Right right here’s who wasn’t taking a load off: the house band at Thursday’s tribute to Robbie Robertson on the L.A. area’s Kia Discussion board. Beginning considerably after 7 and ending at midnight, the all-star current dubbed “Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson” clocked in at only a bit beneath 5 hours, which wanted to have been additional taxing for the Don Was-led avid gamers than it was for the viewers in Inglewood. This epic measurement acquired right here even and not utilizing a single retake being accomplished for the cameras — Martin Scorsese was directing the gathering of footage — and with three intermissions turning out to be surprisingly transient. It was epic, nonetheless it was a weight the fully glad, unbothered viewers bore evenly.

What the Band-loving crowd obtained was a gift with 37 numbers sung by about 20 brand-name artists, alone or collectively, each getting wherever from one to 3 songs apiece. The moreover to that was a five-song set by Eric Clapton, alongside along with his private touring band stepping in for the house band, which lastly obtained to take 5 shut to the best of the last word hour. Van Morrison was the other veteran afforded the luxurious of being able to headline three songs in a row with out interruption, mid-show. There was no hubris involved in making these allowances for Clapton and Morrison to get quite a bit concentrated precise property all through the night time; these Robertson buddies better than re-earned the privilege of towering over the homage.

Others getting their spotlight moments all through the arguably all-killer, no-filler current included Mavis Staples and Trey Anastasio (pictured collectively, above), and Eric Church, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jim James, Bobby Weir, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, Allison Russell, Warren Haynes, Robert Randolph and Daniel Lanois. Quite a lot of musicians who stepped as a lot because the mic for lead vocals as well as to serving within the house band: Jamey Johnson, Bruce Hornsby, Mike Campbell and Ryan Bingham. (Initially marketed nonetheless not present: Noah Kahan, who exited the bill in time to be left off the posters and T-shirts, and Elvis Costello, who, nonetheless included on these souvenirs, was apparently marked absent nearer to showtime.) Benmont Tench and Shannon McNally moreover took distinguished roles throughout the battalion of avid gamers, which extended to an oft-employed five-man horn half.

Martin Scorsese was initially launched as an govt producer alongside Blackbird Presents‘ Keith Wortman, Scooter Weintraub and Jared Levine, however it was solely introduced two days previous to the live performance that he could be directing the filming of the present — in a mirroring of his route of “The Final Waltz” again in 1976. This led some who have been experiencing some FOMO over lacking out on attending to think about they may get to see all or many of the present ultimately in theaters or on residence video. However that assumption was most likely made earlier than most individuals knew the size of the present… plus, Scorsese isn’t going to place a capper on his best buddy’s life and occupation with out along with documentary footage throughout the final piece. So, depend on to see a healthful amount of current excerpts someplace down the highway.

Requested by Selection sooner than the current if there was a plan in place for what would happen with the footage, Wortman talked about, “Not but. Tonight’s concerning the live performance that actually celebrates Robbie, and we’re capturing it, capturing it, after which we take our time to make the film. You understand, no rush — we actually wish to make a film that stands the take a look at of time.” Added Weintraub, “It’ll attain past being a live performance movie.”

“We knew Marty needed to be concerned on quite a few totally different ranges, and so the query was, did he wish to additionally direct it? And after he considered it for a minute, he mentioned, ‘I’m not gonna have anybody else direct it,’” Weintraub talked about.

However the producers singled one other particular person out as a key set off for making the current happen. “We had such deep love and affection and historical past with Robbie that, inside a pair weeks after he had handed” — in August 2023 — “this dialog started round: What can we do? We’ve to do one thing particular. So it began from there. I ought to say that Eric was in early and helped us type of kick it off. Proper. He felt very strongly about doing one thing, as nicely, and he reached out. And admittedly, as soon as Eric mentioned, ‘I wish to do one thing,’ all of it type of got here collectively round him and, in truth, the timing round when he could be stateside. We mentioned we are able to’t do it with out him, given their relationship.”

Even with on the market being any on-stage dialogue of Clapton’s key place throughout the proceedings, his five-song set was a highlight for lots of obtainable, beginning with a rollicking “The Form I’m In” and persevering with by three additional various Band covers (“Out of the Blue,” “Chest Fever” and “Forbidden Fruit”) sooner than wrapping up with “Additional On Up the Highway.” Though it might be annoying when attendees even throughout the entrance half are wanting up on the large screens instead of on the person in entrance of them, it might be forgiven in a mini-set like this, given the enrapturing closeups of his fingerwork. Clapton didn’t talk at any measurement about Robertson nonetheless was seen at measurement in a documentary prelude part talking, seemingly in earnest, about how he cease Cream and went to hold round at Large Pink in hopes of being requested to hitch the Band, although he didn’t have the nerve to really ask — on account of he fervently believed that Robertson’s nascent group was already the tip results of all of the items that rock wants to be.

Van Morrison was the night’s totally different Greatest Star on Hand, and a rarity as an exact veteran of the San Francisco “Final Waltz” reside efficiency as well as to film. He not solely didn’t focus on Robertson, he didn’t do any of his songs, each, solely his private. (This isn’t atypical for the biggest stars at tribute reveals; at Jimmy Buffett’s newest memorial reside efficiency, the Eagles and Paul McCartney carried out their very personal tunes, too.) However the viewers was hardly unhappy to get a “Tupelo Honey” and a “Days Like This” from a Morrison who was in good voice, and in good sax. There was a clearer stage of connection when he closed out his look with the great “Fantastic Comment,” a horn-section-fueled monitor of his that Robertson had produced and carried out guitar on for the “King of Comedy” soundtrack 4 a few years up to now.

Oddly, that was not the full extent of the Morrison songs all through the night time, on account of there was one more: “Caravan,” which the artist sang for “The Final Waltz”… nonetheless not for this night time. It was coated by Warren Haynes, who knowledgeable Selection backstage what occurred. “They requested me to sing ‘Caravan’ as a result of they mentioned ‘Van’s not gonna do it — however he nonetheless desires somebody to do it.’ I did it within the ‘Final Waltz’ tour (a recurring outing during which a few of these artists cowl Band songs), and it was like, ‘Effectively, I don’t actually really feel comfy with that, with him being right here.’ However they assured me he desires anyone else to do it. So, OK!” That was added to the two Band songs Haynes was already singing lead on, “Stage Fright” and “Life Is a Carnival.”

However these Morrison tunes weren’t the one non-Robbie songs to make their method into the effectivity. Robertson’s affiliation with Bob Dylan allowed for Weir to cowl “Once I Paint My Masterpiece,” the one true solo number of the night, with the Grateful Lifeless frontman unaccompanied by one thing aside from his private guitar. Rateliff did “Eternally Younger,” which was carried out by Dylan with the Band on the ’74 tour in the mean time being commemorated in a big dwell boxed set. And Campbell, reunited with keyboard good Tench after seven years of no Heartbreakers, did Tom Petty’s “The Better of The whole lot,” which Robertson accomplished and re-produced for the “Southern Accents” album in a single factor close to his private warmth and fulsome style.

Rateliff was joyful to be doing 4 songs at quite a few components throughout the current. In addition to “Eternally Younger,” he moreover had Marvin Gaye’s “Child Don’t You Do It” and two Robertson originals. “‘Throughout the Nice Divide’ is the begin to probably the greatest data ever made,” he talked about backstage, referring to the Band’s 1969 self-titled album, “after which I’m doing the song-sketch/demo model of ‘Twilight,’ which has at all times been a deep-cut favourite of mine. That was a request within the household for me to do this, that exact model. All of them have loads of which means to me.” (Rateliff was getting a check out run throughout the Discussion board for his private headlining current creating there Feb. 21, which was solely launched Friday.)

Margo Worth joined Rateliff for a number of these numbers, after playfully posing with him on the purple carpet. She moreover had a solo amount, with “Evangeline.” “It’s a track that I’ve been protecting for a bit now,” she talked about backstage, “I heard Emmylou Harris doing it again within the day, and her interpretation of that track was my favourite second of ‘The Final Waltz.’ … Robbie’s songwriting has simply been massively influential on me, for the way it blended roots-music nation with rock ‘n’ roll. It was an unimaginable blueprint to comply with and I really feel actually honored I get to hold on this custom.”

Anastasio, of Phish fame, talked about he was thrilled to get to be singing “Untrue Servant,” “Look Out Cleveland” and “The Weight,” that ultimate one shared with Mavis Staples, who carried out it throughout the movie. “All three are unimaginable, and ‘Untrue Servant’ is a masterpiece that I feel actually reveals off Robbie’s skills. I imply, not that all the pieces else tonight doesn’t, however it’s not one of many extra well-known of his songs, I’d say, even when I suppose a fan would possibly disagree with me. Nevertheless it’s an amazing honor to have the ability to sing that tonight; I feel I’m further enthusiastic about singing that one.”

Anastasio added that he “grew up with all this music. You understand, my dad and mom have been fairly younger, so that is what was on in the lounge, and it appears like enjoying the inspiration of all music or one thing like that. Particularly for my fashion of music, it’s floor zero.”

The setlist was merely dominated by Band songs, virtually to the exclusion of Robertson’s solo occupation, nonetheless there have been exceptions. A couple of artists spoke backstage to how they’ve been defending songs that that they’d labored on with the honoree for his post-Band albums. Sacred metallic king Randolph recognized that his alternative “Straight Down a Line” was one factor he labored on with Robertson in 2003. (They subsequently carried out it collectively on Jimmy Fallon’s current, with the Roots.) He had run into Robertson as soon as extra six months sooner than his lack of life, as soon as they’ve been every engaged on the Village studio in West L.A.

And Daniel Lanois, who produced Robertson’s first solo album, was resurrecting certainly one of many larger remembered tunes from that doc, “Damaged Arrow,” in a extremely completely totally different, hauntingly beautiful affiliation. “It’s a track that’s very expensive to me,” Lanois talked about sooner than the current, “and brings up a great deal of recollections of us huddled up throughout the little studio on the Village, working up these preparations. It was an incredible honor for a Canadian youngster, on account of as a guitar participant, Robbie was always a hero for me. And so there I used to be working with one among my heroes, and we had a nice alternate on account of he loves imaginative contemplating. The wildest thought, he would really accept…

“So right here we’re tonight,” Lanois continued. “We are able to’t cease the clock and we misplaced Robbie, however tonight I’m gonna sing the track for Robbie, quite than only a rendition of what Robbie wrote the track about. I put somewhat little bit of twist within the association and I modified a few of the lyrics to counsel that we’re nonetheless listening to him and he’s nonetheless a trailblazer as he at all times was, however up there quite than down right here.”

Allison Russell was proud to hitch Lanois in being certainly one of many few exact Canadians on the bill. She had launched in some associates associated to the Six Nations Reserve in Canada, the place Robertson was partly raised by his native mother. This had not been the plan until two days sooner than. “About 48 hours in the past, I obtained a name saying that the artist I used to be initially scheduled to collaborate with couldn’t make it,” Russell talked about backstage. “And I had truly been making an attempt to get Julian (Taylor) and Logan (Staats) and our buddy William Prince on this present for a very long time, as a result of I felt it was so necessary to have indigenous illustration. Robbie and Logan are from the identical area, Six Nations, and I actually needed to be sure that that was a part of this tribute to him. So once I obtained 48 hours discover that there was a possibility, I used to be given the OK, and I referred to as Julian and Logan and so they dropped all the pieces and confirmed up for Robbie. We’re so honored to be right here, singing ‘Acadian Driftwood,’ for Canadian illustration on the present.”

Forty-eight hours later for Russell and agency, and easily 4 days after the house band launched into rehearsals, the current acquired right here off flawlessly, from all appearances, with 37 specific particular person performances, the highest of each one principal a viewer to quietly assume: That was a fantastic remark.

Set 1
“Peyote Therapeutic” – Verdell Primeaux
“Up on Cripple Creek” – Eric Church
“Ophelia” – Ryan Bingham
“The Better of The whole lot” – Mike Campbell
“Evangeline” – Margo Worth
“Acadian Driftwood” – Allison Russell, Julian Taylor and Logan Staats
“Straight Down the Line” – Robert Randolph
“Who Do You Love” – Taj Mahal
“Down South in New Orleans” – Dave Malone and Cyril Neville
“Go Again to Your Woods” – Bruce Hornsby
“King Harvest” – Bruce Hornsby
“The Night time They Drove Outdated Dixie Down” – Jamey Johnson

Set 2
“Damaged Arrow” – Daniel Lanois
“Life Is a Carnival” – Warren Haynes
“Whispering Pines” – Lucinda Williams
“Twilight” – Nathaniel Rateliff
“Throughout the Nice Divide” – Nathaniel Rateliff
“Rag Mama Rag” – Jamey Johnson
“Don’t Do It” – Nathaniel Rateliff with Margo Worth
“Tupelo Honey” – Van Morrison
“Days Like This” – Van Morrison
“Fantastic Comment” – Van Morrison

Set 3
“The Form I’m In” – Eric Clapton
“Out of the Blue” – Eric Clapton
“Forbidden Fruit” – Eric Clapton
“Chest Fever” – Eric Clapton
“Additional on Up the Highway” – Eric Clapton

Set 4
“Eternally Younger” – Ryan Bingham
“It Makes No Distinction” – Jim James
“Stage Fright” – Warren Haynes
“Caravan” – Warren Haynes
“Once I Paint My Masterpiece” – Bob Weir
“The Untrue Servant” – Trey Anastasio
“Look Out Cleveland” – Trey Anastasio
“The Weight” — Mavis Staples with Trey Anastasio and Bob Weir)
“I Shall Be Launched” – Jamey Johnson, Jim James, Allison Russell and full agency