The legendary final concert of The Band took place on Thanksgiving night, 1976, at San Francisco's Winterland, and was filmed by Martin Scorsese, becoming one of rock's classic concert films. I watched the DVD again the other night. Famous guests (Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton etc) aside, seeing The Band perform on their own was a powerful reminder of the deep roots that the group's music, and Robbie Robertson's songwriting, had in both traditional American music and Tin Pan Alley history. The Band rank with the Grateful Dead as purveyors of quintessentially American music in that the songwriting of both Robertson and Hunter/Garcia are profoundly informed and influenced by Appalachian folk songs as well as the early-to-mid-20th century popular music coming through the radios in their parents' homes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM&list=PLbHJqozwsXXKJwgVyTidRa2yqB5CbbgVT&index=10
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