“The Last Waltz” Benefit Also a Tribute to Denver’s Music Scene

The tribute to the Band’s The Last Waltz at the hi-dive on Wednesday, November 26, is a nod to the concert highlighted in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film that’s widely viewed as one of the best music documentaries ever made. But it also epitomizes the warmth and camaraderie of the Denver music community at its best — an event that went from casual idea to a joint project involving more than two dozen local performers in a matter of days.

“This wouldn’t be the first time a bunch of people jumped at the chance to do something for community and music,” says Horse Bitch‘s Dave Knodle. “But it’s definitely pretty cool.”

“As this was coming together,” adds Gillian Pasley of Caspar Milquetoast, “I was really struck by how nicely The Last Waltz sort of mirrors the music scene we’re in.”

For the uninitiated, the Band went from being backup musicians to Bob Dylan during his seismic mid-1960s era to a highly influential combo that turned tunes such as “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creek” into essential artifacts of Americana, despite most of the members hailing from Canada. But in 1976, guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson decided that the collective had run its course and conceived of a final concert featuring Dylan and other icons of the era as a fitting send-off.

The gig took place that Thanksgiving, November 25, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco and quickly established its place among the great spectacles in rock history. Granted, the aftermath of the celebration was messy, as detailed in a pair of vintage Westword interviews with Robertson and drummer/singer Levon Helm: While Robertson spoke about the bash with pride in a 1998 conversation, Helm displayed bitterness and regret over what he saw as the premature end of the outfit during a 2001 chat. But nearly a half-century later, the music offered up by The Band, Dylan and guest stars ranging from Ronnie Hawkins and Muddy Waters to Van Morrison, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and even Neil Diamond remains undeniably brilliant.

Pasley turned her love for this collection of songs and performances into an annual tradition. “It was November, and I felt the breeze in the air and remembered that every year, I like to listen to The Last Waltz soundtrack,” she says. “After driving around listening to that, I posted on my band’s Instagram fishing for someone to watch the movie this year.”

Shortly thereafter, she goes on, “Dave texted me — but we misunderstood each other. I was just trying to do a movie night, but Dave said we should do our own version of it. And within, like, 24 to 48 hours, it went from ‘Let’s watch the movie’ to ‘Let’s see if our friends want to play the album with us.’ Then everyone we knew said yes, and we thought, ‘I guess we should go ahead and find a venue.'”

Indeed, the number of participants ballooned so quickly that Pasley and Knodle had to create a spreadsheet to keep up with who was doing what. “We’re super-organized,” Pasley jokes.

They needed to be. Players from a slew of acts immediately signed on, including Tomato Soup, Fresh Fruit!, Clementine Was Right, Standing Start, Alana Mars, Horticulture, Supermoon, Plain Faraday, Dream of Time, handknit, and Bitch Bitch Bitch, another of Pasley’s groups. Moreover, the bill is still in flux and could continue growing right up until the day of the show.

Because of the last-minute rush, only about fifteen or so Last Waltz ditties made the final cut (sorry, Mr. Diamond), and some folks will be playing multiple roles. “A few different people will get to be Robbie Robertson,” Pasley points out.

But there’s at least one significant exception to this rule. “I think the thing I’m most excited about is our friend Gion Davis, a poet, is going to read as Lawrence Ferlinghetti,” a wordsmith whose “Loud Prayer” was part of The Last Waltz mix. “Back then, they did things like reading poetry in the middle of rock concerts, and Gion already does that. So it just seems perfect.”

The proceeds from the performance will go to Kaizen Food Rescue, a Denver nonprofit that has distributed more than 17.5 million pounds of food to over 400,000 households. “We decided we wanted to do this as a benefit,” Pasley says. “With the political situation around SNAP [the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which became a bargaining chip in the recent government shutdown], we went about identifying an organization to donate to. A friend recommended Kaizen, since they’re local and they promote food access and fight food insecurity” — issues that are always vital but come into even sharper focus around Thanksgiving.

Both Knodle and Pasley expect that the tribute will have some ragged moments, but they believe the spirit of the gathering will come through loud and clear.

“Compared to Dave and a lot of people who’ll be playing, I’m newer to the scene,” Pasley acknowledges. “But this has been amazing to see and it gives me hope and excitement for the years to come. It’s such a warm and generous time of community, and I’m grateful to be here and be part of it.”

The Tribute to The Band’s The Last Waltz, 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 25, the hi-dive, 7 South Broadway. Tickets are $15.