I met Levon, quite by accident, in Vancouver - I believe it was 1983. Walked around around a corner and literally bumped into him. I'd been playing full-time, professionally for about 6 years, but I'd actually come to Vancouver in order to drive my Dad from Alberta to pick up a car. It was a bit of a quick vacation, too. I knew Levon - instantly - by his voice. I've never heard another like it. He was kind enough to stop and chat, and we spoke for a few minutes. Even though I was a stranger, he was in no hurry to rush off, and in that brief meeting I found him to be one of the most genuine and most gentlemanly people I've ever met. I followed his work, in music and in film, and read his autobiography later on. He was a superb musician, and a true gentleman, and I've always been glad to have had even a few minutes to talk with him in person. I played with many fine musicians, a few well known, and enjoyed all of it for many years. But meeting Levon was one of the things I'll always remember clearly. When I hear his voice on any recording, I find myself missing him - a lot - because the world was a better place for having had him in it. Fare thee well Levon, and Rest In Peace. And thank you.
I played sax in a rock band later, in the 90's. I got to play with a few well known people, also. But it seems like the ones who are the most talented are often the kindest and most humble. I met a few like that, with one fiddle player in particular standing out. Musicians can be some of the nicest people. And of course, RIP, Levon, and thank you.
I’m just a retired Army Infantryman and went to Sniper school when I was 21 back in the 80’s. So I remember this song well and I was shocked to see him in “Shooter” as the “gun Jesus”, lol. There’s a lot of detailed things about the skill we don’t discuss in public, it’s not some big secret, it’s that most people care less and if I did explain things in depth, they won’t remember but a part of it. So you can imagine my mouth gaping open in the theater. One thing they didn’t do correctly is that we don’t squint one eye while shooting, we keep both eyes open and just focus mentally on what our dominant eye sees. Any muscle used to align the rifle to target will relax involuntarily once the round goes off. But he did a pretty good job of being the wise gun guru, we have a few still walking the earth that we know about and I was fortunate enough to understudy with one.
When we meet celebrities and find them to be welcoming like this, I think it always makes for a good story that should be told. For me, it was two random meetings with Earvin Magic Johnson. He was genuine and kind and had all the time in the world to talk.
Also a fun fact is this show was put on for Thanksgiving day so they served a FULL Thanksgiving dinner to all guests in the hall alongside this completely iconic show
Walking thru Woodstock (the town) a few days ago with my grandson. We stop at a tee shirt shop and he buys a Levon shirt because he heard this song before. Good choice for an 11 year old!
Possibly the most moving song about the tragedy of the American Civil War, sung by a son of the South but written by a Jewish/Native American from Canada with a rare gift indeed. RIP to Robbie, Levon, Richard and Rick.
I wasn't there but Levon really gave it his all. Best live performance recording I've ever seen. Best introductory album to American music for the last half of the last century anyone could own. "The Last Waltz" instrumental was the perfect ending. Scorsese really went all out.
How remarkable that a Canadian wrote this song and a Southerner brought legitimacy and soul to it. Unbelievable talent coming together at the right place and time. Truly remarkable!
My loved one told me , and he was a Northerner , that many Confederates from the South escaped to Canada and that would explain the sympathy for the South coming from The Band. If he were correct , that would explain a lot about this song , wouldn’t it ? Being from The South myself , this song personifies every thing that the people felt when The North did their best to decimate The South , their own country. Something that we distain other countries from doing. Watch me get banned on this topic.
I have found out since that there was a lot going on between The South and the Canadians. Too complicated to explain here. It explains a lot about how a Canadian could write about The South.
@@stargazer6753 I can tell you for sure; if it takes an act of violence, or many acts of violence to end the slavery, then however many it took got the job done. Congress may as well have been debating the "Golden Rule'...you know; weighing the pros and cons. That war punished a people. I was born and raised in California. I wasn't alive in 1865. We can learn from our mistakes.
The way Levon Helm saying The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down at The Last Waltz was just the best way I've ever heard It song. He was just so f****** into it. Very remarkable.
@@theofarmmanager267 Levon didn’t want to end the band. He was odd man out. I really think a good deal of their success was because of Levon and he didn’t have a say as to the ending. He appeared to be such a sweet guy during and after “The Band.” Has Martin Scorsese done a film about Levon Helm and his life after “The Band “ ? You know the answer. But tell me if I am wrong.
And now today August 9 2023 , Robbie Robertson is meeting with Mark "Levon" Helm ... damn I never thought it would be so hard to lose these musical heros who colored our lives with these songs that can only be described as "magical".
This group of men bring me to tears every time I listen to their renditions. Fellows, I Will see y'all on the other side. R. I P. Robbie Robertson.❤❤❤❤,,MARK "LEVON"HELM
@@StatalyzerWow. Never stops once started,first Ron then Rick, Levon now Robbie. Is Garth Hudson the only one left? Thanks so for the memories. Cool to see them young and healthy here in 76
Well said, and I am in complete agreement. The only thing that comes close is Barbra Streisand singing "The Way We Were" in 1975 at the Kennedy Center. But I still gotta give the nod to Levon. I don't know that there's EVER been a more soulful performance by anyone of anything, ever.
This is Gold, I've watched the Last Waltz dozens of times and I still I tremble at the sheer passion the whole band puts into this live performance. The Band at their very best, just brilliant!
"...just 18, proud and brave, until a Yankee laid him in his grave..." And yet people today talk of another civil war. The hatred. Will we never learn? This song has always brought tears to my eyes.
You are right David. Well spoken. Will we ever learn. Do what is right. Treat others as you want to be treated. Don't lie. Don't steal. Give respect and dignity to all forms of life. Something trump supporters cannot do. If this cult continues, more brothers will be put in the grave. C'mon America. Were better than that.
@@patrickbolinger7952 "We're better than that." Sorry Patrick, I'm afraid I have lost any faith I may have once had in the United States. We do kinda suck that big old hairy-eyed penile. 🥵
@@patrickbolinger7952 actually Sir, you have it 100% backward. The democrat party and all of those associated with it (Antifa, blm, planned parenthood, LBGTQ groups, Obama/Biden/Pelosi crowd) do not respect life (the unborn) or opinions, but want to keep the peons like me down and working for them. That party has left you long ago, unless your one of those elitists. Wake up and smell the coffee. What is right is right. Fact: Trump supporters want you to have your own opinion. The left & dems get down on anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Is that what you call respect? They want socialist sheep. Sorry, I’m not sharing the fruits of my labor to a lazy assed pot smoking democrat.
@@patrickbolinger7952 You had to ruin this comment section with WOKE politics. I am no fan of Trump. And I hate that politics weaves it's slimy way into everything today.
@@stevethepict Yea Levon wanted nothing to do with Robbie and left strict instructions that he did not Robbie there or at his funeral. But Robbie waited till he was unconscious to show up, and Levon's family did not want to make a scene.
Ive been playing drums since I was 9 and I'm about to turn 46. I've never saw this before until a few nights ago. I literally cannot remember the last time I've been gripped by a performance like this. I had chills, almost tears in my eyes, and my mouth is open just laying there watching it. He was so raw and so sincere. AMAZING performance.
Gosh almighty, I’m 62 and been playing music since I was 7 years old. I’ve never met a drummer who hasn’t heard of Levon Helm. He’s beloved by every drummer I’ve played with. Every kind of drummer, rock, funk, pop, jazz all say Levon was one of the most passionate drummers in show business.
Since released, when I play this version of this song, I am so thankful that these musicians came together and recorded this song in this way. It is so powerful that I can not hold back the tears.
I've played the drums ( all be it badly ) and I can't for the life of me understand how , Levon could sing with such passion and play the drums so perfectly
If I was going to choose a greatest song ever by the Band, it would be The Weight, but this is DEFINITELY the greatest rendition of this song, by a mile.
Man I think alot of best versions of alot of great songs happened that night! Definitely one of the best concerts ever. Sometimes when people set out to make something this epic it can easily fall short of everyone's naturally high expectations. Not here though. If anything it well exceeded them. Just amazing performances by everyone!
I've listened to this song hundreds of times, but this version tops them all. So much passion and emotion. That it was the last time The Band would play this together makes it even more powerful and poignant. They completely nailed it! What an amazing amalgam of talent. We can never go back in time, but at least we have these amazing recordings and videos. Thank you, Levon, Robbie, Garth, Rick and Richard!
For me, Levon Helm is one of the all-time great musicians. Besides his phenomenal drum skills combined with his soulful Southern voice, he brought music that touched the heart directly. So pure, enlightening, fragile and powerful at the same time. Levon Helm brought real life to the stage with his music in a humble way and full of gentleness. The joy for the music and letting the other band members excel. All that was Levon at his very best. Thank you Levon of what you gave me and the world. You are a jewel that I will cherish forever.
@@JesAusCam18 No, google him, you'll find he and the rest of the Band were Canadians who backed up Bob Dylan before going out on their own. They wrote and recorded some of the tunes at "Big Pink", a house a few of the members rented in West Saugerties, NY, near Woodstock, NY, where Bob Dylan was living at the time. Thus, the album title, "Music from Big Pink."
@@roryweiler3959 He was born and raised in Arkansas. He didn't move to Canada until he joined Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks along with the other Band members when he was in his late teens.
Sinead left as well. I am 55 and my heroes die ... already scared when Neil is leaving. Just praying all of em will meet Janis ... somewhere, somehow. xo
What a great movie The Last Waltz was, most concert movies suck. I can't think of another movie that made you feel like you were an insider at that concert and you were welcomed by the band.
Greatest LIVE Performance ever scene….bar none. AMAZING!!! 10x better live then the Album. How is that possible???…..Levon’s performance heart and soul, that’s how
Probably the greatest moment in musical history. Everything was perfect. Everyone there witnessed history and probably didn't even know it at the time.
I know a lot of groups have done this song, but none, can compare to the way The Band did it. Just an incredible mix of talent and sound, that rarely is seen today.
@@annalake4376 you sound ridiculous. Plagiarized only applies if you perform or write anothers work and purport to be the author. You think anybody could get away with that on this song?
This video is so thrilling !!! The Robbie’s reference to his colleague Levon is so true and from his soul . RIP Robbie , I hope to find your brother Levon in heaven . Both of you were very talented in your lives!!!
Most importantly today's youth doesn't know recent history, namely the 20th century, and what kinds of debts were paid to get to the easy way most people live today. The fact that our biggest social problems have to deal with peoples feelings, and the way idiots look back 200 years ago and judge is another example. I hope things turn around because I cannot imagine today's 20 and 30 something running the Country.
This is quite possibly the finest example of levon helm owning it, I've ever heard...Visceral and passionate, if Levon's heart could have burst into supernova here, I beleive it would have. He's completely in the vortex and may lord I miss him
Sixty this year. I wouldn't have made it without music. My nearest, most loyal friend. In happy times and sad. In times of intense pain a phone to my ear in an A and E department. Nothing short of pure pleasure at every occasion. Thank you.☘
This and Joe Cocker (With a Little Help from My Friends at Woodstock) are the two most powerful and heartfelt vocal performances of all time. I get goosebumps every time I watch this video. The emotion and depth of Levon's performance is breathtaking. Makes me glad to be alive. To witness and enjoy such greatness
One Christmas my sister who at 40 had a stroke which knocked her out of the game for a few yrs, gave me an old VHS she had taped of The Last Waltz. Still the best Christmas present I ever received. This is the music of my childhood.
I have ancestors that fought in the American Revolution and for the South in our civil war. Thanks to this band for paying homage to my ancestor Lt. Thomas Middleton Fleming.
My dad use too drink with these guys when they were the back-up band for Ronnie Hawkins. They were known as Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks . This was in the late 1950's or the early 1960's . My dad told me that at the Stork Club in Port Stanley Ontario , Canada , you had too be 21 too drink at the bar and Robbie Robertson was only 17 or 18 at the time so he had too go out back in the alley to have a beer . That is when the old man met Robbie . My pops was only 19 years old himself . God Bless Them All !
This song has an effect on me few other songs can or do. Especially in light of my own 2x great grandfather's experiences in the waning days of The War Between The States in Tennessee. Oh, and did I mention that The Band was one of the absolute best in the history of rock music? And this is high praise indeed considering The Band comes from a time when musical giants roamed the earth.
Class of 1976 here. Oh the memories. Cruising around my high school in my 1969 Dodge Charger with an 8 track tape player under the dash listening to all the great bands of the 1970's. If I could turn back the clock even for a day.
Lemon Helm had such an amazing talent. This song is of the finest. Having to a couple of the Bands shows in the early 70,s. RIP. Levon. Seeya on the other side brother.
On the surface, its a song about the Civil War. But on a deeper level, its a song as old as sin. Loss...of life, of hope, of meaning, of a grasp, of the future...and on that level, we can all relate to it.
this was one of the songs played before The Eagles Band took the stage in Vegas at The Sphere in Vegas Sept 19 2024 , and the crowd WAS singing , amazing !
This is my favorite song from "The Band". Best version of this song. A lot of artists covered it, but none captured the raw emotion like this one does, a real masterpiece :)
This is absolutely the best version with the Staple Sisters, AND there never has been, by any band and never will be a better version !!This is absolutely the best version with the Staple Sisters, AND there never has been, by any band and never will be a better version !!
Saw the Band at a Warehouse in New Orleans in 1970. changed my Life Musically. They were Simply the Most Talented Live Act ever Assembled on Earth . Glad I Witnessed it .☮️
I'm from Helena AR. My Dad is at the funeral home now,there. Dad passed away Thursday and he has one of three CT necklaces made in 1969. Given to him by Conway Twitty.......I love The Band!!. RIP to the Three. .
I lost my best friend two years ago, I always played this for him and he loved it I just have memories with him his hat hangs on my amp I love and miss him everyday this song always brings back great memories
I’m surprised that Levon was ever able to sit down again after this performance…’cause he freakin’ sang his ass off!
😂
I met Levon, quite by accident, in Vancouver - I believe it was 1983. Walked around around a corner and literally bumped into him. I'd been playing full-time, professionally for about 6 years, but I'd actually come to Vancouver in order to drive my Dad from Alberta to pick up a car. It was a bit of a quick vacation, too. I knew Levon - instantly - by his voice. I've never heard another like it. He was kind enough to stop and chat, and we spoke for a few minutes. Even though I was a stranger, he was in no hurry to rush off, and in that brief meeting I found him to be one of the most genuine and most gentlemanly people I've ever met. I followed his work, in music and in film, and read his autobiography later on. He was a superb musician, and a true gentleman, and I've always been glad to have had even a few minutes to talk with him in person. I played with many fine musicians, a few well known, and enjoyed all of it for many years. But meeting Levon was one of the things I'll always remember clearly. When I hear his voice on any recording, I find myself missing him - a lot - because the world was a better place for having had him in it. Fare thee well Levon, and Rest In Peace. And thank you.
I played sax in a rock band later, in the 90's. I got to play with a few well known people, also. But it seems like the ones who are the most talented are often the kindest and most humble. I met a few like that, with one fiddle player in particular standing out. Musicians can be some of the nicest people. And of course, RIP, Levon, and thank you.
youtube.com/@williamwheeler5900
I’m just a retired Army Infantryman and went to Sniper school when I was 21 back in the 80’s. So I remember this song well and I was shocked to see him in “Shooter” as the “gun Jesus”, lol. There’s a lot of detailed things about the skill we don’t discuss in public, it’s not some big secret, it’s that most people care less and if I did explain things in depth, they won’t remember but a part of it. So you can imagine my mouth gaping open in the theater. One thing they didn’t do correctly is that we don’t squint one eye while shooting, we keep both eyes open and just focus mentally on what our dominant eye sees. Any muscle used to align the rifle to target will relax involuntarily once the round goes off.
But he did a pretty good job of being the wise gun guru, we have a few still walking the earth that we know about and I was fortunate enough to understudy with one.
When we meet celebrities and find them to be welcoming like this, I think it always makes for a good story that should be told. For me, it was two random meetings with Earvin Magic Johnson. He was genuine and kind and had all the time in the world to talk.
Peace
In my humble opinion, this is the greatest live performance ever. Any time, any genre, anywhere. God bless you Levon!
I'm sure you have it, but if not, buy the movie "The Last Waltz". Is one of the finest rock documentaries ever.
Jesus, brother. My honest feeling from England is that you are 100% accurate. A thing this vital can never die.
@@ChilliCheezdog Exactly. And you got to love van Morrisons performance. That messed up AND STILL delivers brilliantly!!!
I came in here to say that, and your comment was first, as it should be.
Also a fun fact is this show was put on for Thanksgiving day so they served a FULL Thanksgiving dinner to all guests in the hall alongside this completely iconic show
Wow. Just chills. Robbie Robertson is gone. To hear him say he'll see Levon on the other side...🥺☹️ RIP, Robbie...thanks for the music.
The Band, the band that I still listen fifty years after as the first day, fifty years ago.
Wow, chills!
Made this Old man cry like a child !!!!!!!!!!!!
So that leaves Garth.Remember when they were Bob Dylans' back up band. We wore out The House at Big Pink
@@brushfuller330 I did too!
75 year old man still listening and jigging to this how lucky am I
64d😢😢
I'm 80 and i'm pround listening the Band
I’m 72 and still listening to “The Band.” What a classic group of great musicians 🎉
78 yr old guy here listening & so very, very grateful for seeing these guys and others.
74 and still here with you, these men were great.
Walking thru Woodstock (the town) a few days ago with my grandson. We stop at a tee shirt shop and he buys a Levon shirt because he heard this song before. Good choice for an 11 year old!
be proud of your grandson. congrats. But could you tell him that Woodstock, the concert, did not happen in Woodstock, the city?
Good man
Get it Gpa
“You have chosen … wisely”
Dixie Speedway was/is in Woodstock!!! I drove in the Powder Puff! ❤
Possibly the most moving song about the tragedy of the American Civil War, sung by a son of the South but written by a Jewish/Native American from Canada with a rare gift indeed. RIP to Robbie, Levon, Richard and Rick.
You are correct sir, the passion in the song is well, hard to explain, make me feel like I was there
war between the states.
In total agreement
who the fck cares if he was a jew? just enjoy the great song and forget the editorial.
One of the greatest folk music songs ever
I was there...what a great time to be alive
I wasn't there but Levon really gave it his all. Best live performance recording I've ever seen. Best introductory album to American music for the last half of the last century anyone could own. "The Last Waltz" instrumental was the perfect ending. Scorsese really went all out.
Really!?!? That's so amazing. How was it in the room
I wish I was alive then.
I saw them a few months earlier at The Greek in L.A. Everything seemed possible then. Damn, getting old sucks.
r.i.p the band
Levon sings this song like he was there in person. So much passion! The best version ever!!!!
You can't fake that voice.
I was thinking that.
Ja better than the album version.I think his voice got better.
maybe he was there
- meet him at the other end -
he will never be gone
and
he did some awesome shit
drums and lead vocals
no more words
No one sings it like Levon!
How remarkable that a Canadian wrote this song and a Southerner brought legitimacy and soul to it. Unbelievable talent coming together at the right place and time. Truly remarkable!
My loved one told me , and he was a Northerner , that many Confederates from the South escaped to Canada and that would explain the sympathy for the South coming from The Band. If he were correct , that would explain a lot about this song , wouldn’t it ? Being from The South myself , this song personifies every thing that the people felt when The North did their best to decimate The South , their own country. Something that we distain other countries from doing. Watch me get banned on this topic.
I have found out since that there was a lot going on between The South and the Canadians. Too complicated to explain here. It explains a lot about how a Canadian could write about The South.
@@stargazer6753 I can tell you for sure; if it takes an act of violence, or many acts of violence to end the slavery, then however many it took got the job done. Congress may as well have been debating the "Golden Rule'...you know; weighing the pros and cons. That war punished a people. I was born and raised in California. I wasn't alive in 1865. We can learn from our mistakes.
@@codo7 Whoa there Mr. Machiavveli. Take it easy while you can.
@@stargazer6753 No you said it well. God bless the South.
RIP Robbie and Levon. Robbie song writing was unparalleled and Levon's voice fit the story so well it's magical.
The way Levon Helm saying The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down at The Last Waltz was just the best way I've ever heard It song. He was just so f****** into it. Very remarkable.
Hudson manual with an e danco Hudson Robertson made up of a really good band. The band. Nobody will ever come close
The comment that most pleases me is that Levin was a good, kind gentleman. Those behaviours are so easy to lose
I first heard these guys at deer camp about a decade ago, what a crazy night…
@@theofarmmanager267 Levon didn’t want to end the band. He was odd man out. I really think a good deal of their success was because of Levon and he didn’t have a say as to the ending. He appeared to be such a sweet guy during and after “The Band.” Has Martin Scorsese done a film about Levon Helm and his life after “The Band “ ? You know the answer. But tell me if I am wrong.
My dad used to tell us how hard it was to play drums and sing lead... Levon does it flawlessly.
My Grandmother used to tell me how bad it was during 1861-1865...and afterwards.
It's hard to play piano and sing...it was hard living for most people during that time period...
It becomes like second nature at some point in time ..like flipping a switch
😊😊@@peachesb-georgia1125
RIP Robbie! "The night they drove Old Dixie down" is one of my favorite songs! 😪
RIP Robbie
One of my favorites also
One of if not *_THE_* greatest singing drummer. His Jack Ridley was fantastic too.
And now today August 9 2023 , Robbie Robertson is meeting with Mark "Levon" Helm ... damn I never thought it would be so hard to lose these musical heros who colored our lives with these songs that can only be described as "magical".
Thanks, for your beautiful comment.
I’ve been feeling the same in Far East country.
We never appreciate who we have until they are gone.😢
I agree. Losing Robbie is like losing a friend of the family.
This group of men bring me to tears every time I listen to their renditions. Fellows, I Will see y'all on the other side. R. I P. Robbie Robertson.❤❤❤❤,,MARK "LEVON"HELM
And now it's Robbie's time to pass over and jam with his brother once again. RIP to these greats!
"they should never have taken the very best"
@@StatalyzerWow.
Never stops once started,first Ron then Rick, Levon now Robbie.
Is Garth Hudson the only one left?
Thanks so for the memories.
Cool to see them young and healthy here in 76
He was true to his word and is seeing Levon “ on the other side”.
Legends peace be with you all rip thanks for sharin the best around
Quite possibly the greatest song ever written, and possibly the greatest rendition of it
I agree, greatest rendition...
Well said, and I am in complete agreement. The only thing that comes close is Barbra Streisand singing "The Way We Were" in 1975 at the Kennedy Center. But I still gotta give the nod to Levon. I don't know that there's EVER been a more soulful performance by anyone of anything, ever.
YES!!! Really feel it when he sings it.
Amen and Amen!!
I agree...youre looking at mere mortal channeling something from the gods here.
This is Gold, I've watched the Last Waltz dozens of times and I still I tremble at the sheer passion the whole band puts into this live performance. The Band at their very best, just brilliant!
You just ain't whistling Dixie brother!
amen, watched this for years to remember "good memories"...!
"...just 18, proud and brave, until a Yankee laid him in his grave..." And yet people today talk of another civil war. The hatred. Will we never learn? This song has always brought tears to my eyes.
You are right David. Well spoken. Will we ever learn. Do what is right. Treat others as you want to be treated. Don't lie. Don't steal. Give respect and dignity to all forms of life. Something trump supporters cannot do. If this cult continues, more brothers will be put in the grave. C'mon America. Were better than that.
@@patrickbolinger7952 "We're better than that." Sorry Patrick, I'm afraid I have lost any faith I may have once had in the United States. We do kinda suck that big old hairy-eyed penile. 🥵
@@patrickbolinger7952 actually Sir, you have it 100% backward.
The democrat party and all of those associated with it (Antifa, blm, planned parenthood, LBGTQ groups, Obama/Biden/Pelosi crowd) do not respect life (the unborn) or opinions, but want to keep the peons like me down and working for them. That party has left you long ago, unless your one of those elitists. Wake up and smell the coffee. What is right is right.
Fact: Trump supporters want you to have your own opinion.
The left & dems get down on anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Is that what you call respect?
They want socialist sheep. Sorry, I’m not sharing the fruits of my labor to a lazy assed pot smoking democrat.
@@patrickbolinger7952 You had to ruin this comment section with WOKE politics. I am no fan of Trump. And I hate that politics weaves it's slimy way into everything today.
@@patrickbolinger7952 Don't lie, don't steal, give respect blabla? And you oppose MAGA? CNN-consumer?
One of the greatest classic rock performances I have ever seen or heard.
I'm 73, and every year i live longer, I am more thankful for the music of my generation. Still listening as long as the Good Lord lets me live.
And I do hope thats a long time still to come! Thanks X
Here it's December 2024, I still love this song.
Jan 2025
I've been watching this video once a week for the last year, and I have no plans on stopping anytime soon. See you back here in December 2026
I have bad news about Garth from Jan 2025 ☹️
Levon has to be one of the greatest singer/drummers ever. Exceptional talent.😊
Me too!
Oh my Jesus. These men and the music they made. Thank you. Thank you so much.
and we were there to see it. Don't forget to thank all who made it possible
Levon was so good. His talent was unmatched, his music is beautiful
As was his spirit.
And his acting skill.
His talent was unmatched? Therefore he was the greatest ever? Right. As if. Ridiculous.
His talent was only matched by his humility.
Levon was The Band
Generations will appreciate the musical genius of the best band ever, Robbie is jamming with Levon in rock heaven.
And you know they’ve got a hell of a band
...the Everly Brothers could add a few new verses to their song Rock and Roll Heaven...
Levon is stomping Robbie's stealing ass in Purgatory.
@@stevethepict Yea Levon wanted nothing to do with Robbie and left strict instructions that he did not Robbie there or at his funeral. But Robbie waited till he was unconscious to show up, and Levon's family did not want to make a scene.
Ive been playing drums since I was 9 and I'm about to turn 46. I've never saw this before until a few nights ago. I literally cannot remember the last time I've been gripped by a performance like this. I had chills, almost tears in my eyes, and my mouth is open just laying there watching it. He was so raw and so sincere. AMAZING performance.
Bullshit
37 yrs of drums u can not say this....
@fatwad39 What do you mean?
Watch 'Up On Cripple Creek' from the same concert and check what happens around 2:58
Gosh almighty, I’m 62 and been playing music since I was 7 years old. I’ve never met a drummer who hasn’t heard of Levon Helm. He’s beloved by every drummer I’ve played with. Every kind of drummer, rock, funk, pop, jazz all say Levon was one of the most passionate drummers in show business.
They should never have taken the very best...we miss you Levon.
Hello dear,how are you doing,how is the weather over there,can i be your friend if you don't mind?
Might just be the greatest musical performance I’ve ever seen. Levon was an amazing man.
We will never never see music like this again
My Sister and myself were about 18 years old! But we sang our hearts out! This song touched us and we still sing it. Love to all. ❤
In my opinion this is the best rendition of this song ever, they absolutely nailed it!
Garth Hudson RIP the band is back together once again
Since released, when I play this version of this song, I am so thankful that these musicians came together and recorded this song in this way. It is so powerful that I can not hold back the tears.
Levon had one of the most amazing voices in music history
RIP Robbie Robertson... This song represents the very best of the Band and their humanity too..
Levon and Robbie are now jamming in Heaven
Beautiful tribute, oh So good
I'm 73 and the hairs on my arms are standing up and I have goosebumps listening to this great song! Best concert ever!
I've played the drums ( all be it badly ) and I can't for the life of me understand how , Levon could sing with such passion and play the drums so perfectly
If I was going to choose a greatest song ever by the Band, it would be The Weight, but this is DEFINITELY the greatest rendition of this song, by a mile.
Man I think alot of best versions of alot of great songs happened that night! Definitely one of the best concerts ever. Sometimes when people set out to make something this epic it can easily fall short of everyone's naturally high expectations. Not here though. If anything it well exceeded them. Just amazing performances by everyone!
Me,too.
A country mile. Incredible performance.
If you have not listened to Joan Baezs' version I strongly recommend that you do before your final call.😁👍
@Laura Tanner. I couldn't have said it better myself.
I've listened to this song hundreds of times, but this version tops them all. So much passion and emotion. That it was the last time The Band would play this together makes it even more powerful and poignant. They completely nailed it! What an amazing amalgam of talent. We can never go back in time, but at least we have these amazing recordings and videos. Thank you, Levon, Robbie, Garth, Rick and Richard!
For me, Levon Helm is one of the all-time great musicians. Besides his phenomenal drum skills combined with his soulful Southern voice, he brought music that touched the heart directly. So pure, enlightening, fragile and powerful at the same time. Levon Helm brought real life to the stage with his music in a humble way and full of gentleness. The joy for the music and letting the other band members excel. All that was Levon at his very best. Thank you Levon of what you gave me and the world. You are a jewel that I will cherish forever.
Levon was a Canadian.
@@roryweiler3959no, he was a Southerner from Arkansas I believe.
@@JesAusCam18 No, google him, you'll find he and the rest of the Band were Canadians who backed up Bob Dylan before going out on their own. They wrote and recorded some of the tunes at "Big Pink", a house a few of the members rented in West Saugerties, NY, near Woodstock, NY, where Bob Dylan was living at the time. Thus, the album title, "Music from Big Pink."
yes your right, he was born in my home state of Arkansas @@JesAusCam18
@@roryweiler3959 He was born and raised in Arkansas. He didn't move to Canada until he joined Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks along with the other Band members when he was in his late teens.
Beautiful music guys! Rest in peace Garth.
75 and wishing these guys were still with us!
They played like it was the last show ever and Levon sang like they held his kids hostage. Superb!!!
Beautiful, beautiful memories of The Band. What great music makers they were. So much talent. RIP Levon Helm. God bless all. ❤️🎶
Another Hensley! Where ya at?
Hard to believe that only Robbie and Garth are left of this magical band! They left us so many beautiful songs!
Sinead left as well.
I am 55 and my heroes die ... already scared when Neil is leaving.
Just praying all of em will meet Janis ... somewhere, somehow.
xo
Why do so many of the goodun's leave us way too soon?
And now Robbie has left us, leaving Garth to be the last man standing. RIP
@@diddywahdaddy😢
Robbie is dead
What a great movie The Last Waltz was, most concert movies suck. I can't think of another movie that made you feel like you were an insider at that concert and you were welcomed by the band.
Greatest LIVE Performance ever scene….bar none. AMAZING!!! 10x better live then the Album. How is that possible???…..Levon’s performance heart and soul, that’s how
Probably the greatest moment in musical history. Everything was perfect. Everyone there witnessed history and probably didn't even know it at the time.
Well except for Robbie and Scorsese scamming the rest of the Band.
This is the real music I grew up on. Miss those golden tunes!
Leon's voice not to mention his drumming, he will surely missed but not forgotten. RIP 🙏 LEON HELM.
He was from my home state of Arkansas
Levon, not Leon. Sweet soul
I'm sorry it's Levon Helm.
My error.not good at texting..sorry.
This is absolutely the best I've ever heard this song sung.
I agree with you 100%. He has the best voice I've ever heard for a male singer in my life.
I know a lot of groups have done this song, but none, can compare to the way The Band did it. Just an incredible mix of talent and sound, that rarely is seen today.
That's because it's their song, every other version you heard was plagerized
This is The Band’s song, written by Robbie Robertson.
@@annalake4376 you sound ridiculous. Plagiarized only applies if you perform or write anothers work and purport to be the author. You think anybody could get away with that on this song?
This video is so thrilling !!!
The Robbie’s reference to his colleague Levon is so true and from his soul .
RIP Robbie , I hope to find your brother Levon in heaven .
Both of you were very talented in your lives!!!
Robbie wrote this song for Levon.Such gifted musicians and folks these guys.The house at Big Pink what a blast to be alive then
They don't make it like this anymore.todays youth will never know what they missed.very sad !!
Most importantly today's youth doesn't know recent history, namely the 20th century, and what kinds of debts were paid to get to the easy way most people live today. The fact that our biggest social problems have to deal with peoples feelings, and the way idiots look back 200 years ago and judge is another example. I hope things turn around because I cannot imagine today's 20 and 30 something running the Country.
This is quite possibly the finest example of levon helm owning it, I've ever heard...Visceral and passionate, if Levon's heart could have burst into supernova here, I beleive it would have. He's completely in the vortex and may lord I miss him
Was born and raised in the south, and this is by far the greatest song about the south ever written or sang. Lemon was the best.
Sixty this year. I wouldn't have made it without music. My nearest, most loyal friend. In happy times and sad. In times of intense pain a phone to my ear in an A and E department. Nothing short of pure pleasure at every occasion. Thank you.☘
The Good Lord gave this man a double helping of talent. I've enjoyed his music for many years.
This and Joe Cocker (With a Little Help from My Friends at Woodstock) are the two most powerful and heartfelt vocal performances of all time. I get goosebumps every time I watch this video. The emotion and depth of Levon's performance is breathtaking. Makes me glad to be alive. To witness and enjoy such greatness
One Christmas my sister who at 40 had a stroke which knocked her out of the game for a few yrs, gave me an old VHS she had taped of The Last Waltz. Still the best Christmas present I ever received. This is the music of my childhood.
I have ancestors that fought in the American Revolution and for the South in our civil war. Thanks to this band for paying homage to my ancestor Lt. Thomas Middleton Fleming.
My dad use too drink with these guys when they were the back-up band for Ronnie Hawkins. They were known as Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks . This was in the late 1950's or the early 1960's . My dad told me that at the Stork Club in Port Stanley Ontario , Canada , you had too be 21 too drink at the bar and Robbie Robertson was only 17 or 18 at the time so he had too go out back in the alley to have a beer . That is when the old man met Robbie . My pops was only 19 years old himself . God Bless Them All !
Just so dang good. No band ever has or will top this performance of this song!!!
You know you're a Bad Ass Band when the Drummer is the Lead Vocalist! RIP Levon and Robbie. You always rocked my days and nights!
Fantastic song by one of the best folk-rock bands. Thanks Robbie and the others for this wonderful music.
This song has an effect on me few other songs can or do. Especially in light of my own 2x great grandfather's experiences in the waning days of The War Between The States in Tennessee. Oh, and did I mention that The Band was one of the absolute best in the history of rock music? And this is high praise indeed considering The Band comes from a time when musical giants roamed the earth.
Quite frankly speaking...among the best songs...!!! Rest in peace ☮️...!!!
75 years old been listening to these guys soooo long thanks boys
Love it, takes me back to my teenage years, so grateful I grew up when I did in that amazing era of music!
I hear ya. I did too. The seventies-ahhhh.. the music never stopped. And the concerts! I think I might cry remembering.
So did I. I loved all the Southern Rock bands. Now we have to be so politically correct many of the songs that were so great couldn't be written
Class of 1976 here. Oh the memories. Cruising around my high school in my 1969 Dodge Charger with an 8 track tape player under the dash listening to all the great bands of the 1970's. If I could turn back the clock even for a day.
@TC-eo5eb I cruised around In my spitfire orange Roadrunner with Lynyrd Skynyrd in the 8 track
Class of 72 here..... I wouldn’t change a thing
that many instruments following the pulse of an outstanding drummer. powerful performance.
Lemon Helm had such an amazing talent. This song is of the finest. Having to a couple of the Bands shows in the early 70,s. RIP. Levon. Seeya on the other side brother.
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is THE GREATEST SONG EVER WRITTEN AND RECORDED!!!!
Nah not having that your a southerner your gonna say that or a southern sympathiser
I saw The Band, about 1994... With Levon. It was a moment. His voice reverberated. Hearing this brings back the memories of that evening.
On the surface, its a song about the Civil War. But on a deeper level, its a song as old as sin. Loss...of life, of hope, of meaning, of a grasp, of the future...and on that level, we can all relate to it.
this is how I interpret it.
Makes me emotional.
I'm Serbian and I feel every note...every word....epic..
@@mickeystanic4750 Hell yeah we're all humans : )
And me every time..I can't control it.
this was one of the songs played before The Eagles Band took the stage in Vegas at The Sphere in Vegas Sept 19 2024 , and the crowd WAS singing , amazing !
2022. I’m old now but I love this song so mucin.
Really puts his heart and soul into this awesome song! Just doesn’t get any better than this. Deo Vindice
Singing like that....AND playing the drums! Blimey! What a fantastic talent Levon and every single one of the boys were...
I listened to the band in my teenage years great memories love Robbie Robinson Rest in peace thank you for the music 🙏🎶❤
Levon had one of the best voices in music. Rest In Peace, 💔🕯
This is my favorite song from "The Band". Best version of this song. A lot of artists covered it, but none captured the raw emotion like this one does, a real masterpiece :)
this song has come to my mind much
these last few years... just had to hear it!
What An American Song! God Bless America!
That Heavenly Band just got two more Singers and Musicians. Levon and Robbie! What a song! What a Band! Shawn.
This man can sing and the emotion he has is just unique! Great song
This is absolutely the best version with the Staple Sisters, AND there never has been, by any band and never will be a better version !!This is absolutely the best version with the Staple Sisters, AND there never has been, by any band and never will be a better version !!
There was only one drummer who sang with a full heart. Rest In Peace , many fabulous hrs spent listening 😢😊😊
Ringo had his moments.
Lead vocal playing drums. Awesome rendition.
@@semirecklessYeah.. So did Phil Collins.
@@crackerjack5210 True.
Don Henley as well
Who plays the drums that good an sing like that .Heard this man sing this as a small boy. Never forgot that voice
Damn that's a beautiful song. Levon Helm (and everyone) pour their souls into it.
Saw the Band at a Warehouse in New Orleans in 1970. changed my Life Musically. They were Simply the Most Talented Live Act ever Assembled on Earth . Glad I Witnessed it .☮️
80 years old still listening with a tear in my eye god I miss the old days I do the only to go back is to listen to the songs
Fantastic memories for you I was born 20 years later still love this era x
Literally one of the greatest songs ever written❤
Yep.
This is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. In awe
" You take what you need, and you leave the rest...." God bless you Levon.
I'm from Helena AR. My Dad is at the funeral home now,there. Dad passed away Thursday and he has one of three CT necklaces made in 1969. Given to him by Conway Twitty.......I love The Band!!. RIP to the Three.
.
RIP MY BROTHER ROBBIE!! WE ALWAYS LOVED THIS Beautiful song. Zak Brown does a great job of this song as well!
Haven't heard this version of this song before. It's very nice.
Rest in Peace Robbie…
We are losing so many, and music like this comes but once in a lifetime. 😓
I lost my best friend two years ago, I always played this for him and he loved it I just have memories with him his hat hangs on my amp I love and miss him everyday this song always brings back great memories
My condolences, Trevor. May your beloved friend live long in your dreams.
I had the privilege to see this band and all the gest at the winters ballroom