Levon Helm appreciation thread

Obviously lovers of The Band are in friendly territory here, but I'll admit that I never really got into them. More of a matter of non-exposure than a choice. I know it's a sin, but I also haven't seen The Last Waltz. I'll be remedying that ASAP. Anyway, this is probably old hat to this board, but Levon Helm's singing, drumming, and even body language just absolutely FLOORS me in this performance. I have a feeling the rest of my summer might be dedicated to getting to know his/The Band's work better.

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I agree chillman check my "Levon is the man" thread I started awhile back, you will see the love here for Levon and the Band

Ha I knew I should have done a search first.

I'm a Midnight Ramble veteran!

I worked on a Blues concert at Radio City Music Hall back in...I think 2004. Levon was one of the backing band members along with Dr. John, Ivan Neville, Keb Mo, Steve Jordan, Willie Weeks (sp?), Larry Taylor....it was just an awesome lineup.

Levon and his manager were just great guys, very laid back, easy going....still happy to be playing music. They were distributing interesting looking brownies and occasionally Levon and Hubert Sumlin would go off to "take their medicine" (they were both fighting cancer at the time).

I'm a ridiculously huge Band fan, and Levon's my favorite drummer.

I'm a Midnight Ramble veteran!

Me too. If you get the chance you should definitely go. Just got an email from his website today with his summer tour dates and new Ramble dates. He's got a ridiculously full schedule this Summer. Great to see that he's still going strong at 70.

I'd love to go to a Midnight Ramble, but I just looked and tickets are $150??? That seems exorbitant.

I'd love to go to a Midnight Ramble, but I just looked and tickets are $150??? That seems exorbitant.

Yeah , tix all over these days are getting expensive. But it's a pretty small place where he's running the whole thing and, I assume, paying a staff. The night I went it was Little Sammy Davis, David Bromberg, Levon and a surprise appearance by Bruce Hornsby( not really a fan but it was cool to see him). So I thought it was worth it.

I love the Band, and Levon is one of my favorite rock n roll singers. Also a fabulous drummer with a unique style.

I'd love to go to a Midnight Ramble, but I just looked and tickets are $150??? That seems exorbitant.

I travelled from Rhode Island to NY to see The Ramble, so hotel, tickets, gas, dinner, etc. made for a pretty hefty price tag and I'm not exactly Rockefeller. Let me say this clearly: IT WAS WORTH EVERY CENT! :wink:

I travelled from Rhode Island to NY to see The Ramble, so hotel, tickets, gas, dinner, etc. made for a pretty hefty price tag and I'm not exactly Rockefeller. Let me say this clearly: IT WAS WORTH EVERY CENT! :wink:

I don't doubt that it's worth it, and that it probably won't be going on that much longer, or even that the costs are justified. I'd have to come from a lot farther than RI though!

I was at the Ramble last saturday nite, Don Fagen, Weider, Campbell, Amy, horns, it was spectacular.....

love ol' Levon. it don't get no better than this:

sjCw3-YTffo

Posted before, but I can't watch this one too many times... :wink:


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Dawn filmed these at the last ramble at the Ryman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UhC6zK1J8s&playnext_from=TL&videos=3YmJMaJ4LuY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acqRDDbiuUQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTPgqWw4fTA&feature=related

It gives you a feel of his shows.

Love Levon . . . and the Band . . . but can't help but feel sad every time I think about Richard Manuel. A troubled, tortured artist, with a feel and tone all his own. Too sad, too sad . . . .

My favorite lines from one of Levon's latest tunes-

"I got me a woman, and a pretty good woman at that,

We live with a monkey and a chinese acrobat"

Here's a Levon tribute song from Robert Earl Keen...sorry about the puppet, I couldn't find the original.


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I'd have to come from a lot farther than RI though!

True that!

Upstate NY is loverly this time of year though and as the old beer commercial used to say; "You only go around once in life".

(no pressure lol) :wink:

http://theband.hiof.no/band_pictures/lh_mr_05-2.jpg

I really like his two recent recordings, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt. Each has a really nice set of tunes and playing.

D.H.

Great singer. Great drummer.

/ Tony

marc cohn has a nice song that must be a tribute to levon, called "listening to levon." its on his JOIN THE PARADE album.


rand z

I said it in another thread, but I don't have any problem repeating it. I saw Levon Helm with Hubert Sumlin and David Johannson doing mostly Howlin' Wolf's catalog at a 100+ year old theater in Manchester, Ct. They were all the most professional, approachable people. AMAZING performance.
Years before that, I saw Levon, Garth and Rick at another small venue. Loved every minute of that show too. Read and re-read Levon's book several times. Yeah, Lots of Levon appreciation here.

love ol' Levon. it don't get no better than this:

sjCw3-YTffo

No kidding, this brings me tears (of joy.)
The harmonies with the Band and Pops and the Staples.
This made my day, Hekawi.

Rick Danko playing a low G over the C chord in the chorus of "Dixie" in that first video I posted really does it for me. I don't know what it is, but that particular inversion of a chord adds a...soft strength? to the song. I'm glad it's not used much, but "Dixie" is an amazing example of the power that inversion can have.

A while ago I was watching "Stephen Fry In America". In one episode he went to a bluegrass festival. As he was entering the venue there was a shot of a number of people sitting on a bench jamming, the mandolin player was Levon, no comment made about it, just a face in the crowd.

Levon rules.

Levon, without a doubt is an American Institution. I've heard it said he's the only drummer that can make you cry. No huge kit, not a f-up, sings, and a rythem that is just plain sick. It's amazing he can still sing after all he's been through, but does and does it well.

2 years ago I had tix to see him in Lowell MA and for some reason the show was rescheduled. I had the origional date in my head but totally zoned on the new date. Driving to work one morning, a DJ said what a great show Levon Helm put on the night before. I was still sitting (litterally) on my tickets. I still kick myself for missing that.

2 years ago I had tix to see him in Lowell MA and for some reason the show was rescheduled. I had the origional date in my head but totally zoned on the new date. Driving to work one morning, a DJ said what a great show Levon Helm put on the night before. I was still sitting (litterally) on my tickets. I still kick myself for missing that.

Talk about kicking yourself . . . I could have gone to The Last Waltz show . . . . I am still kicking myself over that mistake (didnt have a date lined up, and didnt want to shell out $50 for 2 tickets in the hope I could find someone, and didnt feel like going alone).

$25 per ticket, included Thanksgiving Dinner IIRC . . . . Yeah, it was a lot more money then than it is now, but still a very small price to pay for such a show (we knew there were rumored guests, but nothing was certain). Still, I was an idiot and continue to regret that piece of idiocy.

levon is one of the few peeps left that have played through literally every faze of rock and roll. from the fifties, elvis and rockabilly, to the beginning of the rock era in the early to mid sixties, to country rock, blues rock, hard rock... and so on.

and he's still here doing it!

(he even spent time at berklee in boston to hone his chops on the drums, as he felt he needed some extra knowledge to boost his playing.)


rand z

Levon Helm and The Band are national treasures. I watched The Last Waltz again just last month, never get enough of that DVD. Much love here.

levon is one of the few peeps left that have played through literally every faze of rock and roll.

I'll tell ya, the Hawks in the mid-60's were the best damn bar band ever, and it really didn't get documented all that well...

This recording just smokes:

Hawks/The Onyx Club, OK City, February of 1966

Working on a Chain Gang
jam [followed by intermission announcement]
High Heel Sneakers
I'm No Good
organ jam
Something Got a Hold on Me/This Must Be
Love
Please Don't Go
Please Don't Go
Don't Cry Baby
Rock & Roll
Eliza Jane
What You Thinking 'bout?
Bring it on Home to Me
Georgia on My Mind
Rockin Pneumonia
I Want Money
Theme From a Summer Place
instrumental
I Love You So
instrumentalontinues
Turn On Your Light
unknown song
The Feeling is Gone
unknown song
band credits and goodnight

cBuJB218UvU&playnext_from=TL&videos=cRP0C-sW7Fo

Levon is the best! A lot of people tend to forget that he (like everyone else in The Band) could play a bunch of different instruments. He obviously played Mandolin on a lot of the Band stuff, but he played guitar on a few, too. Notably Jemima Surrender and Strawberry Wine. Great musicians all around in that band.

Here's a great live shot of him playing - what else - a Telecaster!
http://theband.hiof.no/band_pictures/hideki/telecaster_levon.html