One of the most talked-about sets of the roots festival year, the Levon Helm Band performance at MerleFest 2008, is now available for paid download from FestivaLink.net. There were many reasons I was sorry to have missed the festival, but not hearing the comeback performance by the one-time vocalist/drummer/mandolinist of The Band topped the list. Sad to say, I also missed his only other 2008 festival performance in August at Newport Folk.

Now I can enjoy the live MerleFest performance in its entirety thanks to the lovingly produced downloadable recording from FestivaLink. I have written before that live festival sets are not always unique enough to merit paying for. This one is — without question.  Read more »