The thing that makes me smile so hard in Last Waltz and similar performances -- besides the great music -- is the joy you see in the musicians' faces. They look at each other so intently with such a shared joy, especially when they're improvising the riffs. Reminds me of rowing crew. There's a feeling you get when you're all in synch, and then you're all high-fiving your teammates when it's done just knowing you rocked it.

Didn't Keith Richards say that?....Oh no, that was heroin.   Been on this planet 44 years now.  Never heard Rock and Roll compared to "rowing".

Now we know why Julie became a writer.

Speaking of Keith Richards, have you ever seen the Rolling Stones and Buddy Guy live at the Checkerboard in Chicago?   It's awesome.  

Story goes like this...Stones were on Tour, had a show in Chicago....being big fans of Buddy Guy, they snuck into his club called the Checkerboard without the rest of the world knowing.

The awesomeness ensues from there.  When Buddy Guy calls Keith Richards onto the stage, Keith is so eager to get there, he just climbs across the tables.

It's great to see this old blues man absolutely school the Rolling Stones in "how it's done".  It's cool and amazing to see how these Rock Gods look up to Buddy Guy.

Oh yeah, Junior Wells is sitting in too.  

Small club, maybe 100 people in it.  Gotta see it. 

FYI, The Last Waltz was remastered and released on BluRay a few years ago and it is a stunning remaster. There is a little bit of film grain but it's an amazing concert film/movie (directed by Martin Scorsese). The concert was quit an event in itself, being on Thanksgiving, they set up the entire concert hall floor with tables and served TG dinner before the show got kicked into gear.

there are some great side stories along with the show:

Eric Clapton: "Further On Up The Road". His guitar strap came undone at the end of his song opening solo, right before he was getting ready to sing the first verse. Robbie takes the impromptu lead, to buy time for Eric to get his guitar strap back on, and blazes one of the best solos of his career (Robbie is just an OK player,). Eric after the show (paraphrasing) with a smile: "Gosh Robbie, thanks for covering for me, but did you have to play your lead THAT good?"

Joni Mitchell: Joni was well into the jazz phase of her career and had been assembling some of the world's finest musicians for her bands. She was very unsure of The Band would be able to play some of the complex parts that would be required to accompany her on her songs on stage. I guess after a sound check before the show, her fears were quickly put to rest.


Van is THE man. His performance of Caravan is a great moment in the show. The Band's backing is tight and fluid, the horn section is spot on.

When I first bought the BluRay, I showed a few parts of the movie to my son while he was home from college. He loved it, and the next day I saw him in the theater watching the whole movie.

One of my favorite parts of the film is The Band's solo performance of their song "It Makes No Difference". The emotion in Rick Danko's voice and the searing Alto Sax solo by Garth Hudson is so mournful.

R.I.P. Richard, Rick and Levon

Looks like the Blu-Ray is now on my list.
Thanks

"There is a little bit of film grain but it's an amazing concert film/movie..."
If I remember correctly the film was shot with grain to add to the mood. For me it was depressing because their great music was going to end. But hey "Life is a Carnival"!