The Band: A History

Pantheon Media

4.6 (179)
MUSIC HISTORY
UPDATED MONTHLY

Exploring the history of Canadian-American roots rock group, The Band.

MAR 8

Jericho

Jericho was the first Band studio album in sixteen years, and by the time it arrived a lot had changed. Richard Manuel was gone. Robbie Robertson was gone. What remained were Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson, joined by Jim Weider, Randy Ciarlante, and Richard Bell, trying to figure out what The Band could still sound like in the 1990s. In this episode, I take a look at how Jericho finally came together after years of touring, a failed attempt at a record, and more than a little loss along the way. We talk through the songs, the players who helped make the album, and what was happening around the band when they stepped back into the studio. It’s not a return to the past. It’s a later chapter. A record made by musicians who had already lived through the legend and were still trying to keep the music going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57 min
FEB 22

The Lost Album

Before Jericho, there was Tombstone. In this episode, we examine the Band’s abandoned 1990 Sony sessions, recorded with Jules Shear and ultimately rejected by the label. Through the music and the context, we piece together what this project was meant to be and what it tells us about the Band’s struggle to redefine themselves in the early 1990s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

46 min
JAN 3

Richard Manuel’s Final Chapter

This episode traces the final years of Richard Manuel, from The Band’s relentless touring in 1984–86 to his last night in Winter Park, Florida. We follow the grind of the road, the pressures that built around him, and the moments of beauty still present in his late performances. This is the story of a brilliant singer living through the hardest years of his life, the night everything changed, and the music and tributes he left behind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

38 min
12/15/2025

Jim Weider

This episode follows guitarist Jim Weider, from growing up in Woodstock to finding his way onto the road with Levon, Rick, Richard, and Garth. We trace how he joined The Band in the mid-’80s, held things together through years of hard touring, helped shape their final studio records in the ’90s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 min
10/27/2025 · BONUS

Review: Robbie Robertson's Insomnia

In this mini episode, we dive into Robbie Robertson’s Insomnia — a vivid, late-life reflection from one of rock’s most self-mythologizing figures. Less a memoir and more a cinematic vignette, Insomnia captures the years between 1976 and 1980, when Robertson drifted through post-Band life alongside artists, filmmakers, and excess. The song played during the episode is entitled "At Last" from Scorsese's Raging Bull, produced by Robertson and performed with his former bandmates Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 min
09/22/2025

The Band is Back!

In this episode, we revisit The Band’s unexpected 1983 reunion six years after The Last Waltz. With Robbie Robertson absent, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson came together once again, proving their music still carried power and soul. We trace their individual journeys in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the spark that brought them back, and the raw energy of their “The Band Is Back” tour. From theatre gigs and surprise Bob Dylan appearances to sold-out shows across Canada, Japan, and the U.S., this was more than a comeback, it was a second life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 min
09/15/2025

Cahoots Revisited

On the 54th anniversary of Cahoots, we hear The Band’s most grown-up record. Less legend, more real life. We stay with six songs, “Life Is a Carnival,” “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” “Last of the Blacksmiths,” “Where Do We Go from Here?,” “The Moon Struck One,” and “The River Hymn.” Work, doubt, change, and faith said plainly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 min
07/16/2025 · BONUS

Odds & Ends: Get Up Jake

In our series Odds & Ends we dig into Band deep-cut, “Get Up Jake”. You’ll hear how a scrappy LA studio outtake grew into a live showstopper on Rock of Ages, and even survives as a raw hotel-room demo. We’ll break down its driving groove, Helm’s backbeat, Danko’s bouncing bass and that shout-along chorus and compare the lean, two-minute studio take to the full-throttle live version and the stripped-down Calgary jam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 min

See All (75)

4.6

out of 5

179 Ratings

Fantastic podcast

02/06/2024

Powpowsteamy

My dad introduced me to The Band when I was in middle school. I’ve always been fascinated with their music and history ever since. This podcast relives one of the greatest bands of all time and I’m really glad I stumble upon this informative show. I’ve only had time to listen to a few select episodes but can’t wait to dive in more. Thanks for the time and effort put in to each episode!
Guy banned me on social media

10/17/2025

I don’t want to work 🥁

The guy posted an article about Todd Rundgren saying Robbie was a snob, I commented that maybe working with Robbie was too much like work, you know, because of the Todd Rundgren song where he sings about not wanting to work… apparently that was an attack and I’m a troll. I apologized in a message on another platform and was banned from there as well. Either way, he lost a podcast listener today. Unsubscribed
Missing the whole poing

01/07/2025

AugustWest62

Your review of A Complete Unknown is off base. Dylan was objectively NOT political in his life and to criticize the movie for not being political is ridiculous.
Last Waltz

11/10/2023

RocknRollGary

Really enjoyed your recent Last Waltz podcast. It was very insightful. One thing, I think you should have compared the film to the concert film getting all the attention this year, Stop Making Sense which came out about 10 years later. I think the director of that one, the late Jonathan Demme, was definitely influenced by The Last Waltz. Notice though that he had no interviews in the film, just the music.