Rare Photos Discovered From “The Last Waltz” Concert

Paul Butterfield, Neil Young and Stephen Stills: The Last Waltz
Photo: Gary Fong, The Chronicle
(Click photo to enlarge)

From "Long-lost photos from legendary S.F. concert discovered amid dust" | The Chronicle by Bill Van Niekerken:

For decades, The Chronicle’s photos from “The Last Waltz,” one of San Francisco’s greatest rock music events, were lost, thought never to be seen again.

The concert at Winterland in 1976 was to be the final concert that The Band performed on the road, and filmmaker Martin Scorsese was on hand to shoot it and produce a feature-length movie.

The evening started with a Thanksgiving dinner for the 5,000 concertgoers, with the diners entertained by Berkeley Promenade Orchestra, a 40-piece string group. Bill Graham borrowed set decorations from San Francisco Opera’s production of “La Traviata,” and he added chandeliers and a fountain in the lobby. After dinner, The Band took the stage, and as the night went on the musicians were joined by several famous friends: Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood and Ringo Starr.

It was a San Francisco concert filled with rock royalty in a starry setting, but the images disappeared among the dust of The Chronicle’s vast archive.

Then, 40 years later, fortune smiled on fans on The Band.

Full article and photos at "Long-lost photos from legendary S.F. concert discovered amid dust" | The Chronicle by Bill Van Niekerken.

Also, see Winterland Stories: Dedicated To The History Of This Beloved Venue by Chris Horn.


Dreamland - July 14 1928 & Winterland - 1985, San Francisco, California

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