It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a trip to Alice's Restaurant. Don't forget your shovels, rakes, and implements of destruction!
And just for fun, here's a clip from the 1969 movie. I want you to sit down on that bench and watch this - now, kid!
The Band's Last Waltz was held at San Francisco's Winterland theater on Thanksgiving Day 1976. The price of admission to the concert included Thanksgiving dinner, which was catered for 5,000 people. How much were tickets, you might ask? A mere $25 apiece - certainly a princely sum 34 years ago. The mind boggles at to what such a soiree would cost the concertgoer of today!
Here's my all-time favorite version of "Up On Cripple Creek." The vocal interplay between Levon and Rick is priceless.
"When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go
Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico . . ."
The Band + The Staple Singers = a match made in heaven. Take a load off, Fanny, and let them take you there.
If you don't have the film, you can visit Wolfgang's Vault and listen to the concert in its entirety for free (you'll have to sign up for an account). Here's one of my favorite deep cuts from that night.
Listen to more The Band at Wolfgang's Vault.
Another must-see in our house every year is the 1987 John Hughes comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Starring Steve Martin and the late John Candy, it never fails to make me laugh - and cry. Here's one of the lighter moments: Del Griffith playing air piano to Ray Charles' "Mess Around" - while driving. I mean, who hasn't done this?
You Can't Take It With You is a Frank Capra gem from 1938 starring Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Stewart, and Jean Arthur. Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Kaufman and Hart play, it's a hilarious and touching story about friendship, enjoying life, and being thankful for what you have. This is the final scene from the film, and I agree with Grandpa that a lot of the world's problems could be solved if we just sat down and made music together. If you've never seen this, find it and watch it in its entirety - they don't make movies like this anymore.
NPR has compiled a fantastic Thanksgiving playlist with a little something for everyone. "Country Pie," "Drinkin' Wine Spoodie Odie," and "Shortnin' Bread"? Sounds like my kind of Thanksgiving! Pass the "Cornbread and Butter Beans" please, and remember to "Be Thankful For What You Got."
Eartyme's Dustin Ogdin lists the 7 Roots Music Staples I'm Thankful For. And indeed, he is spot on - for without any one of these crucial elements, American music as we know it today would simply not exist.
I'm a fan of Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild's writing. His latest Huffington Post entry, about his encounters over the years with the members of the Beatles, reminds me of why I fell in love with music to begin with. Likewise, the Wall Street Journal's Evan Newmark gives thanks to, and draws an interesting comparison between, writer Saul Bellow and Bruce Springsteen.
And last but not least, Thanksgiving just would not be complete without "The Thanksgiving Song."
"Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say "Dy-no-mite!" That's right!"
May you and yours be blessed, on this Thanksgiving and always.
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