Chest Fever turn Massey Hall into a triumphant new chapter for ‘The Last Waltz’

Few live albums arrive with this much history already in the room. And on ‘The 21st Century Last Waltz (Live at Massey Hall)’, Chest Fever takes one of rock music’s most iconic concert traditions and give it fresh life through sheer scale, imagination and collaboration. Recorded during a five-hour celebration at Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall in November 2023, the album expands The Band’s original 1976 farewell by bringing together artists from different generations and allowing the songs to breathe in entirely new ways.

The cast is remarkable. Longtime Band collaborators and associated figures including Cindy Cashdollar, Scarlet Rivera, Colin Linden, Sylvia Tyson and Albert Lee appear alongside a younger wave of artists such as Devin Cuddy, Skye Wallace and The Pairs. But rather than flattening those voices into one uniform tribute, Chest Fever give them room to leave their own mark across the release.

The arrangements are equally ambitious as Jesse Audelo’s horn and string work, developed in collaboration with original Last Waltz arranger Tom “Bones” Malone, gives the performance a sweeping sense of scale, while “Blue” Lou Marini adds another direct connection to that classic era of live ensemble playing.

There is also genuine emotional weight behind the spectacle. Following Robbie Robertson’s passing in 2023, the Massey Hall concert became part celebration and part remembrance, with Chest Fever partnering with North York General Hospital in support of prostate cancer care.

In all, ‘The 21st Century Last Waltz (Live at Massey Hall)’ feels alive because it understands that The Band’s legacy was always about people playing together, listening to one another, and letting the songs evolve in the room.

Chest Fever aren’t doing this to preserve ‘The Last Waltz’ behind glass. They throw the doors open, invite everyone in, and prove that fifty years later, this music still has plenty of life left in it.