The Last Waltz Celebration – 50th Anniversary of The Last Waltz

On Thanksgiving Day 1976, The Last Waltz was held at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The Band’s farewell concert featured a who’s who of rock royalty from Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Eric Clapton to Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Ronnie Hawkins. This epic musical event was later immortalized in Martin Scorsese’s landmark film, “The Last Waltz,” widely considered one of the greatest concert films ever made. 

Gary Solomon, co-founder of The THE BAND Band, was in the audience that night. “I knew that what I was seeing was not just another rock concert. It was a once in a lifetime event,” he says. It was also a moment that years later inspired Solomon, a professional musician, to form his tribute band with a group of like-minded friends. “I was so blown away by the experience of being at The Last Waltz, I wanted to tell the whole world about it” he says. “A half century later, it’s pretty clear that I still do.”

The Last Waltz Celebration revisits the music and the magic of that Thanksgiving evening 50 years ago, beginning with The THE BAND Band performing a set of The Band’s most beloved songs. After a brief intermission, the second set opens with a multi-media tribute to The Band and The Last Waltz (where supported), followed by a revolving cast of musicians – many of whom lead their own critically acclaimed tribute bands – performing the songs of those guest stars featured in the original concert. On occasion, nationally known musicians such as Tom Chapin (with the Chapin Sisters), Rex Fowler (of Aztec Two-Step), and fiddler Larry Packer(who played with The Band at The Last Waltz in 1976) have made cameo appearances to the delight of the audiences. The show culminates with the entire cast filling the stage for the grand finale. 

The THE BAND Band is the world’s leading tribute to The Band, having performed more than 400 shows for audiences across the United States since their founding in 2007. In 2012, they created The Last Waltz Celebration, with over 50 performances to date.