Performing
original songs as well as classics of The Band, The Weight Band is led by Jim
Weider, a 15-year former member of The Band and the Levon Helm Band. The Weight
Band originated in 2013 inside the famed Woodstock barn of Levon Helm. Weider
was inspired by Helm to carry on the musical legacy of the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame group.
On their
new album, Shines Like Gold, The Weight Band presents a dynamic set of
classic Americana that draws upon roadhouse rock, funky swamp pop, blues,
country soul and folk music. Composed of band leader, renowned guitarist Jim
Weider (The Band, Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Band, Jim Weider Band),
keyboardist Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Band), bassist Albert
Rogers (Jim Weider Band, Jimmy Vivino), drummer Michael Bram (Jason Mraz) and
keyboardist Matt Zeiner (Dickey Betts), the veteran quintet shares a deep
appreciation and knowledge for this music, which Weider describes as the
“Woodstock Sound.” The Weight Band continues to serve as its torchbearer, with Shines
Like Gold representing a sublime example of these masterful roots musicians at work.
The
Weight Band recorded Shine Like Gold live at
Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck, NY, over four days – with minimal rehearsal
during the height of the pandemic in 2020. Producer Colin Linden, an
award-winning musician and Weider’s longtime collaborator and co-writer on
several of the album tracks, was in Nashville. The arrangement, however, worked
out perfectly, according to Weider. “He had a big hand and footprint on this
record. Weider added, “We go back, so there is a comfortableness working with
him.”
In 2017,
The Weight Band performed on the PBS series Infinity Hall Live. The
following year, their self-produced debut, World Gone Mad, was released
to strong reviews. Billboard called it “excellent” while Goldmine
Magazine hailed World Gone Mad as one of the year’s best indie albums.
Most recently, the Weight Band put out Acoustic Live in 2021. This 11-track
album features five songs recorded at the Big Pink on October 25, 2019, and six
songs recorded the following night in Levon Helm’s barn/studio. Performances
include memorable versions of “World Gone Mad,” Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,”
Jerry Garcia’s “Deal,” and several Band covers.
The Weight Band’s origins are tied to Woodstock and some
of its most famous inhabitants,
The Band. Weider, a Woodstock native, served as The Band’s
lead guitarist from 1985-2000, following Robbie Robertson’s departure. In the
late 00s, he replaced Jimmy Vivino in the Levon Helm Band, which already
included Mitchell. The connections extend further, as Rogers shared the stage
with Helm and Hudson while in The Jim Weider Band
and Bram drummed in the Chris O’Leary Band, an off-shoot of Helm’s band The
Barnburners.
Following Helm’s death in 2012, Weider performed a few
“Songs of The Band” concerts, which included Vivino, Byron Isaacs, Randy Ciarlante
and Garth Hudson. The shows were so well received that Weider started the first
version of The Weight Band with Ciarlante, Isaacs, Mitchell, and keyboardist
Marty Grebb. Over the next several years, the group shifted from playing mainly
Band songs to their originals. Along the way, band membership shifted too. When
Isaacs left for the Lumineers, Rogers came aboard. Bram joined the group after
Ciarlante’s departure. Following World Gone Mad’s release, Grebb bowed out and
Zeiner stepped in.
THE WEIGHT BAND
IS:
Jim Weider (guitar, mandolin & vocals) is a former member of The
Band. From 1985 to 2000, Weider replaced Robbie Robertson as their lead
guitarist, writing songs and performing on their three studio albums, Jericho,
High on the Hog, and Jubilation. He toured internationally with original Band
members Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko for fifteen years and was
featured with them on numerous albums, films, videos, and in television
appearances.
Michael Bram (drums & vocals) is a soulful singer and
multi-instrumentalist. Bram splits his time drumming for The Weight Band and
Jason Mraz. He has been a staple in the New York music scene for almost two
decades- other career highlights include working with Willie Nelson and
recording tracks with Bob Margolin of The Last Waltz fame.
Brian Mitchell (keyboards & vocals)
is a current member of Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Band and is well-known
within the circles of the music industry and beyond for his solo career and his
high-profile collaborations. He has recorded and performed with some of music’s
most respected artists, Levon Helm, Bob Dylan, Al Green, B.B. King, and
countless others.
Matt Zeiner (keyboard & vocals)
began his career with Hartford’s Street Temperature band, then hit the road
with Matt “Guitar” Murphy of Blues Brothers fame. Zeiner has also toured
extensively with Dickey Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Albert Rogers (bass, vocals) has shared the stage with Levon Helm,
Garth Hudson, and played in The Jim Weider Band. Rogers has also performed with
Sid McGinnis, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Vivino, Albert Lee and many others.