The Last Waltz 40 Comes to Los Angeles
If you are over 30, it’s likely you’ve seen or at least heard of, The Last Waltz. The legendary performance by The Band with a multitude of special guests and turned into a documentary by Martin Scorsese. On April 13th, a new generation of legends in their own right took the stage at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, CA to pay homage to the original on it’s 40th Anniversary.
The new line-up included Warren Haynes, Dr. John, Jamey Johnson, Don Was, Terence Higgins, Danny Louis, an all-star horn section led by Mark Mullins featuring the original horn arrangements of Allen Toussaint, and very special guests Cyril Neville, Dave Malone, and Bob Margolin. On top of all that one of the original members of The Band, Garth Hudson!
One audience member was overheard after the show saying, “What a great sing-a-long show!” That is probably the best description for what we all witnessed. Cripple Creek, Stage Fright, Georgia on My Mind, Caravan were just the first four songs!
Highlights of the first set…so many. Dr. John on piano doing “Down South in New Orleans”, “Who Do You Love?” with Cyril Neville and of course the all hands on deck including Taj Mahal for “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” set closer.
Set 1:
- Up on Cripple Creek (The Band cover)
- Stage Fright (The Band cover)
- Georgia on My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael cover)
- Caravan (Van Morrison cover)
- It Makes No Difference (The Band cover)
- Such a Night (Dr. John cover) (with Dr. John)
- Down South in New Orleans (The Band cover) (with Dr. John)
- Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley cover) (with Cyril Neville)
- Rag Mama Rag (The Band cover)
- The Shape I’m In (The Band cover) (with Taj Mahal)
- King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (The Band cover) (with Taj Mahal)
- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band cover) (with Taj Mahal)
But wait, there’s more…
Set two was even more that what we hoped for kicking off with The Band songs Ophelia and Life is a Carnival. Later a soulful Helpless led into a rockin’ Wheel’s on Fire. Everything was better than expected until late in the second set, a white haired man sat down at the piano and began to jam. Everyone in the house and on the stage stopped to witness Garth Hudson, original member of The Band, dazzle us with the ivories leading into one of the most iconic songs by The Band, The Weight. The set ended with I Shall Be Released, the Bob Dylan cover.
Set 2:
- Ophelia (The Band cover)
- Life Is a Carnival (The Band cover) (with Taj Mahal)
- Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (Eric Von Schmidt cover) (with Taj Mahal)
- Helpless (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
- This Wheel’s on Fire (The Band cover)
- Mystery Train (Little Junior’s Blue Flames cover) (with Dave Malon)
- Mannish Boy (Muddy Waters cover)
- Kind Hearted Woman Blues (Robert Johnson cover)
- Further On up the Road (Bobby “Blue” Bland cover)
- Forever Young (Bob Dylan cover) (with Taj Mahal)
- The Weight (The Band cover) (with Garth Hudson)
- I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan cover)
Then Came the Encore…
As if it couldn’t get any better, Garth Hudson took his spot behind the organ/synth/keyboard rig and tore the house down with The Genetic Method, an improvised organ/synth solo, into Chest Fever.
Encore:
- The Genetic Method (The Band cover) (with Garth Hudson)
- Chest Fever (The Band cover) (with Garth Hudson)
