Celebrating The Band’s Iconic Concert with All-Star Guests in Toronto & St. Catharines
As Chest Fever brings The Last Waltz Tour 2025 to Ontario this week – with stops at Toronto’s iconic Horseshoe Tavern on December 4 and St. Catharines’ Warehouse Concert Hall on December 5 – the band reflects on the legacy of The Band, the evolving vision behind their celebrated live recreation, and what fans can expect from these special Canadian dates. Below, the group dives into the making of the tour, the role of guest artists, and the magic that unfolds every night on stage.
You’re bringing The Last Waltz Tour 2025 to Ontario this week – December 4th in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern and December 5th in St. Catherines at Warehouse Concert Hall. What makes these two shows special stops on this run?
Both these stops are in cities we love, and at venues we’ve played at numerous times now. We’ve built relationships with local artists in both cities, and after three years of touring as Chest Fever, it really is special to start feeling at home in these places
The Last Waltz is such an iconic moment in music history. As performers, what elements of the original concert feel most important to preserve – and where do you enjoy putting your own spin on the material?
The overall arc and energy of the night is maybe key—the reason we are doing it is always in the forefront. We enjoy putting a spin on material that we feel can get spun and evolve. Nothing is supposed to ever sit in place for too long, although some songs and structures are structures for good that we won’t break away from. There is plenty to play with and make our own.
You’re joined by 10+ special guest artists in each city. How do these collaborations shape the energy and unpredictability of the show? Any hints about what Ontario audiences can expect?
Every artist brings their own story, their take on the material, and will really determine how it is delivered. We’ve grown arrangements based on working with artists and how they interpret music. For instance, the song “Dry Your Eyes” is never really the same twice, and we arrange it differently every year now. The first year we really broke away was in 2022 with punk rock legend Zander Schloss—it came out more like the Pogues but was really something from his heart. In 2023 we got a chance to work with Skye Wallace (now Mama Skye, who we get to share the stage with once again), and the energy went to a more primal, alternative rock feel. We don’t want to give anything away, but audiences are in for a treat at both shows no matter what.
Chest Fever has performed The Last Waltz in some major rooms, including your sold-out 2023 Massey Hall show. How does returning to more intimate Ontario venues influence the experience for both the band and the audience?
It is gonna be a lot warmer, that’s for sure! Cozy might be the right word. Massey was a milestone and a one-off, but it set the bar for things to come. I feel like this year we are delivering an arena show in a club-sized venue that will only keep translating to bigger and bigger stages the more we fill the room. By the time of writing this, St. Catharines is sold out and the Horseshoe is closing in on that. It is gonna feel like a great big family in both rooms—for us, our guests, and we hope for our audience.
For fans seeing Chest Fever for the first time, what do you hope they take away from the performance – both as a tribute to The Band and as a modern, living celebration of the music?
We hope they take away some heat to last them through the winter! It is a sacred time we get to share the stage together, and we get to share the room with an audience. Life is brief, so the more you can grab hold of these times, the more you’ll have to share as time moves on. It is coming from us, and we are channeling it by way of Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and all the fellas (and ladies!). The spirit never left the building, it has just been waiting for us to come by and stir things up. Someone has got to tend to the flame, and we love to be the ones to do it.
Upcoming Shows:
December 4 – Toronto, ON – Horseshow Tavern
December 5 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse Concert Hall
December 6 – Cleveland, OH – Winchester Music Tavern
December 7 – Cincinnati, OH – The Red Moor