Thanks for the review. It sounded like a great show. I wish I would've
went. I'm not far from Philly.
"Peter Stone Brown" <psb51@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:uBJtj.3772$FK2.728@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Last night Levon Helm finally brought his Ramble to Philly, playing the
> Electric Factory. It was Helm's second Philly appearance in the 21st
> Century, the first being a show by his blues group The Barn Burners at a
> River Jam, where following his surgery for throat Cancer, Helm did not
> sing. It was his second appearance at the Electric Factory, the last
being
> what turned out to be the (reformed) Band's final appearance in
> Philadelphia about 12 or 13 years ago. That show was so lackluster with
> blown intros and other musical disasters I decided I would not see The
> Band in that incarnation again, a major decision since The Band was, has
> been and always will be my favorite group.
>
>
>
> Helm has played Philly many times over the three decades since the
> original Band broke up and it hasn't always been illustrious, especially
> considering the heights The Band achieved onstage. His first group,
Levon
> Helm & the RCO All-Stars debuted here at the Tower Theater. This was a
> super group if ever there was one and the members included Paul
> Butterfield, Dr. John, and the three surviving members of Booker T. &
the
> MGS. However only bassist Duck Dunn showed up. Booker T. and legendary
> guitarist Steve Cropper were nowhere to be found. The show was short,
> ill-rehearsed, and it seemed more attention was paid to the flags and
> hockey banners that decorated the stage to the music. The audience,
> hardcore fans of all the musicians with several local musicians in
> attendance was more than disappointed, they felt ripped off.
>
>
>
> Other appearances whether on his own, with Rick Danko or with the
> (reformed) Band while sometimes quite good, and often, especially the
> shows with Danko, a lot of fun relied too much on cover songs or blues
> they didn't have to think about playing or put too much effort into.
All
> this was on my mind as I went to the show last night.
>
>
>
> I arrived in time to see opening act, Ollabelle who are a regular part
of
> Helm's Rambles and usually feature his daughter Amy. However Amy gave
> birth last weekend, so for obvious reasons wasn't at the show. I'd
never
> seen Ollabelle before, and they were quite good, playing roots based
rock
> and roll with a wide range of influences from country to gospel.
However
> their 45 minute set was hampered by bad sound with the acoustic guitars
> getting lost in the sound bouncing around the cavernous warehouse of a
> club. They sound problems made them sound less cohesive than they
> actually were. The standout was a song about brotherhood by bassist
Byron
> Issacs.
>
>
>
> There was about a 20 minute break before the Levon Helm Band took the
> stage. Amazingly enough they were introduced lovingly by Larry Magid,
the
> head and founder of Electric Factory Concerts. In nearly 40 years of
> going to Electric Factory shows, I've never seen Magid introduce anyone,
> and his into signaled this was potentially going to be a special show.
>
>
>
> Levon and his large group featuring a four-piece horn section took the
> stage and launched into Chuck Berry's "Going Back To Memphis," which the
> Band covered a few times on their final tours. With his drums on the
> right side of the stage so you could see him play (where they were with
> The Band) it was obvious from the first beat what an incredible drummer
he
> is and he was driving the song like a madman. The drums were mixed
loud,
> louder than any other instrument threatening to overpower his voice.
> Dylan's "It Takes A Lot To Laugh (It Takes A Train To Cry)" followed and
> then they jumped right into "Ophelia."
>
>
>
> Then Little Sammy Davis was introduced. He's a blues singer and harp
> player and a regular part of the Rambles. He's a better harp player
than
> he is a singer. He did three blues staples which was enough.
>
>
>
> It quickly became apparent that the show was really a revue with various
> singers taking the stage including guitarist Larry Campbell's wife,
Teresa
> Williams, as well as the two women singers from Olabelle, with
Ollabelles'
> drummer Tony Leone filling in on drums when Levon left the kit to play
> mandolin.
>
>
>
> The band fronted by guitarists Larry Campbell and Jimmy Vivino, with
Mike
> Merritt on bass and Brian Mitchell on keyboards. The horn section
> included the great Howard Johnson playing several instruments including
> tuba. Johnson was part of every horn section the Band used from Rock of
> Ages through the Last Waltz.
>
>
>
> There were many highlights and many tributes. Teresa Williams was
> excellent on "Long Black Veil," and a beautiful country song with Larry
> singing great harmony possibly titled "If You Would Love Me Again." In
> another time or place, they could easily be an act on their own.
>
>
>
> Jimmy Vivino did a great version of Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No
Home"
> with some additional verses, but using the arrangement Bob Dylan and the
> Band did at the Woody Guthrie Memorial Concert. It was simply fantastic
> and at the end, he said, "Thanks Woody."
>
>
>
> Somewhere in the middle of the show Levon finally left the drums and
took
> a stool in the middle of the stage to do a song from his new Grammy
> winning album, "Dirt Farmer," "Got Me A Woman." He followed that with
> "Ashes of Love" and possibly because it was Philly, Bruce Springsteen's
> "Atlantic City."
>
>
>
> He returned to the kit for more blues and R&B with a superb version of
> "Rain Down Tears" with Teresa Williams singing great backup. It easily
> surpassed the version on the RCO All-Stars album.
>
>
>
> Alternating songs with other singers gave Helm a chance to rest his
voice
> and his vocals did get stronger, sometimes amazingly, as the night went
> on.
>
>
>
> Larry Campbell did a terrific "Goin' Go Get My Baby Out of Jail," and
Helm
> returned to center stage one more time to do one of the highlights of
> "Dirt Farmer," "Anna Lee," backed only by Campbell on fiddle and Teresa
> Williams on harmony. It was stunning. Campell stayed on fiddle for
"Rag
> Mama Rag" with Helm on mandolin and Brian Mitchell coming damn close to
> Garth Hudson on piano.
>
>
>
> Little Sammy returned for "Baby, Scratch My Back," and then Mitchell
did,
> "I Thought I'd Heard Buddy Bolden Say," which featured lengthy solos
from
> each member of the horn section.
>
>
>
> The show after a fine "I Don't Wanna Hang Up My Rock 'n' Roll Shoes"
> concluded with several Band songs. Vivino led off doing a soulful
"Tears
> of Rage," Mitchell did, "The Shape I'm In," and then Larry Campbell did
> "Chest Fever" starting off solo on guitar playing his own version of the
> Garth Hudson intro, it was beyond incredible.
>
>
>
> Never leaving the stage they encored with "The Weight" with everyone
> singing, often tossing lines between the singers in a verse.
>
>
>
> Throughout the night it was impossible to keep my eyes of Helm's drums
> which were directly in front of me and notice how he'd handle different
> songs. What was truly interesting was he played the most complicated
> patterns on the songs he sang on and while he was singing and would lay
> back a bit when others were singing so as not to take away from their
> performance.
>
>
>
> Much of the credit for this band's sound has to go to Larry Campbell.
> Always the consummate team player, he knows exactly what to do, but just
> as im****tant what not to do. It was obvious he was a large part of
> keeping the band together and keeping the show moving. For those who
> thought Campbell and Charlie ***ton were a great combination when they
> were in Dylan's band together, Campbell and Jimmy Vivino are perhaps an
> even better combination. Both are in total command of their instruments,
> obviously capable of playing just about anything, but they always put
the
> music and the songs first. It's never about one-upman****p, it's never
> about showboating. The times when they alternated leads, it was always
to
> propel each other to greater heights.
>
>
>
> Vivino is particularly impressive as a performer. It is obvious that he
> just loves the music, and his having a great time playing it and that
> great time is conveyed at every turn.
>
>
>
> Of course Levon Helm displayed the same enthusiasm. You could see him
> smiling and getting off on every solo, every vocal and he was generous
in
> making sure every member of the band, every guest performer got their
turn
> in the spotlight.
>
>
>
> While I would have liked to have seen more songs from "Dirt Farmer,"
> (which may or may not happen when Amy Helm returns), which I thought was
> THE album of last year, what the show was, was a grand celebration of
> American roots music. All the bases were covered from traditional
country
> to folk, honky-tonk, Woody Guthrie, blues, R&B, New Orleans, jazz,
Dylan,
> Springsteen and of course rock and roll. It is probably everything he's
> been trying to do all along throughout his career and he's finally
> achieved it. This was the first show of this tour and it will probably
> get even better and tighter as it continues.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Don't go mistaking Paradise
> For that home across the road.
> --Bob Dylan
> http://www.peterstonebrown.com
>
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