Reviews

Well thank you
Nice to be back in Phoenix again
Alice Cooper he still live here?
Stevie Nicks she’s here too right?
Barry Goldwater he still around?  No
My man Barry
Alright 
I’ll tell you something that Arizona BiltmoreHotel over there
It was Marilyn Monroe’s favorite swimming pool
Anywhere
(A couple of Unclear words)
Park here in the spot where she used to swim
We all swam there today

After band intros Bob repeated the line
My man Barry
Alright

***********************************

Enjoyed the show, except the kept lights shining on the audience for the
entire show. I guess to help security stop picture taking. 

Some empty seats around us plus very late arrivals. 

Needed vac cards and bags needed to be small and clear.

Phoenix was the first show of a new tour and I know a lot of fans are
curious about it, so here are my observations.  First of all, I'm
prejudiced.  Bob Dylan can do no wrong, so be aware.  I'm from Denver, and
my partner Mary Catherine and I scheduled a trip to Phoenix just to see
Bob again.  And I'm here to tell you it was a beautiful, perfect show in a
packed house at the Arizona Federal Theatre.  I've been to 40 or 50 Dylan
concerts, and was a fan in back 1963, as I bragged to Mary Catherine. 
Back then I was in Liberty, Missouri and thought I was one of a handful of
the enlightened- but of course I was naive.  The setlist was the same as
the last tour, with the exception of Crossing the Rubicon, which a short
Rolling Stone review attributed (perhaps) to the new War.  I wore a brand
new Blonde on Blonde T-shirt, and I got a lot of unexpected attention-
thumbs up, smiles, nods.  At the end of the concert a fellow traveler (we
were nearly all fellow travelers) came up to me and said, "well, we got
one!" That would be Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine).  Mary
Catherine and I have been to a lot of recent Dylan concerts, and a couple
of years ago, after a pretty uninspiring low-key show, I said, you know,
it's all kinda the same and I think we might skip a couple.  She agreed. 
But this time around, we thought, you know, Bob's 80.  He's not going to
live forever, so let's go.  The crowd was amazing.  There were so many
young people, so many children, so many grandparents with their
grandchildren.  In the last twenty years I've never seen such a young
crowd at a Dylan concert.  We got double shots of Heaven's Door Bourbon at
exorbitant prices and took our seats in row 19.  Bob was MAGNIFICENT.  His
voice was strong and clear and he crooned.  His piano was turned up in the
mix and he pounded those keyboards.  Jerry Lee and Fats would have been
proud.  Well, Jerry Lee might still be proud because he refuses to die, I
think.  The older songs just rocked beautifully, redone in a rock n' roll
boogie woogie rolling blues style with great phrasing- "bring that bottle
over here."  I said to Mary Catherine, "He's 80, but I think he's in
love."  That would apply to many of his songs.  He did all of the Rough n'
Rowdy Ways songs intensely and beautifully.  At times I laughed tears of
joy to see how so fucking great and so fucking unpredictable  he was.  It
was transcendent.  When I Paint My Masterpiece, Every Grain Of Sand- no
one sings Dylan like Dylan.  We didn't actually see much of him.  He was
behind that big upright piano with the ugly façade facing us, and most of
the time he would stand and we could see him from the shoulders up.  His
face looked almost black with the floor lighting.  Then he would sit and
pound the piano and we could only see his head.  At one point mid-way he
got up and walked to the mic, and the crowd went wild, but he said a
couple of words to the band and retreated back to safety.  By the way,
they were all in black, and with the white floor lighting and Bob's kind
of black face it was surreal.  Early on he said a couple of "thank yous"
and near the end of the show he said something like this- "Been a while
since we were in Phoenix.  Alice Cooper still live here?  Stevie Nicks? 
How about Barry Goldwater, my man Barry."   And a bit later, "You know
Marilyn Monroe's favorite swimming pool was at the Biltmore.  We all swam
there today."  At the end he introduced his band, and finally came out
from behind his piano into the spotlight and stood there as the crowd rose
together and flooded him with applause.  Then just like that he was gone. 
As we filed out a young woman, probably in her late 20's, was loudly
talking to her companions, and I paraphrase:  "Drop the mic!  Every single
song, drop the mic!"  I couldn't have said it better myself, and I don't
even know what that means.  In a different time, watching Bob Dylan now
would be akin to watching Picasso paint in his 80's.  At least that's what
I think.  

Ron Alcorn

Since the last tour Fall 2021 I was home wondering where I could go to
volunteer. Not easy with the COVID still disturbing any public move. So 
I was relieved and not so much surprised to hear about the new Bob 
Dylan tour. And as I was guessing, that will be in the USA south west 
coast to east coast. No California, no Florida.

So I get ready; print the map and make a research on the greyhound 
transportation. Almost all the shows are accessible by bus. Cool!
I book two flights; Paris-New York JFK then JFK - Phoenix. And then 
starts the anxiety. I need a negative COVID  test to enter the USA. 
So I confine myself for the next few weeks, no meetings in crowds. 
I just borrow books from the public library and...read.
Finally Day D March 1st and the test is... NEGATIVE. The only time
you can say Negative is good:)
17 hours travel and 7 hours of switching of time later, I am in 
Phoenix. My CS(Couchsurfing)host is fantastic . I spend March 2sd
just relaxing and getting in shape.

Day D for Dylan. I take the 'metro' to the venue early afternoon, 
curious to see if Charlie is back in the Band. Except me two 
other young fans are hanging around. The bus musicians pulls 
in by 4.30pm. No Charlie but the rest of the Band coming out 
one by one ;Charley Drayton, Tony Garnier, Bob Britt, Donnie 
Heron and Doug Landon. They will do the sound check without 
Bob. His personal bus will pull in around 5.30pm. Though we 
wait for half an hour no one will step out except...the bus driver:)
I am already assured of a ticket, thanks to two good Samaritans; 
"anonymous" and Stacy Deane. They have been working hard 
to provide me for an entrance for that first show. Much Love 
and hugs to both of them.

I am getting inside the  Arizona federal theater at 7pm to make 
sure my COVID vaccination is valid (a European one). In by 
7.15pm ,I take my seat, all the way up on the balcony. Nice 
view of the stage. The set-up didn't change. Maybe Charley's 
drums aren't LIGHT GREEN and flashy anymore!? White lights 
are coming from under their feet, enveloping their faces in 
the dark. Same piano,same position. Two mikes center stage.
By 8pm and few minutes the intro classic music is full blast. 
The lights inside the venue are not totally off.I can see to 
write the "new" setlist!? 1/6 of the seats are still empty, 
even in front. Some patrons will even arrive during the fifth 
song. Shame on you! The musicians take their position. 
I don't know why Doug had been punished being right 
behind Bob and his piano!?:(.  All are wearing black 
including Bob.

They start a long intro of....
1)"watching the river flow".
2) "Most likely you go your way and I'll go mine"
3)"I contain multitudes"
4)"False prophet"
And to my surprise Bob doesn't move center stage. He 
takes few steps towards Tony but then stand right at 
the piano.
5)"When I paint my masterpiece" for me ah!ah!
6)"Black rider"
7)"I'll be your baby tonight"
8)"My own version of you"
I start  writing down "Early Romans kings" but... surprise.
9) it's "Crossing the Rubicon".
Certainly a great surprise as I was sick of those Roman 
Kings nobody never figured out who they are! A Gang 
members?:)
10)"To be alone with you" ...just for one hour???:)
11)"Key west" without Donnie's accordion. A bit flat.
12)" Gotta serve somebody"
And the audience finally wakes up. The front left 
rows are up and dancing. The ovation is deafening.
13)"I've made up my mind to give myself to you"
14)"Melancholy mood".
Bob steps aside and I truly believe he will take the 
center mike but...he stays at the piano.
15)"Mother of muses"
The worst of all as he tries to go in the upper notes 
and failed. His voice is cracking.:(
16)"Goodbye Jimmy Reed". Some reaction from 
fans in first rows.
Bob still behind the piano says:
"Thank you(for the third time).Been a while since 
we were in Phoenix. Alice Cooper still lives here? 
Stevie Nicks? How about Barry Goldwater? My man, Barry. 
You know Marylin Monroe's favorite swimming pool 
was at the Biltmore hotel. We ,uh-,we all swam there 
today!"
And present the Band."on the drums Charley Drayton. 
On a guitar Bob Britt, on the other guitar Doug Landon, 
on steal guitar Donnie Heron, on bass Tony Garnier".
Before pianoing 
17)"Every grain of sand"
Then finally moving center stage for the final Goodbye. 
Few seconds of static pose and he is gone!
Same setlist as the last Tour except"Crossing the Rubicon". 
Same Band. Same arrangements except "Key west". 
Same pants(way too large!). Same fluffy hair. Same voice:). 
But all the songs behind the piano:(
Not the best I've ever been too.
But he is Bobby Dylan, alright. Flesh and bones :)
So thank you Bobby. See you in Tucson. 

A fantastic show. Set list. Band. Bob's voice. All excellent.  The crowd
was the only distraction from my seat in the 14th row.. Many late arrivals
and cell phone jerks kept thre aggressive security scurrying around with
their flashlights. The overhead lights were a little distraction,  but
overall,  a great Bob show! His voice is stronger than ever. The songs
are more impactful when seen performed live. If you miss a chance to see
Bob Dylan live, shame on you.