Midnight Rambler

Levon Helm may have danced his “Last Waltz” with The Band on Thanksgiving Day 1976; however, this hardworking performer definitely hasn’t hit his last drum or played his last mandolin just yet. Starting last summer, Helm organizes shows in his barn in Woodstock, New York. The shows, called Midnight Rambles, usually have Helm, and the occasional superstar guest, jamming while the audience enjoys home-baked cookies and a buffet of homemade food.

The Midnight Rambles are held every other Saturday in a loft-like barn in the woods of Helm’s property. Due to the intimate nature of the shows, the community has taken to enjoying their Saturday nights along with Helm and their closest neighbors. It’s natural to see entire families and their dogs come with a bowl of chips and salsa in hand. “Levon is the link between the hippies and the firemen,” says Helm’s daughter Amy, 35.

However, to the dedicated Band fan, events such as this shouldn’t be any surprise. Whenever Levon sang behind his drum kit, along with the equally fantastic pipes on bassist Rick Danko, you were transported to a simple life where all that matters are the rolling hills, the green grass, and “Little Bessie” in your arms. The fact that Helm is throwing shows in a barn in Woodstock, New York is just the good ol' country boy being himself. The real surprise, however, is in the reasons why he throws these shows.

Most surprising is the financial reason. If someone got rich off The Band, Levon Helm wasn’t one of them. Helm usually charges 100 dollars per ticket for an intimate evening in the barn. However, the ticket price should definitely not keep the fans of good American music away. Just the sight of Helm playing his mandolin is enough to make any ticket worth the price of the history you’ll hear. And it’s not just the history of the Band; it’s the history of American rock and roll. Every time Levon plucks a string, you’re hearing November 25, 1976 all over again. Every time he releases that soothing southern croon, you’re hearing minstrel shows and the roots of rock and roll. Every time he hits his drums, you’re hearing the driving beat of late night sessions at Big Pink with Bob Dylan. What the audience gains in that barn in Woodstock, New York is worth significantly more than the 100 dollar ticket price.

The other reason why Helm throws the shows is to get his beautiful country yowl back. Nine years ago, Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer. The radiation treatments he was given resulted in him losing that signature voice. Thus, in order to get his voice back, Helm did the thing he knows best. “I wanted to get my voice back in shape and this (singing for friends and family) seemed like a good way to do it,” says Helm.

Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles are more than just shows, they’re an experience. And yes, I know that sounds cheesy but say the same thing to the community that fills the barn every other Saturday and chances are they’ll call it an experience as well. Tell that to Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint who, last winter, braved the biggest snowstorm to drive up from New York to sit in with Levon and his friends. Tell that to Dr. John, Donald Fagen, Emmylou Harris, Rickie Lee Jones, and former Band organist Garth Hudson. Tell that to the volunteer fire fighters and police officers who, through their program “Helmland Support”, allow people to enjoy the Rambles for free. The point is that the shows are rock and roll at its purest. These shows take you back to a time when the audience and the performers were one. No security guards or cocaine curtains separating the fans from their heroes. There aren’t any encores and set lists. All that matters is that the music never stops and that the audience is “rollin’ and tumblin”. Allen Toussaint, reminiscing about his time at the Ramble, said “The whole atmosphere was Levon—it was just so honest to the bone. Take your shoes off, relax, you’re with friends. You can’t have stage fright. You can’t do anything wrong.”

“These shows,” says Helm, “every one of them is a celebration. You know, you can take the things you have for granted. But when you lose something, like I lost my voice, and then you get it back… well, there’s nothing quite like it.” Just like he did with The Band in 1976, Levon Helm can’t put on “just another concert”. And when asked if he’s taking care of his finances with the money from these shows, Levon; true to form, responds, “Everyone goes home with some pocket money. Enough to buy firewood, anyhow.”

--Jeggi