“None of us truly understood where we were headed, but we knew change was inevitable.”

The Band meant something, their music had spoken to many. Whether that meant flying from another continent, taking a train cross country, selling their worldly possessions or quitting a job, even the slightest hint that The Band could hang it up caused a reaction, a tidal wave. 

And while uncertainty hung in the air for everyone involved and feelings were mixed. The Last Waltz as it was titled, was about to become a defining moment for a group of four Canadians and one American that had spent the better of sixteen years making music together.

Certainly, it was unfathomable to think November 25, 1976 was about to become one of the defining music moments of the decade, let alone popular music history. The alchemy The Band concocted that evening with seventeen of music's biggest stars will forever be etched into history.

Produced, hosted and edited by Tyrell William Lisson. Additional writing and research by Oscar Ashley.

The Band: A History is part of Pantheon Podcasts. Listen to The Band: A History and a variety of other great podcasts over on Pantheon.

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