A Preamble to Lu and Levon Toronto March 4 & 5

@bigsubi wrote:

Great article! Two giants come together tonight! Have fun!

And two “midgets” (stoger and lwjetta) will come together in the audience in adjacent rows. . .

So take a load off, A. . .

Midget #3 checking in.

Toronto was sunny, cool, and walkable this morning. Now, the rain is starting…

I know it’s only 10:40 PM in Toronto, and Levon is probably still playing, but I did not enjoy Mr. Helm and his umpteen piece band, so I left early, and took a nice brisk walk up Yonge Street to enjoy the Friday night scene. If Lucinda should join Levon on-stage, I’m sure stoger will report accordingly.

Lucinda gave a brilliant 75-minute opening set, with standing ovations and an encore. Lucinda and the band were a bit rusty, and had some restarts to set the proper keys. Still, the music was great, and my day was well spent, seeing Toronto by day, and Lucinda by night.

The setlist:

1. People Talkin’
2. Jackson
3. Pineola
4. Crescent City
5. I Don’t Know How You’re Living
6. Born To Be Loved
7. I Lost It
8. (stoger-help! I can’t read my notes)
9. Bleeding Fingers
10. Out Of Touch
11. Honeybee
12. Changed the Locks

(encore set)
13.Blessed
14. Joy

Indeed the towering Paul left way too early, though I’m betting the Friday Yonge Street nightlife was not to be sneered at. LWJ, may I add that Lu took the second verse on “I Shall Be Released” in addition to the opening (Nazareth) verse of “The Weight?” She harmonized throughout on both and seemed in heaven.

This was a true co-bill; when the PA announcer gave the 5-minutes-before-Helm warning by saying “the second half” of the show was about to commence, I thought this was a generous way to phrase it. Though technically Helm and band played longer than Lu, it wasn’t by all that much. I didn’t count quite 13 side[wo]men, LWJ, but “umpteen” to be sure, triple or quadruple the newly arrived Lu band contingent. Levon’s “bandleader” Larry Campbell married a west TN girl and has roots in my geographical area; he functioned as frontman in many ways, though not obtrusively. Amy Helm was along, playing what looked like an electric mandolin on “Ophelia” and providing several fine vocals. An OTHER Williams, Teresa, sang and played stage right of Campbell. Levon Himself played the sticks with one gloved hand (perhaps subconsciously emulating the protagonist of “Broken Butterflies”) and had some fine gravelly vocals, evoked the great BAnd days with “The Shape I’m In” and others. And I just happened to have Colin Linden’s liner notes in my backpack for Big Mouth, where Lu sang on one track; as LWJ mentioned, a new one is due out soon.

AS LWJ and Paul said, Lu and band got out of the gate somewhat slowly. David seemed tentative about coming in on background vocals on songs 1,2, and 4–though the sound level around his instrument seemed to be fluctuating. Before every song but “Joy,” Lu announced its title–then said nothing else about it or the background. She couldn’t introduce “Joy,” as the band started it while she was switching out guitars. But a workmanlike set, which the crowd appreciated.

Nice seeing Paul and LWJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz2xQgdrgAQ

Levon + Lu I shall be released, wow, sorry to have missed it

http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/columnists/jane_stevenson/2011/03/05/17507096.html

Entertainment Columnists / Jane Stevenson
Levon Helm, Lucinda Williams share Massey stage
By JANE STEVENSON, QMI Agency

Last Updated: March 5, 2011 3:22pm

TORONTO – The combined southern charm and talent of Arkansas drummer-singer Levon Helm, best known as the sole American in the otherwise all-Canadian roots-rock outfit The Band, and Louisiana singer-songwriter-guitarist Lucinda Williams made for a potent night of Americana music at Massey Hall on Friday night.

The occasion was the first of two back-to-back nights of Helm’s Ramble On The Road show which he brought to the same venue last July with John Hiatt as his opening act.

This time it was the 58-year-old Williams, whose presence was timely given she just released a excellent new Don Was-produced album, Blessed, earlier in the week, which was represented on Friday night as such cuts as I Don’t Know How You’re Livin’, Born To Be Loved, Buttercup, and the moving title track.

She also repeatedly said was honored and humbled to be sharing the stage with one of her major influences and mentors, first when she performed her own hour-and-ten minute set, and again when she returned at the very end of the night to join Helm and his dozen players for the double whammy of The Band’s The Weight and I Shall Be Released, the latter written by Bob Dylan.

The 70-year-old Helm, looking slighter and sounding rougher (he repeatedly blew his nose) than his last visit to T.O., was still a smiling, gracious presence as he banged away on his drum kit positioned to the side of the stage with a black glove on his left hand for the two-hour show.

His players handled most of the vocals on songs ranging from Band classics (The Shape I’m In, Ophelia) to gospel, jazz and blues covers ranging from Leadbelly’s Bourgeois Town to Dylan’s Blind Willie McTell, and Going to Acapulco to Dr. John’s On a Mardi Gras Day – the latter which saw the horn players march across the front of the stage.

“What do you say old T.O.?” asked Helm, who also played mandolin and performed some crazy dance moves including paddling through fake waves.

Like last time, his impressive group included sweet-sounding daughter Amy Helm and Teresa Williams on vocals; guitarist Jim Weider (who was part of The Band’s ‘80s reunion tour without Robbie Robertson); musical director and ex-Bob Dylan sideman Larry Campbell on guitar, mandolin and fiddle; pianist-organist Brian Mitchell; bassist Byron Isaacs, and a five-man horn section and second drummer on occasion.

Helm also welcomed other guests like fellow Arkansas artist C.W. Gatlin and Toronto blues guitairst Colin Linden.

And when Helm first attempted to sing lead on Ophelia he yelled out, “This is for you brother! I might need your help!” to someone up in the balcony, the man responded: “I’m got you buddy!”

“This is why I love being back in T.O. I’ve got so many friends here,” said Helm.

Ramble On the Road grew out of Helm’s Midnight Ramble Sessions, a series of concerts at Woodstock, N.Y., studio The Barn, that began in 2004 to celebrate his return to music following a decade-long battle with throat cancer.

And even if he wasn’t in the best voice on Friday night, there was a feeling of paying respect to the beloved Helm that permeated the stage and the hall, from his own band, his obviously delighted guests and those in the audience.

Williams, for her part, was her usual wonderful, raw and world-weary self as she and her three-piece band – with special mention to lead guitarist Val McCallum, as she took the audience through such older favourites as Jackson, Pineola, Crescent City, I Lost It, Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings, Out of Touch, Honey Bee, Changed The Locks, and Joy.