Review

Moline, Illinois

July 12, 2000

The Mark of the Quad Cities


[Ryan Shadbolt]

Review by Ryan Shadbolt



Sincerely, I am only 21 years old and have only been a Dylan fan since
about the time TOOM came out.  This was also only the second show I have
been to, the first being last summer when Bob opened for Paul Simon in
Clarkston, Michigan.  That performance was decent and it certainly showed
me what Bob was capable of.  However, last night's performance in Moline
was a night to remember and full of very pleasant surprises.  After
reviewing recent setlists, I don't see how he could have giving us a
better one than this.  I believe that this stop was actually added in
later after the original tour was scheduled and it showed.  The venue
seats 12,000, but I figure there were only about 4 - 5,000.  In my
opinion, the result was a very intimate night with the man himself.  He
sported his black suit with the white stripes on the legs and a white
shirt and tie.  The scent of incense was burning as he was introduced.

Duncan and Brady- I'm not a crazy fan of this song, but it does go very
well as an opener.  It was initially apparent that the sound was great. 
The enunciations and acoustics of the venue were very good and the band
was right on the whole night.  Never once did I catch an obvious blunder
in this set.

It Ain't Me Babe- What a surprise!  This was totally by far the best
acoustic song of the night, and probably the overall best song of the
night. 
  He delivered this song with such an intimacy that I think it touched us
all.  It nearly brought tears to my eyes as the shivers were going up my
spine, I know that!  His facial expressions and slight movements were well
intact as he displayed some fine guitar work on this song.  This was
probably the best song I have ever heard live.

Masters of War- Another surprise, it is a song I like very much, but after
the impact of the last song, I was having a difficult time being
emotionally moved by it.

It's All Over Now, Baby Blue- This was not a version of that I liked
particularly, but Bob was really beginning to show us that he was working
hard, yet he continued to nod and smile at members of the crowd.  There
were some decent jams and towards the end of the song, you could see a
drip of sweat that was collecting on the end of his nose.  He wiped it off
just as the song ended, but it kept coming back throughout every song
afterwards.

Tangled- I really enjoy the live version of this song and I am certainly
in favor of him playing this song in every set for the rest of his career.
 I mean, come on, how can you call yourself a Dylan fan if you don't love
a little Taaaaaaaaaangled Up in Blue to get the crowd bumping.  He didn't
give us the harp, but it was still great nonetheless.  During the last jam
I noticed him shaking his head a couple of times to someone as if they
were motioning for him to grab the harp, but not tonight.

Don't Think Twice - Sounded great.  I thought the song was about to wind
down, so I was watching the crowd for a few moments.  I turned around and
he had taken off his guitar and picked up the harp.  I love how he
instantly becomes so timid without his guitar.  He noodled around, puffing
out a few notes and then he slowly worked up to playing and walked up
towards the edge of the stage.  His confidence was once again restored and
we got a great ending.

Country Pie, Shooting Star- Country folk at it's best.  However, this
isn't one of my favorite sides of Dylan, but these songs were excellent
with Larry's pedal steel.  Shooting Star was another surprise of the
night.

Watchtower- Holy sh*t!  Where did this come from?!  This was the best
electric song of the night and rivalled It Ain't Me Babe for the best of
the night.  Everything was turned up a notch and it was loud.  Simply
unbelievable and totally unexpected.

Joey- I honestly don't know this song, but he hasn't played it for quit
some time.  I consider myself blessed because it was a good song, I just I
had more experience with these songs.

Drifter's Escape- This song really jams.  I really enjoyed this.  About
3/4 of the way through, I noticed that Charlie dropped his pick.  I
watched as he concentrated on his thumb picking through the verse.  I
couldn't even notice any difference in his playing, but he quickly
snatched another pick off his mic stand just before the chorus.  The
second and last appearance of the harp made it's way into the mix.  A
thank you and band intros were made after this song.

Pillbox Hat- What can you say, Bob apparently loves playing this song
live.  He was all smiles and his exchanges with the crowd were not
ceasing.  I think it is a great way to end the first set.  It's another
loud song that just gets us all wanting more.  Hwy 61 may be the only
better choice for this spot.  All four stood at attention and gazed us
down.  I find it interesting how everyone on the stage are motionless, but
Bob continues to fidget.  It's as if he's still too pumped to stand still.
 It's a wonderful site.

Things Have Changed- My first time to hear this new song and I absolutely
loved it!  I could hear all of his lyrics and I was impressed.  It's
another great song to the catalog.

Rolling Stone- I think I am beginning to love how the crowd responds to
this song even more than the actual song itself.  The line 'How does it
feel?' shows more life from the crowd in that one line than most of entire
set combined.  How many times do you think he has played this song?!

Girl of the North Country- This was really the only disappointing song of
the night for me simply because it wasn't loud enough.  I know the song is
a quiet one to begin with, but I was really struggling to hear Bob's voice
on this one.  There didn't appear to be anything wrong with the song at
all, it was just the volume.  However, after just experiencing the very
loud Watchtower, Pillbox, and LARS, it may have been just my ringing ears
to blame.

Hwy 61- Another great song to play live and loud.  The crowd was loving
every minute of it.  I was pretty sure that this was the final song since
he had been ending with it as of late.  In my opinion, I think this song
would go better as the ending to the first set where Pillbox usually sits,
but I shouldn't complain.  This man purposefully gives us ALMOST
everything we could ever want.  This is what makes the shows so great and
what keeps drawing us back for more.  He asks for our persistence, and if
we are persistent, we will never be disappointed.  All I can say is that I
hope he continues to remain so full of life for many more years.  Who says
there isn't a such thing as a fountain of youth?  Thanks for a great show
Bob.

Ryan

[TOP]


Return to Current Tour Guide page
Return to Bob Links
Go to the Set Lists (by city) page
Go to the Set Lists (by date) page 1999 Tour, 1998 Tour, 1997 Tour, 1996 Tour , 1995 Tour, Pre 1995 Tours
Go to the Cue Sheet page