Back in 2005, Denver’s award-winning jamband Polyxtoxic wanted to put on a show that could showcase all the great local musicians they had been playing with for the past few years. A friend of theirs gave them a DVD of The Band’s The Last Waltz for Christmas, and as they watched the movie, they realized that with the wealth of talent in the local music scene they could easily do a re-enactment of the movie. There were friends of theirs that even fit specific roles perfectly, and the show basically put itself together.

The show was held at Dulcinea’s 100th Monkey in Denver’s Capitol Hill area on May 25, 2005, and included 16 guest musicians with a four-piece horn section. Polytoxic planned on it being a fun little show that would garner a little bit of interest… it sold out in minutes, surprising the band and fans alike, and became the biggest show they had ever thrown.  So big, in fact, they decided to do it a second time in 2005 – this time on the night before Thanksgiving at Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom – and The Last Waltz Revisited was born.

The Last Waltz Revisited quickly became an annual tradition in Denver, growing larger every year.  The show became a charity event in 2006, benefiting The Denver Rescue Mission and underscoring the Thanksgiving theme of the show by donating a portion of its proceeds plus spearheading a drive for canned food and desired hygiene items.  With its growth came bigger venues – five years at Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom, one year at the Gothic Theatre, and three years at the Ogden Theatre before moving to the Fillmore Auditorium in 2014.  2009 saw the addition of the Boulder Theater, which happens every year on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

This year marks the 15th Anniversary of The Last Waltz Revisited.   Boasting more than 60 musicians, a full horn section, and over 30 songs from The Band’s extensive catalog, The Last Waltz Revisited is an uplifting holiday  celebration of herculean proportions. By featuring primarily local musicians from Colorado’s flourishing music scene, involving the Denver Rescue Mission, and receiving overwhelming support from the fans, this has become an important community event that helps kick off the holiday season off with a smile.

Tori, CR, Gayor, and the entire The Last Waltz Revisited crew would like to thank you for your ongoing support year after year, and for your kind donations to our worthy cause.