It was in the quiet, shimmering corners of the stage that Garth Hudson held court, conjuring wild sonic landscapes like some benevolent alchemist. He was the stout-hearted wizard with a bramble of a beard, hunched over that beloved Lowrey organ, coaxing out sounds that could make a whole crowd feel like they were riding a rickety carnival tilt-a-whirl into the heart of the cosmos. Today, January 21, 2025, at the age of 87, Garth Hudson stepped beyond the veil.

By the time The Band was ready to record their third album, Stage Fright, in 1970, they were riding high from having released back-to-back albums that solidified them as one of the most exciting and revolutionary groups of the late 1960s.

The opulent and ornate Orpheum Theater located in the original theater district of downtown Los Angeles played host to a very special concert, Thursday night April 13. The Last Waltz 40 Tour, billed as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Last Waltz concert by The Band, was originally meant to only be a one-time tribute concert in New Orleans.