The Band
at Woodstock 1969
The Band brought Americana roots rock to Woodstock in a performance that cemented their status as one of the great American bands — despite being mostly Canadian.
The Band — Woodstock 1969
The Band was one of the most critically acclaimed acts at Woodstock 1969, arriving with the prestige of having backed Bob Dylan on his controversial 1965-66 electric tour and recording the legendary "Basement Tapes" with him in the Woodstock, New York area.
Composed of four Canadians — Robbie Robertson (guitar), Rick Danko (bass), Garth Hudson (organ), and Richard Manuel (piano) — and one American, Levon Helm (drums), The Band had released their debut album "Music from Big Pink" in 1968 to enormous critical acclaim. Their ability to synthesize the deepest American musical traditions — country, blues, gospel, folk, and rock — in a seamlessly organic way set them apart from every other band of the era.
Their Woodstock set included classics like "The Weight," "Long Black Veil," and "Chest Fever." Robbie Robertson's guitar work and the intertwining vocals of Helm, Danko, and Manuel created a sound unlike any other.
The band's connection to the Woodstock, New York community added an extra dimension to their performance — they had actually lived in the area where the counterculture movement had its base camp.
The Band released their masterpiece "The Last Waltz" in 1978, documenting their final concert before retirement. Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko all passed away in subsequent decades. Robbie Robertson died in 2023. The Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.