Reviews

Excellent show.  Dylan's at the top of his form. (Of course I always say
that.) 

I especially enjoyed his duet with Willie Nelson. Willie Nelson and Lucas
Nelson and Willie's other son also performed. Lucas stood between Dylan(at
his usual place atstage right)and Stu Kimball(in HIS usual place on stage
right but further back from Dylan).

Lucas was watching Bob as he played on the piano and sang.  It seemed like
Lucas was having a good night.  He got to sing a song earlier when Willie
was performing.

Dylan and Willie traded off lyrics on the refrain: "Any Day Now,    Any
Day Now,   Any Day Now, Any Day Now  several times, then they sang
together, I Shall Be Released.  There was a loud roar from the crowd when
Willie sang one of the verses by himself.

The weather was great.  There was a crescent moon after sunset, probably
the first moon visible from the stage all tour.

Towards the end of the show, Dylan introduced his band. When he introduced
the drummer, he said something like,  "When you go through life you meet
many people and some of them become friends."

There have been a number of people who have asked me when I would do a
review and honestly I was thinking I wouldn’t this time around. Partly
because if you say really complimentary things people so often come back
with such negativity that it is like okay why did I even bother and
honestly how can one go to a Dylan concert and not walk out afterwards so
absolutely full of desire and passion and such hope because really the
integrity and yes dignity he tosses out there like a fast ball or even
when he feels irascible a curve ball to the audience praying it will not
be returned with silence or worse yet loud screaming that is so worthless
because it comes at the most oddball of places and really proves too many
of the fans just don’t listen either with their ears or their hearts and
have only come to the show so they can later brag to their friends (during
a cell phone conversation I can almost betcha – more than likely placed
during another Dylan show because what else is one suppose to do during
the slow songs – listening would be too obvious I guess) about how they
saw Dylan. I think what too many forget is the man is human and not only
that but he is continuing to evolve even if so many of his fans have
stopped growing right around the time their diapers proved too full of
crap to allow them free and easy movement. Anyhow back to the show – ten
thousand strong and first let me begin by saying EVERYONE THAT NIGHT MOST
DEFINITELY HIT HOMERUNS OUT OF THE PARK – COWTOWN (THE OPENING BAND) – NOT
TOO EXCITING, BUT HEY THEY WERE A GOOD OPENER – WILLIE GOD EVEN THOUGH THE
WAVING AND TOSSING OUT OF HIS CLOTHES BECAME TOO MUCH AFTER ABOUT THE
THIRD SONG I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE I SAW HIM TWICE RIGHT THERE IN THE
FLESH – I SWEAR HE IS NOT ONLY BIGGER THAN LIFE, BUT TRULY EMBODIES LIFE
WITH A LIVING PRESENCE THAT GROUNDS YOU WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
ELECTRIFYING YOU – AND SPEAKING OF ELECTRICITY JESUS BOB TALK ABOUT
WHITELIGHT/WHITEHEAT YOU ARE SOMETHING ELSE AND YOUR BAND WELL THEY ARE
THE BEST DRESSED KILLERS IN THE BUSINESS SINCE THE GODFATHER OR GOODFELLAS
HIT THE SCREEN (THE SOPRANOS JUST CAN NOT COMPETE!).

I’m not going to go song by song but am only going to give a few thoughts
about certain songs that just took me apart piece by piece never putting
me back together again because that wasn’t the point of this music ever
anyhow. I heard a “field recording” of Jackson while in line the next day
for South Bend and from what I could hear Lexington and the next night in
South Bend were at a much higher and hotter level than the Jackson show
plus the sets in Lexington and South Bend really mixed it up and for me
who hadn’t seen any shows after the March Detroit’s these past two shows
really helped me cover some ground I really hungered to experience live
and in person. So here goes:

The Times They Are A-Changin’ – I’ve wanted to hear this for so long
especially after the Northampton version from April. 19 2003 and Jesus was
it ever worth the wait. First off there have been new speakers introduced
to the mix replacing the huge monsters they had at both ends of the stage
and these speakers are all Bob’s voice helping with the unfortunate
problem we ran into at Park West if you were one of the exalted few to be
right at the stage where the vocal was just about completely buried if at
the rail (or in the case of Park West at the very lip of the stage itself)
while these new speakers give you Bob’s vocal right there so that it is no
longer competing with the flaming flaying guitars and sonic bass and
bashing crashing tear down that old building drums, but is right there on
top of the mix where it so absolutely belongs. Oh and I will not even
allow myself to become engaged in this inane argument about Dylan’s voice
and growl and how his voice is shot. PEOPLE HE IS A BLUESMAN – HE IS
CHARLEY PATTON’S GHOST COME BACK TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND RIP OUT YOUR HEART
AND EAT IT BENEATH A BLOOD STAINED CRESCENT MOON – HE IS SON HOUSE’S DEATH
LETTER BLUES REPLETE WITH STILETTO STUCK DOWN IN THE BOOT IN CASE THINGS
GET OUT OF HAND – HE IS BLOOD COUGHED UP AND SPIT INTO A SPITTOON AS YOU
BLOW THE HARP AND YOUR BRAINS OUT THROUGH THE VERY HOLES THAT NEVER COULD
RESTRAIN YOU ANYHOW – HE IS ST. JAMES INFIRMARY AND EVERY JUKE JOINT YOU
NEVER WOULD ENTER BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO WHITE AND KNOW THEY’D CUT YOU UP
JUST FOR TRYING TO FIT IN – HE’S EVERY SONG SUNG ON THE CHAIN GANG WHILE
BREAKING BIG ROCKS INTO LITTLE ROCKS BENEATH THE NOONDAY SUN – HE IS THE
CRUCIFIXION AND THE SECOND COMING LONG BEFORE CHRIST EVER TOLD YOU WHO HIS
FATHER WAS AND HE IS THE VERY CROSSROADS YOU DETOUR AROUND EVERY TIME YOU
DRIVE THROUGH MISSISSIPPI BECAUSE YOU ARE SCARED TO DEATH YOU JUST MIGHT
COME ACROSS THE DEVIL AND NOT BE CAPABLE OF REFUSING HIS MAN OF PEACE
CHARM. ANYONE WHO CAN CROON LIKE NAT KING COLE ONE SECOND AND RASP LIKE
TOM WAITS THE NEXT WELL HE’S NOT ONLY A GREAT SINGER, BUT AS WELL A GENIUS
COMMUNICATOR AND WE CAN NOW CLOSE THE BOOK AND NO MORE WRITING NEEDS TO BE
DONE ABOUT HIS VOICE OR THE LACK THEREOF. Times was exquisite and the
multi layered/textured sound was truly both beautiful and horrific to
behold because he is still so very much heeding the charge for a call to
action that so many refute and refuse still needs to take place as they
bury themselves in their apathetic unproductive lives.

I Shall Be Released (with Willie Nelson and his 2 sons) – pure fusion!
Both nights you could totally tell they were having fun with it and the
art and stellar new version(s) that came out of this good time will never
be surpassed. Richard Manuel trust me when I say you were totally paid
tribute to!

 lind Willie McTell – SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY (I AM STILL COMPLETELY
STUNNED AT THE MANY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERES THE BAND CAN AND DOES CREATE
DEPENDING ON THE SONG THEY ARE PLAYING) WITH DYLAN LAYING INTO THE VOCAL
LIKE HE WAS NOT ONLY PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD, BUT WAS DOING IT FOR THE
LAST TIME BECAUSE HE WAS TIRED OF US CALLING HIS BLUFF WHILE HE WAS NEVER
BLUFFING TO BEGIN WITH (I believe he leaves that to us).

I Believe In You – not the new version, but in fact played very much like
the original and God what an uplifting and totally heartfelt performance
it was. Thank you Bob!

Ballad of Hollis Brown – quite possibly the highlight of night for me
though I must say every song was played expertly and with such intense
feeling by everyone up there on that stage that I hate to single out one
song as my favorite and yet this performance of this stark desolate blues
holler really was explicit in its spooky ominous epic quality. It was
delivered as a benediction which makes sense because that is what it is.

Charles Cicirella

First of all, we just had a great day for a concert.  The weather was
perfect, just warm enough to feel like summer, and cool at night.  We got
a great seat on the field, and buckled in for a long evening of great
music.  Hot Club of Cowtown was excellent in my opinion, a great opener
for this tour.  They played a country swing style with lots of great
guitar work, and great fiddle work from the female member of the group.
Willie came out and did "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" with
them at the end of their set.  They looked to be having the time of their
lives with Willie onstage.  


Willie came out to a very enthusiastic audience.  He just seems to bring
people together wherever he goes.  He is a true American legend/icon as
much as Bob, which is what made this night so special for me.  He really
surprised me when he did not open with "Whiskey River", and chose a song
of his 1986 album, "Living In The Promised Land".  I've seen Willie 10
times, and this was the first time he didn't open with "Whiskey River". It
did come second, but then another surprise when "Stay A Little Longer",
the normal follower of "Whiskey River", was not played, and they played
"Still Is Still Moving To Me", one of my favorites.  He did a string of
hits a mile long, and had the crowd in his hand when he turned it over to
his son, Lucas, to play some blues leads and sing on "Texas Flood". 
Willie finished his show with more blues, "Milk Cow Blues".  The highlight
of this set for me was "Poncho and Lefty".  We had just got a new puppy
this week, and named it Poncho, so this was cool for us. Reminded me of
how great a song it is, and how lucky we were to see Dylan play it at
Bonnaroo this year.


Now on to Bob's show.  This was a fantastic night for Bob, very upbeat,
and clear as I've heard him in a good while.  I think playing with someone
of Willie's caliber does something to Bob, as did playing with Paul Simon
a few years back.  I think he really enjoys singing with these people
around.  They opened with a great "Maggie's Farm", absolutely rocked it,
and got the crowd moving around quite a bit.  The next song was a
highlight for sure.  "Times They Are A-Changin" was played seamlessly,
with Bob's voice just sounding so good.  I really was having flashes of
seeing Dylan about 10 years ago, when his voice was still on every night. 
I took off with my camera through the crowd to get really close for a song
or two.  I really chose a good time to go, because I got rocked with a
great "Cold Irons Bound" which contained the best jamming for the band of
the whole night.  The sound up front was LOUD and very clear, and this
song was just forcing the crowd to dance  and scream in approval.  It was
then I notice the huge amount of heads in the crowd, and I was engulfed
with a flurry of strong smoke.  It was great to see the crowd really
getting loose and partying down to Bob's tunes.  So many times with Bob
and Wille both, you get very boring people in the audience, and that was
not the case Saturday.  Next, I got what I wanted more than anything, a
duet w/Willie on "I Shall Be Released".   Willie did an amazing job of
singing with Bob's staggered version of this great tune.  I really like
the arrangements he's using right now.   I got a couple great shots of
them smiling ear to ear at each other.  Bob was having a blast, and really
enjoying Willie's presence.  Tweedle was very well played, a better
version than the last one I saw.  Memphis Blues was a very nice surprise,
and really got me going, had to head for more beer.
 Bob's did a great harp solo and really did a great finish to the tune. It
was so nice to here "Blind Willie McTell", what an awesome song.  I really
wasn't expecting this at all.  "Watching The River Flow" seemed to be a
really nice crowd pleaser, and thought so too.  The highlight of the
night, for me anyway, came with "I Believe In You".  I love this song, and
hadn't heard it for so long.  It came out of right field, literally. I was
so surprised to see him play this for some reason, even though I've seen
it on a few recent setlists.  I had my copy of "Slow Train A' Comin'" out
as soon as I got home.  He sang this song with such conviction and true
interest that it was just moving as could be.  Bob still has it all going
on for him, no matter what some people say. "Honest With Me", and "Summer
Days" were both predictable, but rocked the crowd as always.  What wasn't
expected was the amazing, dark version of "Ballad of Hollis Brown" that
came between them.  WOW!!!  Had not heard this song live for a long time,
and was blown away.  The encores were excellent, including a great jam on
the Watchtower. Rolling Stone caused the sing a long as always, and is a
just a great encore.  It always leaves me very fulfilled, even if it is
played every night.

Whoever put the idea of Bob, Willie, and ballparks together is amazing. It
provided a great Americana atmosphere that was truly unique.  I had a
great time, and was about to go to South Bend, but just couldn't make it.
 I hope to see much more of both Bob and Willie this year.  I would love
to see a duet album with these two, who knows what they talk about
backstage.  Two living legends, and two of the greatest music geniuses of
all time.  If you haven't gone yet, go see one show on this tour, very
good stuff going on there.

David Martin