A close-up of a piglet's snout thrusts forward on the cover of the
current issue of Fortean Times: Journal of Strange Phenomena
kicking
around at Levon Helms' recording studio. "Swine Fever! Trawlermen's
Trotter Trauma" exclaimed the title below, referring to an article
inside which attempted to trace the origins of sow superstitions among
British fishermen. On the wall, a recently tacked-up poster portrays
a grotesque, dressed-up boar with a bankroll as a symbol of greed and
sports the legend HIGH ON THE HOG; title of The Band album to be
released this week.
The studio is a rendezvous point in early evening for a warm-up gig at
the Night Shift Cafe in North Adams, Massachusetts, a step of
preparation for promotional tours upcoming, and Randy Ciarlante, a
perpetual motion steward with the talents to have been drafted from
local slopes by the legendary group, is tapping out a restless rhythm.
With guitarist and fellow Ulster County native, Jimmy Weider, and
roustabout Canadian pianist, Richard Bell, who started in the same
Ronnie Hawkins pipeline as founding members Levon Helm, Rick Danko and
Garth Hudson, Ciarlante is a key element of the new blood recruited to
bring fresh energies to a highly revered chunk of rock history. His
pre-gig enthusiasm bubbles the sound room.
A chalkboard with 30 songtitles, 14 of them check-marked, sits in the
unglassed control booth, almost all of them unfamiliar to classic Band
set lists and hinting mutely of a new dawn over the horizon, a
renaissance sparked by strong new material to supplement those golden
rays still beaming from the sunset of The Last Waltz. A single
from
the new album, "Stand Up," is second on the list which also features
"The Battle Is Over," "King Fish," "The Line," "The Great Beyond,"
"Two Close Chairs," "Atomic Cafe," and other promising titles you’ve
got to hope aren’t suffocated by recent leanings to overproduction.
The curtain is about to be drawn, revealing the identity and strength
of the tracks on Hog but they still belong to the last six to
nine months of recording time and the evening's moment is reserved for
immediate performance preparations as the players arrive.
Also arriving for the trek to the gig is Tom Pacheco, a prolific
songwriter and former Woodstocker, who has returned to have his latest
CD produced by Jim Weider. Like Four Men & A Dog, who have just
finished an album here to be released in June, Pacheco traveled all
the way from Ireland to record in this laid-back woodhewn studio; an
inspired move, to judge by the 13 tracks put down in the last few
weeks. One of them, a haunting ballad called "Hills of Woodstock,"
recalling his years here and featuring a verse about Albert Grossman,
"He who managed Dylan and The Band," is easily the most indelible love
song ever written to this town. But, beyond Weider's surprising gifts
for production and Pacheco's unique talents as singer-songwriter, the
most notable item of the sessions is the awesome and exciting effect
the Band still conjures when handling powerful material. (Although
Tom's songs are chartmakers in Europe, his last four albums have yet
to be distributed here and Woodstock Winter, when it's released
worldwide by Mercury in late summer or early fall, will be the first
available as a non-import).
Once assembled, the group heads for the waiting vehicles, Rick and
Levon, with driver Butch, following the white stretch limo bearing the
rest of the Band on the night road north. Tom, with mate Annie and
brother Paul, take up the rear. Roadies had long before headed out
with the equipment.
Stopping for a light on the way through Troy, an oval, bright yellow
sign in front of a restaurant proclaims in small letters Under New
Management and below, in larger script, Change Is Good, one of the
songtitles on the chalk board and a meaningful one for a group
striving for transition to something more; who have added the
ingredients they hope will take them that step beyond their already
classic image. A good omen.
Two sheets of detailed instructions in each vehicle will reveal some
glitches on the far end which lead to a comedy of following each other
up dead end streets but the troupe pulls into the Mass MOCA complex
(Mass. Museum of Contemporary Art) housing the Night Shift Cafe with
time to spare and a cheer goes up when they make their appearance.
The Night Shift Cafe is a parking garage sized space with difficult
ceilings low above the bandstand. The restroom pipes have chosen the
night of the concert to create a wading pool at the far end of the
room. Band memorabilia is hawked from booths 50 yards to stage left,
pizza, beer, wings, wine, etc., to the right. The crowd is a
remarkable stretch of age groups.
"Now, all the way from Woodstock, New York..." The announcement booms
and the room ignites as soon as they launch into "Shape I'm In,"
followed by "The Girl You Love," with a rail-thin Levon churning out
the lead vocal, a heftier Rick in sports jacket and Lou Costello
haircut sounding huskier than usual in the dense acoustics of the
space. "Blind Willie McTell" has them swaying and singing along.
Someone nearby says "It's a fine night. It's a really fine
night when The Band comes to your town."
The double-barrel attack of twin keyboards and drums is varied as
Ciarlante switches to bass and Danko backs his vocal with acoustic
guitar on "Long Black Veil." Helm picks up mandolin and Hudson
accordion for "Rag Mama Rag" as Bell's boiling keyboard punches new
zest into an old favorite. "Atlantic City," "Caledonia Mission" keep
the fever high as Helm's voice cuts a rousing pace and plies a
plaintive counter to Danko's as Weider's loping, stinging solo
masterfully captures the group's treasured sound and adds a hotly
flavored zing. The set is jelling seamlessly.
The crowd is starting to shake the floor a bit and worry the old
factory ceiling as Levon plays bass on "Crazy Mama" against Bell's
raging keys and Ciarlante's pulse-driving beat. The new boys are
bringing their stuff to the dance. Hudson is pouring off a
mesmerizing sax part on a surprise instrumental version of Jimmy
Cliff's "Many Rivers" which follows "The Weight" and "Dr.Walcott." A
progression of "Ophelia," "Stage Fright" and Chuck Willis's long-lost
"Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes" closes out the set to a partying but
respectfully behaving crowd. Phantom of the Opry, Garth eases back on
stage following the ovation to rage over the intro of "Chest Fever"
before the rest join him on the encore. Then it's over.
Riding back through the night toward Woodstock the exhilaration of the
music clings despite some disappointment at the absence of the brand
new material. The seasoned sound still catches the heartbeat but that
vital ingredient of renewed focus taunts from offstage. But the new
album is only at the starting gate and this chops-toning rust-shaker
is what they called it back at the studio...a warm up.
-Gary Alexander
Strike Up The Band