An artists’ legacy is often determined by the decisions made by the artist or members of the band. If the Beatles could’ve worked through their differences during the making of Get Back, could all of their initial solo albums combined to create another classic record? Maybe. Or maybe those decisions led to albums like, All Things Must Pass.

Would Jimi Hendrix be held as the undisputed greatest guitar player of all time, if he didn’t die at 27? Possibly. Or he could’ve made a slew of forgettable albums and been simply the best of his time.

Would Bruce Springsteen be held in such high regard now if he hadn’t made a conscious decision to prioritize his live performances and studio production, over the image and lifestyle of a rock star? A trap that so many of his peers fell to. Perhaps, however Bruce surpassed so many of his peers by remaining steadfast on his beliefs of how a band and artist should conduct themselves for their fans.

The same can be said for the legacy of arguably one of the greatest North American bands of all-time, The Band. After the release of their debut Music From Big Pink, Bob Dylan’s backing band left a lasting mark as their talent alone was able to create an instant classic. With songs like “The Weight,” that would define a generation immortalized by films like Easy Rider.

From there, the Canadian-American band would continue to work with Bob Dylan releasing the now revered album The Basement Tapes, while still carving their own path with a string of classic albums. From Stage Fright, Cahoots, to Northern Lights-Southern Cross, the Band found that they could create albums that were lasting and nearly as influential as the artists they were backing.

All seemed well until 1976 when the Band announced that they would be performing their final show. That show would be now famously known as The Last Waltz, it would be accompanied by their final proper studio album Islands, along with a live concert film directed by Martin Scorsese, that is now seen by many as the greatest concert film of all time. The performance would be at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day. A film that is in my opinion is the only true Thanksgiving movie.

The performance wasn’t just iconic because it featured an incredible performance of the Bands greatest hits, but it also featured guest appearances by the likes of Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and more. Even with that, it was the lore that came after the iconic performance that would continue to grow the legacy of the Band and their final show.

The backstage party stories, the production of the film, the reasons why they decided to call it quits, were all debated and pondered by fans for years to come. The conventional school of thought and how I was introduced to The Last Waltz, was that the guitarist and principal song-writer Robby Robertson was tired of music and wanted to pursue an acting career. His good friend Martin Scorsese was seen as a contributing factor to Robertson’s decision. That with butting heads with drummer and primary lead singer Levon Helm, would all lead to the Bands’ demise.

With that I always perceived Robby Roberston to be the typical selfish rockstar that just didn’t care about the fans or his bandmates. However, in the last few years more has come out about Robertson and his side of the story. Now, I don’t take any of this as the absolute truth. Something in the middle is the reality but it didn’t look great when the Band would reunite in 1983 to continue touring without Roberston and then would release Jericho, the 1993 album that although did miss Roberston’s songwriting did feature one of their biggest singles, a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.”

Even with that the Band wasn’t the same. The tragic death of pianist Richard Manuel left only three original members, Helm, bassist Rick Danko, and multi-instrumentalist Garth Hudson. Without Robertson Jericho, required outside members to contribute to the lyrics. It still produced a solid record, however, Danko would die a few years after that release and officially end the Band.

Even with The Band going out with a quiet whimper, their legacy was still defined by their late ‘60s and early ‘70s work culminating to this epic performance that captured the greatest moments of the Laurel Canyon songwriters, the blues rock that birthed this explosion, and their perfect blend of New Orleans Jazz, Northern Folk music, and Southern Rock.

Why is that? Well it was partially because of Robertson’s decision to abruptly end The Band. To go out on top. The proper lineup of The Band’s last performance was that evening at The Last Waltz. It immortalized The Band and with that created a defining end to their legacy. The music, their performance, and the imagery created by the film perfectly crystalized a show that would be studied for years to come.

Now, nearly 50 years later The Band has found a new swath of artists to continue their legacy. With multiple super groups getting together near the anniversary of the iconic show to play a string of tribute performances. One of those iterations is Life is a Carnival, aptly named after one of The Bands songs. The “Life is a Carnival Last Waltz Tour” stopped by Andrew J. Brady here in Cincinnati, Saturday evening.

Led by Heartbreakers guitarist and Tom Petty collaborator Mike Campbell along with Country singer-songwriter’s Jamey Johnson and Ryan Bingham, Life is a Carnival is an ode to The Band’s greatest hits. Not just from The Last Waltz.

The group also boasted names like bassist and Bob Dylan and Bob Weir collaborator Don Was, guitarist and singer Dave Malone, drummer Terrance Higgins, pianist John Medeski and many more.

Much like The Last Waltz, the stage was packed at Andrew J. Brady at times featuring 14 members on stage. All utilizing their different skills to give homage to the powerful five-piece act.

Unsure of what this performance would look like, I assumed that this would just be a recreation of The Last Waltz, so really just running through the iconic setlist from 1976, however, I was pleasantly surprised that wasn’t what this was.

The show started identically to The Band, walking out to the “Theme from the Last Waltz,” and kicking off into “Up on Cripple Creek,” and then “The Shape I’m In.” However, the setlist began to deviate after that. From “This Wheels on Fire,” a Bob Dylan and The Band tune to “Georgia (On My Mind)” all songs that The Band played at points in their career.

This performance would not only feature specific songs and covers from The Last Waltz, but feature tunes that members of The Band had touched throughout their career. That was made clear when Ryan Bingham led the band in “Atlantic City.” A song that The Band gave new life to, nearly 20 years after their final show.

“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” is one of The Bands many iconic songs. Sang by the only true Southerner in the band Levon Helm. It’s a beautifully haunting tune that is conveyed through Helm’s lived experience and twang. So it was only fitting for Jamey Johnson to fill the role of that song, and his performance gave me a whole new perspective on the beauty of this tune.

After a short set break, John Medeski returned to the stage by himself to perform a mind-bending take on The Band’s “The Genetic Method,” on organ. A pleasant surprise came when Mike Campbell introduced, not a song by The Band, but by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, that Robby Roberston and Richard Manuel had a hand in making, “The Best of Everything.” Whether or not he realizes this Mike Campbell sounds just like Tom Petty, with the same vocal delivery and range. Which for a lifelong Tom Petty fan was very fun to hear.

Some of my favorite moments of the night came during what are some of my favorite moments from The Last Waltz; Neil Young’s “Helpless,” and Dr. John’s “Such a Night.” Both performances by Jamey Johnson on “Helpless” and Dave Malone on “Such A Night,” did not try to recreate these songs but instead give their best interpretations of the tunes. They knew they weren’t Young and Dr. John, they played within their range while still giving a perfect ode to the songs.

That was the case throughout the night, it felt similar to when you watch the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame Induction show where other artists do their best to recreate these iconic songs, while making them their own.

The show came to a close with three songs that all could serve as the closer. Bob Dylan and the Band’s “Forever Young,” into “The Weight,” ending with “I Shall Be Released.” All of which encapsulated what The Band did best, creating these beautiful Americana suites that showcase each member of the ensemble, while allowing fans to sing along.

After a standing ovation, the Life is Carnival caravan came back out for one final tune, “Don’t Do It.”

As I was leaving the venue I watched the crowd leave feeling euphoric from just getting to feel what it might have been like at the Winterland Ballroom in 1976. I watched the crowd and thought to myself, “There are few bands where the audience members range in age from people who are old enough to have been at the Last Waltz and young enough to be wearing a Tyler the Creator Chromakopia hoodie.” To me that’s a testament to the lasting legacy of the music and the effect that show had on fans for generations.