4 years ago
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Posted On: November 24th 2022, 01:49 pm
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In late 1965, Levon Helm and the members of what would become The Band were on tour with Bob Dylan, playing all over the country and filling venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. It was a dream gig for a young musician, standing on the bleeding edge of the singer-songwriter movement and playing behind one of its chief architects.
But Levon wasn't happy. After years of playing dives and juke joints, he was accustomed to seeing his audience enjoy themselves, a true believer in the rejuvenating spirit of music. This gig was an abrupt shift. Folk music fans were attending Dylan's concerts just to make a spectacle and cause chaos, disrespecting his new electric sound and the band that was creating it. For a drummer struggling to find his own place in the music, it was all too much to take.
So one night, after a show, Levon bade farewell to his bandmate Robbie Robertson and hitched a ride back home to Arkansas. For the next two years, he drifted, finding work in the Gulf on an oil rig, playing dances and jamming with friends, until one day he got a fateful call from Rick Danko. The Band had a record deal and a big advance, Rick said, and wouldn't it be great if Levon came up to Woodstock to rehearse and record with his brothers in their new pad, a little house out in the country known as Big Pink.
The rest is history. Levon's work is some of my favorite music of all time, from his early records with the Band, through the Last Waltz, up to his passing in the early 2010s. But in 1965, he turned his back on that future because he felt he didn't belong. There may be times when you have to trust your gut and walk away from a situation that doesn't serve you anymore. In Levon's story I see the faith that everything will work out alright.
Here's 'Play All Night'
Recorded 9/22/22 at Dogtown Studio in Grand Rapids, featuring Mark Lavengood on guitar, Justin Avdek on bass and Dutcher Snedeker on keys.
#drummersinger #singersongwriter #americanamusic #levonhelm #theband #thiswheelsonfire #bobdylan #thelastwaltz #playallnight
But Levon wasn't happy. After years of playing dives and juke joints, he was accustomed to seeing his audience enjoy themselves, a true believer in the rejuvenating spirit of music. This gig was an abrupt shift. Folk music fans were attending Dylan's concerts just to make a spectacle and cause chaos, disrespecting his new electric sound and the band that was creating it. For a drummer struggling to find his own place in the music, it was all too much to take.
So one night, after a show, Levon bade farewell to his bandmate Robbie Robertson and hitched a ride back home to Arkansas. For the next two years, he drifted, finding work in the Gulf on an oil rig, playing dances and jamming with friends, until one day he got a fateful call from Rick Danko. The Band had a record deal and a big advance, Rick said, and wouldn't it be great if Levon came up to Woodstock to rehearse and record with his brothers in their new pad, a little house out in the country known as Big Pink.
The rest is history. Levon's work is some of my favorite music of all time, from his early records with the Band, through the Last Waltz, up to his passing in the early 2010s. But in 1965, he turned his back on that future because he felt he didn't belong. There may be times when you have to trust your gut and walk away from a situation that doesn't serve you anymore. In Levon's story I see the faith that everything will work out alright.
Here's 'Play All Night'
Recorded 9/22/22 at Dogtown Studio in Grand Rapids, featuring Mark Lavengood on guitar, Justin Avdek on bass and Dutcher Snedeker on keys.
#drummersinger #singersongwriter #americanamusic #levonhelm #theband #thiswheelsonfire #bobdylan #thelastwaltz #playallnight
Comments (38)
4 years agojakebartlettdrums
Man this is great you have an awesome voice, sounds so classic. 👏 Also what snare drum is that and what on earth did you do to make it sound so damn good?
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