Tag Archives: Buddy Miller

Alive On Video: The Last Waltz At 62nd and Amsterdam

(L-R) Larry Campbell, Anderson East, Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller and Teddy Thompson perform as part of ‘The Last Waltz’ 40th Anniversary Celebration in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center in New York City on August 6, 2016. Photo by Ebet Rogers/Elmore Magazine

This Thanksgiving, when we sit down for our turkey or tofu dinner, those of us who care about such things might take a moment to mark the 40th anniversary of The Band’s farewell concert. It was filmed by Martin Scorsese and released two years later as The Last Waltz, and remains not only a superb documentary, but also one of the seminal events in American roots music.

Earlier this year, Warren Haynes assembled a tribute show in New Orleans during JazzFest, and this past weekend it was New York’s turn, with a different cast of characters. In a collaboration with the folks at Lincoln Center and the Americana Music Association, several thousand souls squeezed into the mostly concrete Damrosch Park to enjoy a free concert with Larry Campbell and the Midnight Ramble Band, featuring special guests Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams, Dr. John, Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Howard Johnson, Teddy Thompson, and Anderson East.

I’m sure my editor would prefer that I earn my keep by turning in a proper and concise review, but I just read Scott Bernstein’s post over at JamBase and, to be honest, he pretty much captured the night. I completely agree with his observation that it was an “all-killer, no-filler version of The Last Waltz” and that “no one is better suited to play the music of The Band in 2016 than the Midnight Ramble Band.”

Having Larry Campbell as the evening’s music director, badass guitar-slinger, vocalist, fiddler, mandolinist, host, and emcee further solidified his standing in representing Levon Helm’s spirit and legacy. Vocals from his wife Teresa Williams and keyboardist Brian Mitchell cut through the summer humidity like a sharp knife. The horn section included Jay Collins, Erik Lawrence, Steven Bernstein, and Clark Gayton. Jacob Silver played bass, Shawn Pelton drove percussion, and 1980s Band member Jimmy Weider smoked and soared on guitar.

At the beginning of the show, each member of The Band was mentioned, and each received loud applause. The last name spoken was Levon Helm, and the roar of the crowd at the mention of his name was so charged it almost lifted me off my seat. I don’t mean to stir up the pot here, but if there is any question as to who the leader of The Band was, I know a few thousand people who would testify.

A large contingent of the crowd seemed to be there for Bob Weir, but Lucinda and Dr. John were greeted loudly and all three received standing ovations. Maybe I’ve been hanging out at No Depression too long, but I was really surprised at how many people sitting around me had no idea who Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, or Teddy Thompson were. Perhaps just a reminder that in this great, big world of music, we’re still just a subgenre.

On the morning after, before I even got out of bed, I checked You Tube to see if any videos had been uploaded yet, and discovered Front Row Dave. A professional music videographer in the Hudson Valley, Dave Beesmer has a channel on You Tube with lots of concert videos and he’s closing in on almost four million views. He shot the show along with Joey Calderone, and I appreciate that he’s allowed me to share them with you here.

This article was originally published as an Easy Ed’s Broadside at No Depression dot com.
The photo at the top of the article was originally published by Elmore Magazine and the photographer is Ebet Rogers.

My Pick To Click: 5 Great Three-Minute Singles

45rpmOver the last month, I’ve streamed or downloaded somewhere around 40-50 albums, and I’m sorry to say that I’ve found that the vast majority of them are the aural equivalent of suffering from a Sominex overdose. Since the birth of the iPod, most of my musical joy comes from hitting the shuffle button and letting the unexpected be just that, but these words from No Depression co-founder Grant Alden from seven years ago still echo in my mind:

Really Ed? You don’t listen to albums anymore? What kind of fun is that?

With Grant on my mind — I recently watched him get interviewed in an old BBC4 television special called Beyond Nashville —  I decided to go full-album crazy for the past two weeks, beginning to end, in several four- to five-hour blocks. I tried my best to let the artist’s vision and concept sweep me off my feet, and discovered that either my attention span has gotten shorter or the full-length album has run its course.

Has it become simply a commercial vehicle to sell concert tickets and merchandise? Looking at the sales and streaming charts these days, the latter theory seems to hold more water. People like songs.

As most kids from my generation, I got into music by listening to radio and scooping up 45 rpm vinyl singles. The picture I used here is a replica of the player that my sister and I shared, and it wasn’t until February 22, 1964, that I began to collect and listen to full-length albums. I remember that date because of these details:

Meet the Beatles.

Ninety-nine cents.

George Washington Birthday Sale.

Korvettes Department Store.

Roosevelt Boulevard.

Philadelphia.

That was the first album for me. Twenty-six years later the collection was close to 20,000 albums, when I sold most of them off in order to get a down payment for a house. Heresy, I know.

While I might be regressing back to the days of my youth and boss-jock radio, today, as I scanned my playlist of (mostly) newer albums, it came to mind that my favorite tracks are the shorter ones — three minutes or less. So, with that, here’s my Top 5 Pick-To-Click Fantastic Faves of the Week.

See you at the hop.

This was originally posted as an Easy Ed’s Broadside on the No Depression website.