On Feb 17, 9:13=A0am, "Kyle" <huckleb...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Thanks for the review. =A0It sounded like a great show. =A0I wish I
would'=
ve
> went. =A0I'm not far from Philly.
>
> "Peter Stone Brown" <ps...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
messagenews:uBJtj.3772$FK=
2.728@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > Last night Levon Helm finally brought his Ramble to Philly, playing
the
> > Electric Factory. =A0It 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
bei=
ng
> > what turned out to be the (reformed) Band's final appearance in
> > Philadelphia about 12 or 13 years ago. =A0That show was so lackluster
wi=
th
> > 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. =A0His first group,
L=
evon
> > Helm & the RCO All-Stars debuted here at the Tower Theater. =A0This
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. &
th=
e
> > MGS. =A0However only bassist Duck Dunn showed up. =A0Booker T. and
legen=
dary
> > guitarist Steve Cropper were nowhere to be found. =A0The 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. =A0The 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.
=A0=
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
o=
f
> > Helm's Rambles and usually feature his daughter Amy. =A0However Amy
gave=
> > birth last weekend, so for obvious reasons wasn't at the show. =A0I'd
ne=
ver
> > seen Ollabelle before, and they were quite good, playing roots based
roc=
k
> > and roll with a wide range of influences from country to gospel.
=A0Howe=
ver
> > 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. =A0They sound problems made them sound less cohesive than they
> > actually were. =A0The standout was a song about brotherhood by bassist
B=
yron
> > 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,
th=
e
> > head and founder of Electric Factory Concerts. =A0In 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. =A0With 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. =A0The drums were mixed
lo=
ud,
> > 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. =A0He's a blues singer and
harp
> > player and a regular part of the Rambles. =A0He's a better harp player
t=
han
> > he is a singer. =A0He 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,
Tere=
sa
> > Williams, as well as the two women singers from Olabelle, with
Ollabelle=
s'
> > 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
Mik=
e
> > Merritt on bass and Brian Mitchell on keyboards. =A0The 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. =A0Teresa 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."
=A0I=
n
> > 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. =A0It was simply
fantast=
ic
> > and at the end, he said, "Thanks Woody."
>
> > Somewhere in the middle of the show Levon finally left the drums and
too=
k
> > a stool in the middle of the stage to do a song from his new Grammy
> > winning album, "Dirt Farmer," "Got Me A Woman." =A0He 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. =A0It
easil=
y
> > surpassed the version on the RCO All-Stars album.
>
> > Alternating songs with other singers gave Helm a chance to rest his
voic=
e
> > 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
He=
lm
> > 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. =A0It was stunning. =A0Campell 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
fro=
m
> > 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. =A0Vivino led off doing a soulful
"Te=
ars
> > 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. =A0It was obvious he was a large part of
> > keeping the band together and keeping the show moving. =A0For 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
th=
e
> > music and the songs first. =A0It's never about one-upman****p, it's
never=
> > about showboating. =A0The times when they alternated leads, it was
alway=
s to
> > propel each other to greater heights.
>
> > Vivino is particularly impressive as a performer. =A0It 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. =A0You could see
him=
> > smiling and getting off on every solo, every vocal and he was generous
i=
n
> > making sure every member of the band, every guest performer got their
tu=
rn
> > 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. =A0All the bases were covered from traditional
cou=
ntry
> > to folk, honky-tonk, Woody Guthrie, blues, R&B, New Orleans, jazz,
Dylan=
,
> > Springsteen and of course rock and roll. =A0It is probably everything
he=
's
> > been trying to do all along throughout his career and he's finally
> > achieved it. =A0This was the first show of this tour and it will
probabl=
y
> > 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
Peter
Thanks for your great, detailed review of the show. You write so well
and knowledgably about all aspects of it - thanks for sharing the joy
of the night... I think it will be a forlorn wish that Levon and all
would come to Australia, but I'll always keep hoping..... Just have
to keep wearing my CDs and DVDs out!
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