nprfreshair: The Grammys are Sunday and one of the highlights will be the tribute to The Band’s great drummer and singer, Levon Helm, who died last year. T-Bone Burnett (interview here), Mavis Staples (interview here) and Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes and others will perform the Band’s classic song, “The Weight” in Helm’s honor. I went to three concerts (he called them “Rambles”) up at Helm’s barn-turned-recording-studio-and-venue in Woodstock, New York. They were the three best concerts I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and intimate and the concerts always ended with “The Weight”. I can only hope that that’s where we all go when we die. To borrow a phrase from my predecessor, Melody Kramer: one of the best things all life. Here’s a Fresh Air interview with Helm. And a wonderful remembrance of him from Charles Pierce. -Nell Image of Helm via Stereogum
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nprfreshair:

The Grammys are Sunday and one of the highlights will be the tribute to The Band’s great drummer and singer, Levon Helm, who died last year. T-Bone Burnett (interview here), Mavis Staples (interview here) and Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes and others will perform the Band’s classic song, “The Weight” in Helm’s honor.

I went to three concerts (he called them “Rambles”) up at Helm’s barn-turned-recording-studio-and-venue in Woodstock, New York. They were the three best concerts I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and intimate and the concerts always ended with “The Weight”. I can only hope that that’s where we all go when we die. To borrow a phrase from my predecessor, Melody Kramer: one of the best things all life.

Here’s a Fresh Air interview with Helm. And a wonderful remembrance of him from Charles Pierce.

-Nell

Image of Helm via Stereogum