Vicksburg’s Strand Theatre showcases “The Last Waltz”

Published 5:07 pm Friday, May 27, 2022

The Strand Theatre will showcase “The Last Waltz” on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

 “The Last Waltz” is a documentary that shows a record of The Band’s last concert. 

“This is a movie that most people are really just going to enjoy for a couple of reasons. It’s entertaining music and it is nostalgic,” said programmer for The Strand Theatre Daniel Boone.

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Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film’s runtime sits at 117 minutes and it is considered a classic from the late 1970s. 

Essentially, before The Band’s split, they held a farewell concert with seven camera operators, big-name cinematographers and other musicians.

“On Thanksgiving Day in 1976, they rented a ballroom in San Francisco and they invited people,” Boone said. “An audience, but they invited musicians who were their friends, but also musicians who had influenced them, and musicians they admired, and just that they wanted to include.”

Some of the performers included Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, the Staple Singers, Muddy Waters and Neil Young. Bob Dylan was also in attendance, because The Band started their career as his backing band.

“In a way, they were acknowledging that pop music is part of another influence on them,” Boone said.

With a two thumbs up from Boone “The Last Waltz” is sure to appease the film or music lovers. 

“Here is the challenge for this movie, the very first thing you see when the movie starts is a title that appears on the screen that says ‘This movie should be played loud’. That’s the only challenge,” Boone said. 

Tickets for this event can be purchased for $10 each in advance at Highway 61 Coffeehouse or at the door of The Strand Theatre, 717 Clay St.