Forty years ago, The Band performed its farewell show on Thanksgiving night at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom. They invited their musical friends and heroes to join them. The Last Waltz was filmed by Martin Scorcese and has earned acclaim as one of the best music documentaries ever put to celluloid.
On Nov. 26, the Salt City Waltz, Syracuse’s tribute to that epic show, makes its return to the Palace Theater stage in after taking 2015 off. The fourth installment of the Salt City’s homage to this performance will again be hosted by Los Blancos as “The Band.”
Producer Stacey Waterman has curated all four editions of the Salt City Waltz; creating an atmosphere very much like that Thanksgiving night in 1976, right down to a chandelier, helping to give a Winterland vibe to the Palace.
Past editions of the Waltz have featured such Central New York luminaries as Floodwood’s Jason Barady and Nick Picininni, Tim Herron, Miss E, Jess Novak, Melissa Gardiner, Joe Whiting, Pete McMahon, Carolyn Kelly, America’s Got Talent alum Jonah Smith and the Levon Helm Studio horns. This year should see a similar lineup along with several newcomers, including Penny Jo Pullus, Doug Moncrief and Liz Friedel.
One thing Central New York has shown over the years is its love for The Band and its music. As a testament to this love, the Salt City Waltz has sold out the 700 capacity Palace since its inception and this year is on track to do the same.
The idea behind this show is to celebrate the music of The Band and The Last Waltz but not to recreate it. The musicians who assemble for this each year are the cream of the crop and consistently leave the audience thankful on this weekend of giving thanks.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $35 in advance and available at the Sound Garden in Armory Square in Syracuse as well as at cctix.com.
The show is also a benefit for the St. Lucy’s Food Pantry. Attendees who bring a canned good or non-perishable food will receive a can of Saranac in exchange. For more information on the show, visit the Salt City Waltz Facebook page or 105.9 The Rebel’s website.
Comments are closed.