On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, The Band played their final farewell concert, called "The Last Waltz," and the performance saw the band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including their previous employers Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan, as well as Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, and Neil Young. The monumental musical event was filmed by director Martin Scorsese and made into a documentary of the same title, released in 1978, and ultimately considered one of the greatest documentary films of all time.
On November 25, 2023, over two dozen of Minnesota’s finest artists will come together to recreate the music from this legendary film. The Band:
Major label producer, songwriter and Mango Jam/Dark Pony alumni Jon Herchert will play the part of Robbie Robertson. Legendary veteran drummer/vocalist/producer David J. Russ will play the part of Levon Helm. Tim Mahoney/Kung Fu Hippies bassist & vocalist Chad Whittaker will play the part of Rick Danko. The Honeydogs/Turn Turn Turn keyboardist extraordinaire Peter J. Sands will be playing the part of Garth Hudson. Last but not least, Mango Jam/Gold Standard/Kung Fu Hippies keyboardist Buzz Chopper will be playing the part of Richard Manuel.
Additional performances by:
Dan Israel as Bob Dylan
Julius Collins as Van Morrison
Randy Casey as Eric Clapton
Nate Dungan as Ronnie Hawkins
Tristana Ward as Joni Mitchell
Bump Blomberg as Neil Young
Jared Rush as Dr. John
Steve Vonderharr as Paul Butterfield
Jerry Williams as Muddy Waters
Jenny Russ as Emmylou Harris
Gary Sklenar as Neil Diamond
Mo Engel as Ringo Starr
and
Katie Gearty, Nicholas David & Aja Parham as The Staple Singers
plus
Minnesota’s Last Waltz Horns:
David Foley
Jim Haan
Bill Simenson
