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Credit: Far Out \/ United Artist Films<\/p>\n
Perhaps one of the most iconic final shows ever delivered in the history of rock music, The Band<\/a>\u2018s The Last Waltz performance was anything but a relieving end of an era for a group who had chosen to call it quits.<\/p>\n The legendary Canadian-American group had made it clear that this 1976 performance was to be their last, had billed it as such to audiences, and even gone as far as to enlist filmmaker Martin Scorsese to document the entire night<\/a> to be made into a concert film. The Band had gone all out in order to make it a special occasion, but they certainly put themselves through the wringer in order to ensure that this would be a night to remember.<\/p>\n Inviting an all-star cast of friends to accompany them throughout, and performing 38 songs in the main set alone, they hadn\u2019t opted to do things by halves, and the spectacle had been thoroughly lapped up by everyone in attendance. That sentiment also applied to those closest to the band who had watched them from the wings, and after two encores of an already gargantuan performance, the group and their entourage were exhausted from the endurance test of the show.<\/p>\n However, according to band-leader Robbie Robertson\u2019s autobiography, one person who wasn\u2019t quite done with the show was concert promoter Bill Graham, who apparently came storming into the dressing room to address the band and make one final request.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one has left,\u201d he allegedly told Robertson and the band. \u201cThe audience is out there stomping and cheering. You have to go back out there.\u201d Robertson recalled how he initially reacted with a sense of incredulity, noting that they\u2019d already been on stage for several hours by this point and had already given the audience what they wanted, responding that that was \u201cenough,\u201d although Graham was intent on twisting his arm. <\/p>\n \u201cThey know this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and they\u2019re begging for one more,\u201d Graham responded, with his voice beginning to crack and quiver as he uttered his final plea. \u201cDo it for me. If this is The Band\u2019s final concert, for god\u2019s sake, give us one more. The final concert of The Band. Man, that\u2019s heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Robertson claimed that he was touched by hearing him use the phrase \u201cfinal concert\u201d, saying that he \u201cfelt his sadness a hundred times over, but knew I wanted to ride this train into the station with purpose and pride.<\/a>\u201d After managing to collect himself, conferring with the rest of the band, and alerting Scorsese\u2019s crew that they were returning for a final encore, they took to their respective stations for a rendition of \u2018Don\u2019t Do It\u2019, a Marvin Gaye song that they\u2019d been known to cover in the past.<\/p>\n Further reading: From The Vault<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen we came out again, the roar was deafening,\u201d Robertson recalled of the moment they took to the stage for the final time. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe the crowd still had this much energy. John Simon hustled the horn players back into position, and they pulled out the only chart we hadn\u2019t used tonight. Larry Samuels alerted the mobile recording truck. \u2018They\u2019re doing another one. Hit record!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n While the show would undoubtedly have been an outrageous success without them returning for one literal \u2018last waltz\u2019, their decision to leave fans with this parting gift was not only thrilling for the people who had gathered to send them off, but also for them, providing a fitting coda for a beloved band.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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