Thanks Levon

One of the greatest gifts fantastic music bestows upon the listener is indelible memories. Memories are somehow intertwined with the very best of composition and song, and forms a bond with our past that is unbreakable. When I had learned that Levon Helm, the drummer and sometimes vocalist of the all Canadian group ‘The Band’ had died, a specific song came to mind. That song is associated with one of the greatest evenings I have ever shared with friends.

Way back when I first flew from the warmth and shelter of my parent’s home in Ottawa, my brother Edge and I moved into a huge 4 bedroom rental in Vanier, with some of my closest friends. (Those who are not privileged enough to know my brother well, call him by his given name, David.)

Back then I toiled as an audio-visual technician, and had access to much in the way of sound and lighting gear. One Friday night, on a lark, I hauled home a 12 channel mixer, some camera gear and a few microphones. On the second floor of that house there was a large room that had – of all things – a hot-tub, as well as a full bathroom and lots of space to gather with friends. The house on Presland Avenue became a drop-in centre for anyone looking for a place to hang out on the weekend, and there was always beer in the fridges and plenty of great music to listen to. I have to concede that my brother was usually the DJ, which restricted the amount of bad 80’s music that I was fond of spinning. That drafty house was in essence, a Party Palace.

My friends and I setup all the equipment which put a strain on the homes aging electrical panel. The lights would flicker and pulse to the music as the amps were pushed to their limits. As the beverages flowed, and friends dropped by for the usual Friday night revelry, the brave few would grab a microphone, and sing along to whatever we were blasting on the stereo. This odd ‘technology-heavy karaoke party’ eventually evolved (devolved?) into a structure of sorts, and it was decided we would all attempt to give the The Band’s ‘The Weight’ our own musical stylings. The song has many parts that can be sung by individual vocalists, and we handed out hastily scrawled lyric sheets, Edge played guitar, and we did our best to butcher one of the greatest songs ever written.

The master-tapes of that evening still exist, but in truth the memory is far sweeter than the 'music' we made that day. Dozens of takes, with beer spewing from peoples nostrils as we chocked on laughter that bordered on hysterics..to this day I cannot hear Levon’s voice on the radio without smiling.

Thanks Levon.