Any Board Members at the original Last Waltz?

[BFrank]

I was - curious if anybody else at Organissimo was there, too.

[medjuck]

I was at the very first screening of the film (at Cannes) but I suspect that doesn't count. I think I haves one friend who was at the actual event.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

what was it like, live in concert?

[John L]

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

[GregK]

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

could you see the snowball hanging from Neil Young's nose?

[John L]

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

I was there, right up in front near the stage. It was a blast.

could you see the snowball hanging from Neil Young's nose?

Mercifully, I don't remember.

[BFrank]

It was very entertaining. Especially since most (if not all) of the guests were not actually scheduled if I remember correctly. There were lots of rumors, but it was great just trying to predict who the next one would be.

[John L]

Yes, the only advance announcement was that there would be guest "friends" of the Band. Who they would be was a matter of speculation. Toward the end of the concert, Bill Graham introduced "one last friend" and Dylan finally hit the stage. At that time, we were already beginning to doubt if he would show.

That was the closest I physically ever got to another one of my idols - Muddy Waters.

[GregK]

I know Robbie Robertson worked with him but I'll still never understand the presence of Neil Diamond at that concert. Just so opposite of The Band's music and image.

[BFrank]

Robbie had just produced Neil's most recent album.

[kenny weir]

That was the closest I physically ever got to another one of my idols - Muddy Waters.

I just missed the Last Waltz. Arrived in town a few weeks later on my first ocerseas experience and soon hooked up with the nice folks from Bay Area Music magaizine, who set me up with great Grateful Dead tickets and gots me into see Stoneground at Keystone Berkley and so on. I was below the then drinking age, so I had to manually deface/doctor my NZ driving licence! The BAM folks told me they coulda got me into the Band show, no probs.

But as far as Muddy Waters goes, I did much better.

His 1973 NZ/Aussie tour is still talked about as a life-changing experience by many - me included. Sammy Lawhorn, Pee Wee Madison, Mojo Buford, Pinetop Perkins and Muddy in great form, vocally and stinging guitar. I had to take time off school to get there - amazingly, my parents allowed it, seeing as I had already booked my ticket and bus fares and so on. Fait accompli and all that ...

At that point I had two blues albums - one apiece by Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker - so hadn't actually heard any Muddy Waters music!

But that didn't stop me dancing like a teenage fool and going backstage to kneel in awe at the feet of the Great Man and ask him stupid questions..

Edited August 26, 2009 by kenny weir

[king ubu]

Whoah! I am still mightily impressed by The Band, caught the bug when seing the film in a theatre a couple of months ago, went and bought the 5CD "Musical History" box, and after playnig that up and down almost exclusively for several weeks, ordered all the individual albums and the 4CD edition of "The Last Waltz". How great it must have been to be there! (On the other hand, having been at the "Rock of Ages" concert wouldn't have been much worse...)

[John L]

That was the closest I physically ever got to another one of my idols - Muddy Waters.

I just missed the Last Waltz. Arrived in town a few weeks later on my first ocerseas experience and soon hooked up with the nice folks from Bay Area Music magaizine, who set me up with great Grateful Dead tickets and gots me into see Stoneground at Keystone Berkley and so on. I was below the then drinking age, so I had to manually deface/doctor my NZ driving licence! The BAM folks told me they coulda got me into the Band show, no probs.

But as far as Muddy Waters goes, I did much better.

His 1973 NZ/Aussie tour is still talked about as a life-changing experience by many - me included. Sammy Lawhorn, Pee Wee Madison, Mojo Buford, Pinetop Perkins and Muddy in great form, vocally and stinging guitar. I had to take time off school to get there - amazingly, my parents allowed it, seeing as I had already booked my ticket and bus fares and so on. Fait accompli and all that ...

At that point I had two blues albums - one apiece by Lightnin' Hopkins and John Lee Hooker - so hadn't actually heard any Muddy Waters music!

But that didn't stop me dancing like a teenage fool and going backstage to kneel in awe at the feet of the Great Man and ask him stupid questions..

I envy you that experience. I did see Muddy Waters two times after that, once with the band with Johnny Winters. But I never got that close up to him again. As for Dead connections, I actually got my ticket to the Last Waltz from David Gans, who, as you probably know, was very close to the Dead and Bill Graham at the time.