Considering how well-known, -loved, -covered and -esteemed “The Weight” is, it’s surprising that it took Levon Helm’s death to inspire Bruce to cover it in concert.
You know the original, of course. It was never a hit single (at least not in the U.S., although it did crack the Top 40 in Canada and the U.K.), but it’s enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and it ranks pretty high (#41) on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
It’s also been covered by just about everybody, from The Grateful Dead to Panic! at the Disco, from Aretha Franklin to Eric Church.
And once, and only once, it was covered by Bruce. Lead singer Levon Helm passed away during the early days of the Wrecking Ball Tour, and Bruce paid tribute by performing The Band’s most iconic song as the opening encore at his show at Newark’s Prudential Center.
Here’s that one-time-only sing-along performance, from May 2, 2012:
The Weight
First performed: May 2, 2012 (Newark, NJ)
Last performed: May 2, 2012 (Newark, NJ)
