Fab Faux guitarist and Conan musical director Jimmy Vivino will host a Levon Helm birthday event at The Band drummer’s barn on May 25. The evening will feature performances by The Midnight Ramble Band with special guests Shawn Pelton and Joe Russo as well as Jimmy Vivino and “Extra Special Guests.” Those guests include: Frank Pagano (drums) Ed Alstrom (B3 and bass) and Felix Cabrera (harp). Vivino explains that the three players “met in basements and dive bars and high school gyms to play the music they loved. The blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, the Rockabilly of Elvis and Chuck Berry, the funk of James Brown and The Meters and of course the country soul stew of all things American, the music of The Band.”

The unique Ramble will start with a two-hour BBQ from 5-7pm featuring a musical performance by Skyline Crossing. Then, Ulster County Tourism will screen Levon Helm – Experience Ulster County, N.Y., a 15-minute PSA showing what it was like for Helm to live, work and enjoy the county. (The video was filmed by a production crew that spent a day with Helm on Gill Farm in Hurley and at his property in Woodstock, where he hosted his famous Midnight Rambles.) After that presentation, Ulster County Executive Michael Hein will present his County Executive Star Award to Sandy and Amy Helm, in memory of the drummer. Jimmy Vivino and Extra Special Guests will play at 8pm and The Midnight Ramble Band will close out the evening at 930pm.