a name change. They tried calling themselves The Crackers. They tried calling themselves The Honkies. But the only name that stuck was The Band--as in Bob Dylan and The Band.
          Their most famous song is "The Weight," the one with the line, "Take a load off, Annie..."
          In between songs we get little stories and insights from the members recalling the early days and difficult conditions therein.
          Prior to the 1978 movie release, Martin Scorsese's most famous films were Mean Streets (1973) and Taxi Driver (1976), both starring Robert De Niro. This year marks the release of Scorsese's latest collaboration with the legendary actor in The Irishman, as well as a Bob Dylan documentary on Netflix, Rolling Thunder Revue.
          The 11/25/76 concert which took place at the Winterland in San Francisco boasts unforgettable performances in a time-capsule of musicianship. No AutoTune, no lip-syncing, no synchronized dancing, just a wide variety of real music from actual musicians.
          Ten years after the concert, keyboardist Manuel took his life. In 1992 surviving members got together again with Bob Dylan for an evening, but the 1976 event remains the last performance.
          Available wherever fine films are found.



Stewart Kirby writes for
THE INDEPENDENT
and
TWO RIVERS TRIBUNE