Welcome, Guest

Yarn: Levon Helm - RIP

Bottom of Page

1 to 17 of 17

  1.  
    • CommentAuthorheadzilla
    • CommentTimeApr 19th 2012
     
    Levon Helm passed away this afternoon at age 71. Iconic member of the iconic band "The Band", later got throat cancer, couldn't sing, recovered, learned to sing again.

    Unlike many old rockers, he didn't just keep playing the same old stuff from 1972, he wrote new stuff, inovated, covered some other folks, like his lost voice, regained, he reinvented himself. just get a copy of "Dirt Farmer" from 2007.

    Levon Helm was Americana before there was Americana but labeling Levon in one genre would be a disservice.

    Like YARN, his music was/is/always will be, honest.

    If I go today and am fortunate enough to arrive at the pearly gates, I don't want no stinkin angels with harps, I want Levon, Richard Manual and Danko playing "The Weight" or "Up on Cripple Creek"

    R.I.P. Levon
  2.  
    Very pleased to have seen Levon a few times. Indeed he was an americana treasure.
  3.  
    Beautiful eulogy, headzilla, for a wonderful soul that was taken too soon.
  4.  
    Yarn sure could rip up a few band songs~
    •  
      CommentAuthorbadlab
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2012
     
    I got to see Levon and The Band in 1995 in Central Park. I can remember being pretty amazed at how much the switched instruments for different songs. This was the only time I got to see Levon in person, but am thankful I did get to see this American Treasure in person. The day after I saw this show Jerry Garcia died.
  6.  
    .....so it was August 8th then. ;)
    •  
      CommentAuthorbadlab
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2012
     
    You got it RC... It was the first Ratdog show ever, and only one during Jerry's Lifetime. A beautiful night in the park. Probably the last show I saw in the city until Yarn a few weeks ago.:)
    • CommentAuthorMEADOWMUTT
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2012
     
    RIP LEVON.I spent last night on you tube checking out Levon w/Ronnie Hawkins,Dylan,The BAND among others.What an amazing artist.The BAND has been my favorite artist since I was a kid.The only comforting thought I have is the Levon revival over the last few years.I remember seeing THE BAND at Tradewinds in Sea Bright NJ in the early 90's and there were maybe 100 people there-this for a group that was on the cover of Time magazine so it's pretty heartening to see the incredible response in the media to his passing.To me THE BAND AND LEVON are the godfathers of this huge phenomena we call Amercana and the most impressive thing is the mans class and grace and all the tributes to his modesty and kindness.
    • CommentAuthorearlbny
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2012 edited
     
    I never got a chance to see him live except for on the Last Waltz or in other TV and internet videos. I was born in the wrong generation. However he was a favorite of mine for a long time. He will be missed. He’s now playing in that band up in the sky.

    I’ve played the following Yarn show yesterday/today as a tribute to Levon. Considering Yarn does not have Piano/Organ players in there band they do a nice Yarn with the Band covers.

    http://archive.org/details/Yarn2009-12-30.aud.flac16

    Yarn
    12/30/2009
    The Double Door inn
    Charlotte, NC

    Soure - Audience

    Lineage - Olympus LS-10 > 24/44.1 wave > CD > EAC > Flac lvl 8 (TLC)

    Set I

    d1t01. Alone On The Weekend
    d1t02. new York City Found
    d1t03. Can't Slow Down
    d1t04. Bad Bad Man
    d1t05. Music's Only Outlaw
    d1t06. Strikes and Gutters
    d1t07. Nothing But Time To Give
    d1t08 No Future Together
    d1t09. Ten
    d1t10. Christopher Street


    d2t01. Crippled Creek
    d2t02. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down > I Shall Be Released
    d2t03. Ophelia
    d2t04. Shape I'm In
    d2t05. The Weight
    d2t06. Down on Your Luck
    d2t07. Empty Pockets
    d2t08. Don't Break My Heart Again
    d2t09. Cat & Mouse
    • CommentAuthorsuemck2
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2012
     
    Never got to see Levon either...

    Ahhhh sweet show Earl thanks for sharing. This was the night before my first Yarn show in Raleigh ... NYE ... they played a lot of The Band that night in Raleigh too. Fell instantly in love with Yarn that night and the affair never ended. Remember thinking who the hell is that guy on mando?!! Wish someone taped that show...
    • CommentAuthorStoney
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2012 edited
     
    When I first heard the news of Levon dying it was from a text message from my daughter... “Levon died :(“ I was in a meeting with some people at the time, and my daughter knew it, but I guess to her, it was worth interrupting. The next morning I opened my emails to find a message from an old friend I hadn’t heard from in a while, saying that his passing immediately brought her back to hours of listening to music with me so long ago. I thought about the time when my son had to fill out a form in music class with his “favorites”... for his favorite band, he wrote “The Band” He came home disgusted with his teacher who asked him “what band?” “Do you believe it?” he said, “a music teacher who doesn’t know The Band.” More recently, my son and I singing "Dirt Farmer" at the top of our lungs in the car on trips... All this made me realize exactly how much Levon had contributed to the soundtrack of my life. I was too young to know them in their early years, but I remember staying up late watching The Last Waltz every time it hit TV. I remember my excitement as a teen getting to see them (sans Robertson) when they got back together... The first time I saw them was with CSN on a beautiful warm summer night under the stars... it was really magic. I remember not only how much I loved their music, but how much you could see that they loved bringing it to us. As a teen I spent a lot of weekends up in the Catskills, every time I passed Saugerties, I considered going on a quest to find that pink house.
    Yes, the world has lost a great one. I am so happy to see the outpouring in the press, that he was recognized for his contributions to music, his courage, his strength, his character....
    You do not have to die a rich man. You just have to stay true to yourself. You can bring people great joy by sharing what brings you great joy, whether it is to a stadium full of people, or a bunch of people in your garage...
    Levon leaves a legacy that will live on. There is a special place in heaven for true musicians... because while they suffer just like we all do, they bring us so much joy and take away our suffering... they carry us away with a voice, a chord, a beat... they carry our cares away on a song.

    “It makes no difference where I turn
    I can't get over you and the flame still burns
    It makes no difference, night or day
    The shadow never seems to fade away

    And the sun don't shine anymore”

    Rest in Peace.
    • CommentAuthorsuemck2
    • CommentTimeApr 23rd 2012
     
    just beautiful Stoney ;)
  13.  
    I've enjoyed reading this thread and the tributes...

    I was fortunate to have three Yarn shows in 36 hours this past Friday and Saturday.

    Yarn did play tributes at each show to Levon:

    Purple Fiddle 4/20

    The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
    The Weight
    I Shall Be Released
    Blake lead a moment of silence

    Rocktown Music Festival with Trevor:

    I Shall Be Released

    Clementine Cafe with Trevor:

    sound check: Up on Cripple Creek
    The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
    The Weight (Blake and Trevor traded lead vocals)
    I Shall Be Released
    • CommentAuthorearlbny
    • CommentTimeApr 23rd 2012 edited
     
    Great stories. I had Levon/The Band/Yarn on all weekend.
    •  
      CommentAuthorhoppedup
    • CommentTimeMay 7th 2012
     
    Two years ago today, I saw Levon Helm for the first (and last) time:

    http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=554800

    Levon Helm Band
    May 07, 2010
    Kinght Theater
    Charlotte, NC

    Source: SP-CMC-4U (AT853u)> Church Audio BB> Tascam DR-07 (24/48)
    Transfer: DR-07> Audacity (normalize)> CDWave (tracking)> flac level 8> foobar2000(tagging)

    Dedicated to the memory of Landon Korabek (1/29/93-5/7/2010)


    01. The Shape I'm In
    02. Love Played a Game
    03. Fannie Mae
    04. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
    05. Long Black Veil
    06. Something to Remember
    07. Ophelia
    08. Midnight Highway
    09. Deep Elem Blues
    10. Attics of My Life
    11. Tennessee Jed
    12. Mardi Gras
    13. Everybody Loves a Winner
    14. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
    15. Calvary
    16. Makes No Difference
    17. Chest Fever
    18. The Weight

    Levon Helm - drums, mandolin, vocals
    Larry Campbell - guitar, vocals
    Jim Weider- guitar
    Byron Isaacs - bass
    Amy Helm - vocals
    Teresa Williams - vocals
    Brian Mitchell - keyboards
    Clark Gayton - trombone
    Jay Collins - saxophone
    Steven Bernstein - trumpet
    Erik Lawrence -saxophone
    Howard Johnson -saxophone



    This was a stealth job. It is pretty good given that limitation. These are hi-sens, un-modded mics and the vocal high notes are a bit crunchy at times. My buddy Dan gave me the ticket. When we met to ride down to Charlotte, he said he'd just found out his cousin Landon had tragically died that day. He was an emotional wreck and didn't feel like taping, so I put on my stealth rig and grabbed it for him. I shelved it for almost two years. After Levon died, Dan said he thought it was time to share it, so here it is. It sounds better than I remember, but it is not my best recording by far. Levon only sang Ophelia and about half of The Weight. His voice had been getting better by then but he must have fatigued it at Jazzfest.

    Samples: http://soundcloud.com/hoppedup/ophelia-levon-helm-band-2010

    http://soundcloud.com/hoppedup/attics-of-my-life-levon-helm
  16.  
    Beautiful recordings, hopped! Not unlike the 4-16-11 house concert mentioned earlier today :) I was sorry to read of your friend's loss - a thank you to Dan for sharing these recordings. Attics of My Life is just breath-taking. Its suits my melancholy on this NC election day.
    •  
      CommentAuthorhoppedup
    • CommentTimeMay 8th 2012
     
    I recorded it. Dan was a wreck. I'm not much of a stealth taper, but I did it for a friend. So I didn't drink and sat perfectly still for almost two hours to get the show. That's why I don't like stealthing.

1 to 17 of 17

  1.  
Back to Discussions Top of Page