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One of rock’s greatest exits made a graceful re-entrance this past month as The Band’s The Last Waltz returned to record and video stores. Robbie Robertson, the quintet’s guitarist and principle songwriter, has been making the rounds to promote the new 4-CD boxed set and DVD releases, including several retail signings where fans got to meet the Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer.

The Band’s farewell performance at San Francisco’s Winterland Theatre took place on Thanksgiving, 1976, but its preeminent place in music history remains secure even after a quarter century. That fact was evident by the long line of autograph seekers with copies of The Last Waltz tucked under their arms at Tower Records in the Sherman Oaks Galleria. This Southern California stop followed two in-stores in New York City the week before.

Along with shepherding The Band’s catalog through sonic and visual upgrades (in addition to Rhino’s The Last Waltz collection, Capitol Records recently reissued all eight of their original albums), Robertson has been busy with several music and film projects. As a creative executive for DreamWorks Records, Robbie helps sign and develop new talent. He continues to write and perform new music -- much of which reflects his Native American heritage -- and there were clearly a few in line at Tower attracted more by this solo work than rock of (past) ages.

Robertson is also supervising the music for Gangs Of New York. Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, and Leonardo DiCaprio star in this highly anticipated film directed by Martin Scorsese, who was also at the helm of The Last Waltz. Scorsese and Robertson were both in attendance last month when the restored film opened at New York City’s Ziegfield Theatre (the site of its original premiere) to begin limited runs nationwide.

Unlike that glittering theatrical event, here fans were free to shake the hand that wrote “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” and many other classics. After Robbie finished signing and left the stage, posters and a guitar were raffled off. It had to end eventually, but it left everyone happy -- much like The Last Waltz did.

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