Watch Wilco and Levon Helm Play ‘The Weight’ and ‘I Shall Be Released’
As you may know, Levon Helm, drummer and singer for the Band, passed away on Thursday. He was 71. His weathered, wonderful voice and funky, reserved backbeat formed the backbone for the Band, whose ‘The Weight,’ ‘I Shall be Released’ and ‘The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down’ — for which Helm sang a sad Southern tale — have become rock standards. Helms influence was wide, and his vocals especially inspired Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. We’ve dug up video of the two playing together, viewable below.
“Levon was the glue, not just in The Band, but in all of what people think of when they think of North American music,” Tweedy posted his band’s Facebook page. “He was a great unifier; a great glue. He unified blues and country, rural and city, and even North and South. Luckily he showed us all the way to keep it together and let it swing.”
A great outpouring has come out of the music community, between heartfelt tweets from indie rockers and beautiful obituaries in the Washington Post and Rolling Stone.
You shall be missed, Levon; thank you for all the memories.
Watch the Levon Helm Band and Wilco ‘The Weight’ Video
Watch the Levon Helm Band and Wilco ‘I Shall Be Released’ Video
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