Morrison Hotel Gallery celebrates The Band’s festive farewell

The Last Waltz opens Nov 25th

Morrison Hotel Gallery (MHG) is celebrating The Band’s festive farewell with The Last Waltz, an exhibition commemorating retrospective of that fateful Thanksgiving Day in 1976 when The Band really made a feast of farewell concert pomp. The exhibition opens November 25th at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT via the gallery’s website.

“It’s a goddamn impossible way of life,” states Robbie Robertson, leader of The Band and the film’s producer, of years spent on the road. By the time The Last Waltz was made, members of The Band had grown weary of touring and were ready to bring down the curtain with a concert befitting a group that had forever changed the musical landscape. Like the film itself, the exhibition serves as a time capsule, taking fans back to a crowning moment in music history and celebrating the talent that came together to make it so.

Through the lens of photographers Elliott Landy, Ed Perlstein, Neal Preston, Ken Regan, Norman Seeff, and Barrie Wentzell, this online exhibition revisits the holiday blowout with a hearty helping of iconic headliners like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, Neil Young and, of course, The Band.

It also takes fans on a journey through the years leading up to that fateful show, documenting the onstage and behind-the-scenes lives of the songsmiths behind such hits as “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek.” Throughout the exhibition, we find Robertson, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Levon Helm enjoying rare moments of quiet in between the next show, rehearsal, or recording session, as well as behind their instruments creating the musical alchemy that made them legends.

For fans who would like to keep the dance going a bit longer, don’t miss the Natkins Funhouse Presents: The Last Waltz At Home livestream concert. Hosted by Nicole Atkins and Ray Jacildo on November 27th at 8 pm ET, the show will feature performances by from Ancient Cities, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Binky Griptite, Buffalo Hunt, Courtney Marie Andrews, Caleb Elliott, Dancey Jenkins, Davey Horne, Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, Erin Rae, Hiss Golden Messenger, Jaime Wyatt, John Gallahger Jr., John McCauley of Deer Tick, John Paul White, Justin & the Cosmics, Kashena Sampson, Langhorne Slim, Lilly Hiatt, Lola Kirke, The Lone Bellow, Midlake, Oliver Wood, Patrick Sweany, Phil Cook, The Pollies, Raul Malo of the Mavericks, Shakey Graves, The Smoking Flowers, Suzanne Santo, The War and Treaty, VanDarien, and more coming together to share their unique renditions of songs from the legendary 1978 concert.

MHG is the world’s leading brand in fine art music photography representing over 125 of the world’s finest music photographers and their archives. Their vast catalog of photography encompasses jazz, blues, and rock imagery spanning several generations through to today’s contemporary music artists and now includes iconic photographs in the world of celebrity and sports as well. MHG has a robust online presence, featuring over 100,000 images searchable by photographer, music artist, band or concert.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com