Review

Memphis, Tennessee
Orpheum Theatre
April 24, 2006


[Howard Weiner]

Review by Howard Weiner


Synopsis: 4-24-06 …There was a terrorist bombing in Egypt,
Moussaoui hasn’t been executed yet, a school shooting plot was
foiled, senators are hearing testimony about the meth epidemic,
millionaires played playoff basketball at various locations for
bored spectators, and Bob Dylan performed A Hard Rain’s A Gonna
Fall for a thousand lucky disciples in Memphis, in the grandest
venue at the corner of Beale and Main. Monday morning I was
strolling down the banks of the Mississippi River listening to Love
& Theft. The Dylan tour busses were parked outside the Orpheum
bright and early. The trailers were unloading the props (red
curtains and the star lit night sky background). In the afternoon I
paid homage to Otis Redding over at the Stax Museum. With the
possible exception of Robert Allen Zimmerman, is there anyone more
impressive than Otis? Thanks to modern technology, you can all go
on-line and see how amazing the Orpheum is. Best place I’ve ever
seen a concert, nuff said. We were treated to the standard Maggie’s
Farm show for the first six songs. It was fantastic. Catching She
Belongs To Me and Queen Jane is special. I can still hear Dylan
jabbing at his organ during Queen Jane. The organ gives the
proceedings a spooky feel, kind of like Augie Meyers’ work on Time
Out Of Mind. A plethora of distinctive American musical genres have
been born in the Fourth Chicksaw Bluff (Memphis), but this was a
heavy poetry slam set to arcane musical compositions. The only time
I’ve ever heard anything like this was two weeks ago when I
experienced “The Bob Dylan Show” in Vegas. Positively Fourth St. in
the seventh spot was brilliant. Bob’s vocal phrasing will forever
be etched in my brain. I can’t wait to go to the audio tape on this
one. It was another all-time great Dylan moment. Standing inside
his shoes, he was draped from head to toe in black with a puffy
white pirate shirt, and a circle of silver rhinestones on his top
hat. Donnie Herron’s the man; perched behind his pedal steel, he
was loving his role in life. He savored every moment. Dylan
delivered the knockout blow in round eleven with A Hard Rain’s A-
Gonna Fall. Is there anything more moving? Hard Rain and Blind
Willie blow me away every time. It’s hard to describe being in that
moment. Of all his early acoustic masterpieces that have been
rearranged, Hard Rain is the most satisfying. How bout that Dylan
top 100 of all time list in Mojo Magazine? Can anybody explain how
Hard Rain ended up at number 24? Fact: Hard Rain is the second
greatest song. As expected, Dylan encored with the greatest song.
something bout this city and venue made it extraordinary on this
night. A young guy standing next to me was bitten by Dylan mania.
After the show he said “I wanna go meet him, awesome man!” I
informed him Dylan probably wouldn’t be entertaining random guests
on his tour bus. This youngster who has probably grown up on shows
like MTV’s Pimp My Ride was genuinely awe struck by his Bobness. It
was gratifying to see Bob connecting with yet another generation. I
can’t believe all this Dylan paraphernalia I gotta schlep home. In
24 hours in Memphis I’ve acquired A Love & Theft poster, a ’65
poster from the Daniel Kramer collection, a shirt with an ’87 Dylan
photo, a book of someone’s insights on Dylan and religion (yawn),
and I’ve yet to hit the beefed up Dylan souvenir stand. I don’t
know what I’m going to do with this stuff; maybe I’ll have a garage
sale when I get back to Manhattan. After the show it was off to
karaoke night at Alfred’s on Beale. I thrilled the booze hounds
with Like a Rolling Stone, and I’m probably gonna give Tangled up
in Blue a go tonight. It’s free drinks for anyone who comes down to
cheer me on after Dylan’s state of the union address this evening.
I celebrated with all the pretty young ladies hanging out on Beale.
I’m ready to go back Jack and do it again. Until tomorrow, good
luck, I hope you all make it.

[TOP]

Click Here
to return to the
Main Page

page by Bill Pagel
billp61@execpc.com

Current
Tour Guide
Older
Tour Guides
Bob Links
Page
Songs
Performed
Set Lists
by Date
Set Lists
by Location
Cue
Sheets