Levon Helm isn't a guy to ignore the advice from trained medical professionals. Fans at Austin City Limits realized that about half way through the famed drummer's set, when guitarist Larry Campbell clued them in. "You may notice that Levon isn't doing much singing tonight," he explained. "He's still on doctor's orders." Helm has apparently lost his voice over the last several weeks, but his band fills in for him nicely during the necessary singing parts -- and besides, to see the 69-year-old Helm drum is all one needs, really.

Campbell took most of the vocal duties and churned out solid renditions of the Grateful Dead classic 'Tennessee Jed' and the hard blues of 'Jealous Man,' but it was Campbell's wife Teresa Williams and Levon's daughter, Amy Helm, who dazzled with their vocals during 'Long Black Veil' and the Band's classic 'The Shape I'm In.'

While Levon's vocals may have been absent, that didn't mean necessarily mean he was forbidden to move around. At one point, he stepped out and joined the band on mandolin during the traditional song 'Deep Elm Blues.' The five-piece horn section behind him was busy breaking it down, to which Helm felt that he should too -- standing up and doing an odd, crouching boogie that sort of looked like the mashed potato. The crowd loved it and for Helm, we'll give a free pass on any stage antics he might pull as long as he's not abandoning the drum kit.

The Levon Helm Band's latest album, 'Electric Farmer,' was released this past June.