DISGRACELAND Podcast

Episode: Martin Scorsese, The Band, and The Last Waltz: A Thanksgiving Story
Host: Jake Brennan
Release Date: November 25, 2025

Overview

This episode of DISGRACELAND dives into the high-stakes, drug-fueled, emotionally chaotic, and artistically groundbreaking events leading up to and following The Last Waltz—the Band’s legendary 1976 farewell concert—filmed by none other than Martin Scorsese. Framed as a Thanksgiving story, host Jake Brennan explores the interplay of creative obsession, personal self-destruction, artistic legacy, and gratitude. The narrative paints a vivid portrait of rock’n’roll’s cost, the disastrous highs and devastating lows, and the lives—and sometimes deaths—shaped in its wake.

Major Themes and Key Discussion Points

1. Martin Scorsese—Artistic Obsession and Self-Destruction

[03:11–09:52]

• Origins of Marty’s Mania: Scorsese’s drive comes from childhood illness (asthma), a Lower East Side upbringing among “men of the cloth and men of the gun,” and a compulsive relationship with filmmaking.
• Quote:
  “He talks like a guy wired on cocaine, because he is a guy wired on cocaine.” (Jake Brennan, 03:51)
• Parallel Projects: Despite contractual obligations to United Artists (working on New York, New York), Scorsese cannot refuse directing The Last Waltz for the Band—pushing himself to the edge.
• Self-destructive Urge:

  “I wanted to push all the way to the very, very end and see if I could die.” (Martin Scorsese, quoted by Jake Brennan, 06:01)

• Rock’n’Roll Credentials: Scorsese’s deep love for music (editor on Woodstock, era-defining soundtrack moments in Mean Streets) tightly connects him to this “counter-counterculture” moment.

2. The Band—Origins, Chaos, and Decline

[09:53–15:21]

• Formation and Legacy: Canadian-American band whose 1968 debut Music From Big Pink is credited with shifting the course of American popular music.
• Influence: Eric Clapton quit Cream, and George Harrison sought out Woodstock, due to the band’s organic, earthy vibe, “counter to the counterculture.”
• Personal Toll: Years on the road cause physical and psychological breakdowns—most poignantly Richard Manuel’s suicide attempts:

  “Richard kept on ticking, at least for now. But his days were numbered. And ditto for the Band.” (Jake Brennan, 12:14)

• The Last Waltz’s Genesis:
  A near-fatal speedboat accident involving Manuel propels Robbie Robertson to end the Band with a grand farewell. Levon Helm resists, but Robbie’s will prevails.

3. The Making of The Last Waltz: A Thanksgiving Spectacle

[16:34–22:26]

• Novelty and Scale: The Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco is chosen; 5,000 fans receive a full Thanksgiving dinner before the show—“4,000 pounds of turkey, 2,000 pounds of candied yams, 800 pies, and 90 gallons of gravy.”
• Film as Risky Art: Scorsese chooses 35mm film (not 16mm), risking technical and safety disasters for superior visuals. The venue undergoes modifications, and concert logistics border on the impossible.
• Star-Studded Lineup:
  A cavalcade of music legends—Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Dr. John, Bob Dylan, and, controversially, Neil Diamond.
• Tension Over Guests:

  “What the fuck is Neil Diamond doing here? And what the hell does Neil Diamond have to do with The Band?” (Levon Helm, via Jake Brennan, 20:47) Levon suspects Robbie’s motives, seeing the guest list as a means of self-promotion.

• Studio Intrusion: United Artists suggests cutting Muddy Waters (not Neil Diamond) to shorten the show; Levon Helm furiously refuses, preserving the night’s musical integrity.

  “I’ll go talk to Muddy, and not only will I talk to him, but I’ll take him back to New York with me and we’ll do The Last Waltz, just the two of us. How about that? Now get the hell out of my sight before I have a couple Arkansas boys stomp you to death.” (Levon Helm, via Jake Brennan, 22:26)

4. High Stakes, Higher Drama—Dylan’s Almost Exit and the Stolen Tapes

[22:27–27:29]

• The Bob Dylan Fiasco:
  Dylan nearly withdraws 15 minutes before his set, fearing competition with his own film project. A tense negotiation ensures he’ll be filmed for only two songs.
• Stolen Tapes:
  As the show ends, Dylan’s lawyer absconds with the concert's master tapes—a negotiating tactic. Tapes are eventually returned.

  “According to what seems to be the best source, it did happen—the tapes were stolen ... his lawyer did.” (Jake Brennan, 27:29)

• Scorsese’s World in Disarray:
  Post-concert, Scorsese’s personal life implodes: his marriage crumbles, affairs proliferate, chaos reigns.

5. Post-Show Fallout—Scorsese’s Near-Death Spiral

[27:30–35:26]

• Editing Catastrophe:
  Scorsese and Robertson, both newly separated, become codependent party partners, immersed in work, drugs, and rock star excess in Scorsese’s chaotic, all-night house.
• Substance Abuse and Breakdown:
  Continued cocaine use leads to medical emergencies for Scorsese.

  “Just Martin Scorsese out there, buck ass naked, coked out of his mind, tearing ass down Mulholland Drive...” (Jake Brennan, 32:11)

• Career Collapse:
  New York, New York flops. Scorsese is left creatively and personally bankrupt; the success of The Last Waltz cannot counteract depression and self-doubt.

6. Rock Bottom and Redemption

[35:26–38:40]

• Literal Rock Bottom:
  After a near-fatal hospitalization (bleeding from every orifice due to a toxic batch of cocaine), Scorsese is saved by friends and doctors.
• De Niro’s Intervention:

  “Didn’t Marty want to see his kids grow up? Didn’t he want to make more movies?” (Robert De Niro, paraphrased by Jake Brennan, 38:41) This tough-love visit inspires Scorsese to recover—and accept his second chance.

• Raging Bull:
  Scorsese returns to work on Raging Bull, channeling near-death experience into a creative rebirth.

7. The Band’s Aftermath—Tragedy and Legacy

[38:41–41:33]

• Richard Manuel’s Death:
  Ten years after The Last Waltz, Richard Manuel drinks his last bottle of Grand Marnier and hangs himself in a Quality Inn bathroom; he is just 42.

  “What else were they going to do? This is the only life they had ever known and as Levon once said, they weren’t in it for their health.” (Jake Brennan, 41:02)

• **Robbie Robertson moves on; The Band continues (without him) in small venues.
• Reflection:
  Scorsese is thankful for his escape from destruction and for his friends, while recognizing not everyone was as lucky as him—“And that is a disgrace.” (Jake Brennan, 41:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scorsese on his Compulsion (06:01):
  “I wanted to push all the way to the very, very end and see if I could die.” (Martin Scorsese, quoted by Jake Brennan)
• Levon Helm’s Resistance (12:56):
  “He didn’t want to hang up anything. In Levon’s eyes, the Band was at the top of their game. But there was no arguing with Robbie.” (Jake Brennan)
• On the Thanksgiving Dinner Spectacle (16:45):
  “That’s 4,000 pounds of turkey, 2,000 pounds of candied yams, 800 pies, and 90 gallons of gravy.” (Jake Brennan)
• Levon vs. the Studio (22:26):
  “I’ll go talk to Muddy, and not only will I talk to him, but I’ll take him back to New York with me and we'll do The Last Waltz, just the two of us. How about that? Now get the hell out of my sight before I have a couple Arkansas boys stomp you to death.”
• The Traveling Booger Mat (30:22):
  “They called it the Traveling Booger Mat...which essentially acted as a concealer that floated over Neil’s nose. The Traveling Booger Mat was expensive. So expensive that Robbie Robertson later joked it was the most expensive cocaine he had ever bought.”
• Scorsese’s Breakdown (32:11):
  “Just Martin Scorsese out there, buck ass naked, coked out of his mind, tearing ass down Mulholland Drive in the dark, screaming, don’t go running after her. Running toward the edge.”
• After Richard Manuel’s Death (41:33):
  “While Martin Scorsese continued to give thanks that he had escaped the self-destructive tendencies that drove him for so long, Richard Manuel was not so lucky. And that is a disgrace.”

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 02:58 | Episode begins: Setting the scene—Thanksgiving, chaos, rock and roll legend | | 06:01 | Scorsese’s self-destructive work ethic | | 09:53 | The Band’s revolutionary influence and growing dysfunction | | 16:34 | The Last Waltz—planning, dinner, and logistics | | 20:47 | Guest list controversy—Levon Helm objects to Neil Diamond | | 22:26 | Studio tries cutting Muddy Waters; Levon’s defiant intervention | | 24:42 | Bob Dylan’s last-minute withdrawal threat, tapes stolen by his lawyer | | 27:29 | Scorsese’s post-concert collapse—drug abuse, chaos, and unraveling personal life | | 32:11 | Scorsese’s naked breakdown on Mulholland Drive | | 38:41 | De Niro’s hospital-room intervention and Scorsese’s rebirth | | 41:02 | Band legacy; Richard Manuel’s suicide, tragedy in aftermath of glory |

Tone & Closing Thoughts

Jake Brennan delivers with cinematic flair—part noir narration, part rock history, part cautionary tale—mixing reverence for the artistic Titanic with dark, profane, and deeply human commentary. The episode resists romanticizing self-destruction, instead exposing the heavy toll paid for legendary status. Amid the spectacle, Thanksgiving dinner, and creative excess, the ultimate lesson is sobriety (in every sense) and gratitude for those few who survive—and a lament for those who don’t.

Additional Content

For deeper dives—on the infamous “Big Pink” sessions or the Band’s secret pacts—listeners are invited to check out a mini-episode for All Access members at disgracelandpod.com.

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“What is the greatest concert film of all time? Tell me why.”
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DISGRACELAND: music history with grit, chaos, and truth—the stories behind the legends, as you’ve never heard them.