Friday, August 29, 2008

Bow Thayer & Levon Helm.

We love the Bow Thayer (Gayesville, VT-native) cd featuring Levon Helm on drums (recorded @ Levon's studio/barn) we picked up @ the August 23rd Midnight Ramble. We're heading to The Barnard Inn in Barnard, VT this Sunday between 2-6 PM as Bow & his band will perform to raise money for two local charities. Cost is only $8/person.

http://www.bowthayer.com/index.html

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Levon Helm & the movie Fire Down Below.

Caught Levon's very cool performance in Fire Down Below last night - hadn't seen it in a few years. Here's a link to some interesting movie notes that include Levon & performances & interaction w/ Steven Seagal & others from the movie:

http://movies.warnerbros.com/FDB/cmp/prod2.html

Midnight Ramble photos from August 23rd w/ Billy Bob Thornton, Greezy Wheels & Chris Robinson.

Here is the link to levonhelm.com to the August 23rd Midnight Ramble that we attended. What an amzing event:

http://www.levonhelm.com/ramble_8_23_08_files_files/ramble_8_23_08_files.html

Sunday, August 24, 2008

More Opus 40 photos.



Memorial stones for founder Harvey Fite & his wife near the main ramp of Opus 40 where their ashes were spread. The 3rd pic is of the famous monolith.

Opus 40.






The beautiful Saugerties, NY-based stonewall & sculpture site called Opus 40 is a place that cannot be missed. The Band fans may recognize it from the early '90s photos by Elliott Landy of the reunited The Band. Harvey Fite, deceased in '76, spent decades constructing this amazing masterpiece.

John Simon autograph.


John Simon, producer w/ The Band on the first two albums Music from Big Pink & The Band (Brown album), signed this Aroma Thyme Bistro program for us August 21, 2008.

Tinker Street Cafe.

Here is 59 Tinker Street, currently home to the Center for Photography, but frmrly The Expresso & Tinker Street Cafe, located @ the center of Woodstock, NY across from the unique Woodstock Legends store. Bob Dylan wrote songs for two albums here: Another Side of Bob Dylan & Bringing It All Back Home. Legend has it, Dylan was too drunk to drive home while a regular customer of The Expresso, so the owners let him stay & he made it a bit of a permenant stay in "the white room" upstairs. The Tinker Street Cafe witnessed great performers such as Rick Danko.

August 23rd, a night to remember in Helmland.

Here are a number of our highlights we took away from the night, aside from the crazy live performances:

1. Spoke w/ & shook hands w/ Larry Campbell.
2. Spoke w/ Ollabelle's Tony Leone who we also spoke w/ back in July when we saw Ollabelle perform in Veteran's Park Manchester, NH.
3. Spoke w/ & shook hands w/ Billy Bob Thornton - one of our fav actors & now music performers.
4. Spoke w/ & shook hands w/ Little Sammy Davis.
5. Met the entire Greezy Wheels & The Boxmasters members. One Boxmaster is from Brattleboro, VT, about 1 hr from our residence.
6. Shook hands & spoke in length w/ Amy Helm about family & performances. What a great lady. We also saw she w/ Jay Collins & their baby @ Saugerties' Red Onion - beautiful young family.
7. Spent time w/ Muddy Helm, Levon's wonderful dog & now boyfriend to our Weimaraner Lula Mae.
8. Said hello to Theresa Campbell.
9. .....and our all-time highlight was shaking hands & briefly speaking w/ Levon - didn't really want to wash our hands afterwards.

Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble - August 23, 2008.


One of our August 23, 2008 Levon Helm Midnight Ramble tix.
What an awesome time. Many celebs in town - Billy Bob Thornton, Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson (who we haven't seen perform live since the Crowes first appeared in '90 opening up for Aerosmith @ Mansfield, MA's Great Woods), the Lone Star Cafe's owner, hornsman Howard Johnson (performed on Levon's & Muddy Waters' '75 Bearsville Studios album) & of course Levon & his all star cast of performers. The Austin, TX-based The Greezy Wheels was the 1st opening act, w/ Billy Bob & The Boxmasters 2nd & then Levon & crew.
Levon's Set List
1. Same Thing (Levon)
2. Rain Down Tears (levon)
3. Ophelia (Levon)
4. Fannie Mae (Little Sammy)
5. Matilda (Little Sammy)
6. Bye Bye Love (Amy)
7. Long Black Veil (Theresa)
8. Got Me A Woman (Levon w/ Amy on drums)
9. Atlantic City (Levon w/ Tony on drums)
10. Ashes to Love (Levon w/ Amy & Theresa & Tony on drums)
11. Whispering Sea (Theresa w/ Tony on drums)
12. Deep River Blues (Larry & Levon w/ Tony on drums)
13. I Ain't Got No Home (Jimmy) *Larry spoke of the 1st time he saw The Band w/ Bob Dylan in '68 @ Carnegie Hall & they performed this tune then)
14. Anna Lee (Levon w/ Amy & Theresa)
15. Rag Mama Rag (Levon w/ Tony on drums)
16. Shake That Money Maker (Chris Robinson) *very lively
17. All on a Mardi Gras Day (Brian) *very Dr. John-esque
18. Everybody Loves a Winner (Amy)
19. Time Out For The Blues (Theresa)
20. Just a Fool (Levon)
21. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (Little Sammy)
22. I'm Ready (Little Sammy)
23. Shape I'm In (Brian)
24. Tears of Rage (Jimmy) *afterwards Jimmy & Levon paid tribute to Manuel, Danko, Szelst & Bell - too soon gone.
25. Chest Fever (Larry)
26. The Weight (Levon w/ everyone who performed throughout the night)

Ashokan Reservoir.

The beautiful Ashokan Reservoir is located south of Woodstock, NY near Hurley, Olive & a number of other neighboring NY towns. These two photos were taken near Hurley on Dike Road, which we connected onto from Rt. 28 & Basin Road. Some of The Band members, as noted in levon Helm's This Wheel's on Fire book, lived near the Ashokan Reservoir.

Ohayo Mountain Road.

Ohayo Mountain Road runs from Woodstock, NY down to the Ashokan Reservoir region & has been made famous by late '60s photos taken @ Bob Dylan's Ohayo Mountain Road home by Elliott Landy. Dylan relocated to this home from his famed Byrdcliffe residence currently owned by Steely Dan member Donald Fagan.

Maria's Bazar.


Maria's Bazar is owned by reunited The Band guitarist Jim weider's wife, located @ the center of Woodstock, NY. Great coffee & food.

Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters.

What an amazing second line-up to Levon Helm's August 23, 2008 Midnight Ramble. Billy Bob Thornton has put together a great six-piece bande clad in black suits & ties. Great guitar sound & Billy Bob mixes his voice up well. Here is our autographed copy of their debut album. A not-for-children Christmas album will soon appear. We were able to say hi & shake Billy Bob's hand as well as a few other band members.

Set List

1. She's Lookin' Better by the Minute
2. 20 Years Ago
3. Yesterday's Gone
4. The Girl on the Side
5. The Poorhouse
6. House on Pooh Corner
7. Sawmill
8. I'll Give You a Ring
9. Build Your Own Prison (written w/ Dannie Fritz)
10. The Kids Are Alright
11. (Jam) - Billy Bob on drums
12. That Mountain

Zena Road.

Here is the Zena Road / Rt. 212 intersection in West Saugerties, NY, a location where Levon Helm notes in his This Wheel's on Fire book of a wild car accident near a curve on Rt. 212. Zena Road runs from West Saugerties down to the Ashokan Reservoir region.

160 Plochmann Lane - Levon Helm's beautiful property.

Here are a couple of exterior pics of Levon Helm's property. His pond is beautiful & he videotaped there during A&E's Classic Albums episode for The Band. Unfortunately, due to timing, we could not get better pics of his house / studio. The right-hand side is the studio portion where he recorded his Grammy-winning Dirt Farmer album & the left-hand side is his residence.

Wittenberg Road.

Wittenberg Road sign in Bearsville, a famous The Band-related road that leads down to the Ashokan Reservoir region. Cooper Lake Road leads up to the beautiful Cooper Lake.

Famous Bob Dylan / Elliott Landy location in Woodstock, NY.


This building was included in one of Elliott Landy's many famous '60's black & white photographs of Bob Dylan in Woodstock, NY. The photograph centered @ the right-hand lower doorway w/ two other gentlemen @ the time. The building stands @ the intersections of Tinker Street & Rock City Road @ the very center of Woodstock. It now houses a real estate firm.

Tinker Street Cinema.


Just outside of the center of Woodstock, NY heading towards Bearsville on Tinker Street is the renovated Methodist Church that became the Tinker Street Cinema, a favorite hangout to Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix had a beautiful stone estate w/ pool on Traver Hollow Road in Boiceville, NY, just south of Bearsville / Woodstock.

Bearsville Studios.


Unfortunately, Albert Grossman's Bearsville Studios is no more & has become a private residence. It is located near the top of Rick's Road in Woodstock, NY, the same road Robbie & Dominique resided around the Basement Tapes era. Levon Helm record a wonderful album @ Bearsville Studios w/ Muddy Waters in '75. During last night's Midnight Ramble, Howard Johnson joined the horn section & he too, performed on this same album.

Goat Hill Road.

This is the road famed photographer Elliott Landy resides. It's a beautiful road the can be accessed by Stoll Road, the road that leads to Big Pink.

Big Pink.

We've shown pics of this famous Bob Dylan / The Band hangout & songwriting West Saugerties, NY site before, but we love revisiting it & photographing it again nevertheless.

August 23, 2008.

Spencer Road...famous The Band photograph site.

Famed '69 Woodstock Festival, The Band & Bob Dylan photographer Elliott Landy took a wonderful late '60's photo of The Band for its Music from Big Pink album photo shoot on this deadend road off from Ohayo Mt Rd. Spencer Road has been listed in the past as being in Bearsville / Woodstock, but technically it's located in Glenford (just south of Woodstock). The famous Civil War-era style photograph of the five Band members in black & white by Landy was shot on this road. Gorgeous views of the amazing Ashokan Reservoir.

Muddy Helm.






This is the second time we've brought our Weimaraner Lula Mae (5 yrs-old) to Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble & both times Levon's gorgeous dog Muddy has checked her out. The Helmland staff has both times had us park towards the rear of the parking lot near Levon's beautiful pond to keep the attention to the other dogs down. But that doesn't stop Muddy from coming over & checking out his "woman." Muddy is a very sweet dog.