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Reveries. I wonder if we could get an Obner Ramble from Levon.
Levon's Rambles
Once or twice a month, Levon Helm, “the former drummer and vocalist with The Band, and one of rock ‘n’ roll’s great figures,” invites about 100 fans willing to pay a “$100 donation” into his home studio in Woodstock, N.Y., for “a night of music played casually by friends for friends,” reports Will Hermes in The New York Times (12/18/05). “Audience members are also encouraged to bring a dish for the community snack table … CD’s and T-shirts are also for sale. A large screen TV in the buffet area shows a video feed of the stage so noshers won’t miss anything.” Miss anything like Emmylou Harris, for example, who showed up for one of these Midnight Rambles — as Levon calls them — to sing a few of her most famous tunes.
Of course the real attraction is Levon himself, who is back in fine voice despite his battle with throat cancer — “a voice as ancient, murky and threatening as the Mississippi. The rasp of age and ailments only enhances the effect.” Levon explains: “I’m one of those guys who came to the festival and didn’t leave … There’s not as many places to play here as there used to be, though there actually seem to be more musicians who live up here now. One of our intentions with the Rambles was just to have a good place to play and experiment. And to gimme a shot to get some of my voice back.” He continues: “If there was a big demand for me out there, I would certainly enjoy touring … But there’s not a wealth of music jobs to be had lately.”
The demand for the Rambles, however, is pretty strong, thanks to the internet, where anyone can request an invitation at levonhelm.com. Guests have come from as far away as Norway, although Canadians tend to be especially attracted (The Band was formed in Canada, although Levon was the group’s only American member). Point is, “just as the internet is changing how recorded music is sold, it is changing the way live music is presented. An enthusiastic posting on a well-trafficked blog can dispatch a crowd to a gig by a little-known group in a matter of hours. In this case, a select group of fans can be summoned to a semiprivate show by world-class musicians that neighbors down the road are barely aware of.” Or, as one happy Rambler put it: “Levon — the reality is greater than the myth.” Levon’s next Midnight Ramble, set for New Year’s Eve, is sold out; but there’s another one coming up January 14th. ~ Tim Manners, editor
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