For over a decade, this seminal moment in music history has been recreated by more than 25 of Dayton’s most talented musicians. This year, Such a Night: The Last Waltz Live, will celebrate the music of The Band on Nov. 26 at Victoria Theatre.
Proceeds from the performance support the greater community and will benefit WYSO Public Radio and other local organizations.
Jeff Opt, the initial organizer behind the tribute concert, grew up watching Scorsese’s concert film on TV in the 1970s and ‘80s. The Band’s music always resonated, but the movie frustrated him, considering its lack of wide shots.
“I always wanted to know what else was happening on stage, beyond the close-ups,” Opt said. “So that’s what led me to do our own live version of it. I just wanted to get the full picture.”
In 2013, Such a Night performed at Gilly’s in what was originally planned to be a one-off recreation of The Band’s farewell concert.
Now in its 12th year, the tribute has become an annual Dayton Thanksgiving tradition.
The core band (i.e. The Band) is Phil Caviness, Patrick Himes, Steve Phelps, Rich Reuter, Jimmy D. Rogers and Trey Stone. There is also an eight-piece horn section featuring Kevin Court and Gary King, with a host of others portraying the special guest performers from the film.
“When we first designed the show,” Opt said, “it was just for the fun of doing it. We couldn’t figure out how to pay everyone, so all the musicians donated their time. The people that chose to be part of the show were really committed to it. That’s one of the things that made it so strong. It was purely done for the love of the music and the love of putting on a good show.”
Organist Jimmy D. Rogers and pianist Trey Stone hold down the keys in the band, just as Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel did, respectively. Both were pivotal to Such a Night’s first sold-out performance at Gilly’s — a performance Stone describes as one “sweaty, loud, fun show.”
Rogers is often cited as instrumental to why Such a Night sounds as good as it does; he takes on the Garth Hudson role, not just in the sense that he plays the same instruments, but because he knows the music forwards and backwards, in all its multitudinous versions. He’s a student of all things rock and roll and blues and country.
“He screams on that organ,” Stone said. “How lucky are we that we are able to be in a band where we have two keyboard players? I get to just sit on a piano bench for the show and enjoy this beautiful piano and play my heart out on it while Jimmy basically works the organ and does all the glorious things that it can do, all night long.”
Stone also called drummer Steve Phelps the “nervous system of the band,” as he’s “always solid, clicking everybody off” and is the “king of setting up the end of a song.”
But truth be told, no one is superfluous in a tribute to The Band; it’s all hands on deck to recreate a sound the likes of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson.
Trombonist Gary King has been a part of Such a Night since the very beginning. He was a member of the funk group Sun in the 1970s, and is currently a producer/recording engineer at Dayton Sound Studios. He’s known The Band’s music since he was in high school.
Considering there are so many iconic horn parts in “The Last Waltz” — particularly on tracks like “Ophelia,” “Life is a Carnival” and “Rag Mama Rag” — King talked about the importance of recreating the ensemble.
“A lot of people would say the horns are the icing on the cake,” he said. “You’ve already got the solid band, rhythm section, vocals, but then the horns add this extra spice and energy. When you’re a performer, your adrenaline gets pumped up when you see an enthusiastic audience. For this show, the audience has always been enthusiastic. It’s a great feeling.”
Just as important as the core band are the special guests, performers from nearly four generations of Dayton musicians, including Heather Redman, Brian Hoeflich, Amber Heart, Steve Makofka, and more.
Every year, Sharon Lane belts the night’s titular song, “Such a Night” by Dr. John, in her iconic gravelly Kentucky timbre.
Khrys Blank takes on gender stereotypes by growling through Ronnie Hawkins’ “Who Do You Love.”
Roundhouse kicking his way through Van Morrison’s “Caravan,” Matt Byanski uses the entire breadth of the stage for his show-stopping appearance.
A behatted David Payne always destroys the house with “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and Paige Beller delicately covers Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote” in an equally emotional way.
Seth Gilliam culminates the night with his performance as ringleader Bob Dylan. Everyone, including the audience, sings “I Shall Be Released” along with him.
“There’s so much talent in this town. It never ceases to amaze me,” Opt said. “The more profound aspect of it is not so much about The Band’s final performance, but instead, it’s more about reconnecting with friends and family every year that’s become a tradition.”
Included in the ticket at The Band’s original show was a full Thanksgiving dinner, ballroom dancing and a seat at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, to experience what would later be known as one of the greatest performances in music history.
It’s long been one of Jeff Opt’s visions to recreate that entire experience.
Brandon Berry covers the music and arts scene in Dayton and Southwest Ohio. Reach him at branberry100@gmail.com.
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