From Columbia to Charlotte. March 30th.
I slept well in a queen size bed but I wake up with anxiety; I had no other 
solution than to book a Greyhound bus ride. Leaving at 4pm arriving 
(supposedly at 5.35pm). Since the beginning of my trip I had no bus on time, 
leaving or arriving. And even though I booked a Motel room really close to the 
venue in Charlotte I don't except to be on time, wich is for me 6.30pm at
the venue.

I call a UBER ride to the greyhound station, maybe I'll find a coffee shop and 
think about the situation. Well! The station is in a middle of the industrial 
area. No coffee shop. Vending machines only. I don't feel spending 5 hours 
here... I call UBER. That will coast me a fortune. But I made some money 
selling my prints and this will be the hardest situation until the end of the 
Tour. Later in the road I will join Friends/Fans. 

John is a pleasant driver who will put Bob Dylan on his radio for intertainmant. 
One hour and half later we pull in front of my Hotel/Motel, right next to the 
Ovens Auditorium.

The area is not pleasant. We are by the freeway and no coffee shop 
around :( I buy some food at the Exxon gas station: noddles, cereals, 
chocolate drink... That will do :)
I put the TV on for stupid TV shows. Somehow that puts me to a relaxed 
mood until 6pm. I chat with Stefanie in the parking lot. She's trying to sell
her extra Dylan books and get some bucks for the road. She's also a "poor" 
follower.
Not too long after 6.30 pm a man walks up to me with a big smile on his 
face. "I have a ticket for you, follow us". Two youngsters are with him. 
He says the seat is fourth row. Woah!
He seems to know me but I never saw him on the road.
He said he met Bob Dylan in the past when he was in music business.

We take our fourth seats, fourth row center and we .... Chat. He invites 
me to the Bahamas where he owns an Island and build recreational resorts. 
He invites me to paint there. So he must know I'm a painter and a ...writer. :)
Sounds very good to me and I ask him his email and phone number. Who 
knows what will happen???:)

8.03pm.
Lights are dimed.
Bob moves by the piano again loaded with two bottles of water :)
The sound is .... Bad. The mic is way to high. Bob sings away from it. 
We can't hear a word.
"Watching the river flow" is mainly instrumental.
"Most likely you go your way"... Is also pretty slaughtered.
" I contain multitudes" sounds alright. The favorite of my good Samaritan 
tonight.
"False prophet" will be my highlight. But Bob is upset and don't move 
center stage for the pose.
"When I paint my masterpiece" is also slaughtered. Bob is to far from 
the mic. I can't even "karaoke"??? At some point Bob stops singing and 
let the Band play a long instrumental. Bob Britt doesn't understand the 
message and loud, turning towards him Dylan says "play something". 
Britt strums his acoustic guitar a little louder. 
 Woah! Bobby is angry tonight. 
"Black rider" is fine. The mic might have been adjusted :(
"I'll be your Baby tonight" makes the crowd reacts and for the first time, 
Bob moves center stage for a pose. 
That will do for the public who had been patient and supportive so far. :)
Bob feels the good vibrations.
"Gotta serve somebody" is re- arranged. Breaking the Rock and Roll 
tempo, the Band enters in a long instrumental. Not of the best result. 
It cools down the energy. :(
"Melancholy mood" will bring Bob center stage one more time.When I 
realized he is wearing his jacket with the red embroidery. A bit of color 
tonight :).
"My own version of you" will also get a reaction from the audience. 
A big applause.
The entire show will be chaotic musically. The piano being way too loud. 
And Bob is banging nervously and angrily at the keys. One more time he 
will turn towards Britt and asks him to "Play!".
Someone in the crowd shouts "pick up the tempo!" Bob murmurs something 
like "we can only play so fast!" Not sure if he is joking or angry or ..  
drunk!? Talking to himself or the Band in between the songs.
The weirdest show on that tour for me .
My good Samaritan is satisfied. 
Of course some fans will find it .... fantastic
Not sure what fantastic means :)

Stefanie had hard time outside fighting with security. But she managed 
to get in.

I say goodbye to my good Samaritan. Maybe see you in the Bahamas, 
some day!
I chat with the "cowboy hat" Fan who I know from the Beacon N.Y.
Outside the wind is blowing hard.

The rain starts to fall. 
It's time to retrieve to security and comfort.
I am happy I made the trip. 
That was another one of those adventures on the road.
Bobby will rest and relax in Greensboro.
We love you.

You can take the high road, take the low, take anyone you're on...says 
Bob Dylan. I took his advice, plus gas and tolls and decided to take a road 
trip from New York City to North Carolina to catch 3 of his shows on this 
leg of the spring of 2022 Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. My girlfriend 
Jacqueline refused to let me do the 10-11 hour drive by myself. So she 
said "I'm going too". Okay, so I procure tickets for Charlotte, Greensboro 
and Asheville, a place to stay and a car… and away we go!!

Show #1, Charlotte, Ovens Auditorium a nondescript venue, more akin 
to a high school auditorium. Very nice staff, lots of transplanted New 
Yorkers. Very docile crowd tonight…pity because Bob and the boys put 
on another great show. Especially after the first 2 songs, WATCHING 
and MOST LIKELY, which as per usual on the last 2 tours seem to be
warm-ups. Great long intro on both of them, but Bob was barely audible 
on most of WATCHING. I CONTAIN MULTITUDES was perfect tonight, 
but was one-upped by FALSE PROPHET...Bob belted this out...and the 
band was stomping hot...highlight #1 tonight. Bob blew a great harp
solo on MASTERPIECE. A solid version of BLACK RIDER was followed by 
a rollicking I'LL BE YOUR BABY TONIGHT, which was slightly undone by 
B ob's annoying piano tinkling.

Then the high point of the evening…a scorching MY OWN VERSION OF 
YOU and CROSSING THE RUBICON, which I was desperate to hear live, 
after pleading for it on the fall 2021 tour. I was absolutely thrilled with 
Bob's rendition tonight. Slow, brooding, dark, ominous. Great!! TO BE 
ALONE WITH YOU featured a great instrumental interlude wherein Bob 
turned to the band and said "play whatever you want"! My girlfriend 
did not like Bob's take on KEY WEST...she did not realize what song it 
was for several moments. I thought it was better than the boots I had
heard so far on this tour. Let's see if Candian Sue(myassoff) thinks it 
was better. Unfortunately, she was not at tonight's show. Bob tore 
down the house with GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY...too bad the 
audience was not up for it. Heartfelt version of I MADE UP MY MIND 
(unfortunately some more tinkling on the piano). A breezy MELANCHOLY
MOOD. A low key, but nonetheless bouncing version of JIMMY REED. 
Band intros without much extra banter. And to round out the
evening a beautiful take on EVERY GRAIN OF SAND, which featured a 
nice instrumental break. Another Bob show in the books. 

Met a lot of new Bobcats and also ran into a few from previous 
tours/shows. Saw Will from Raleigh (met him at Phili 2021) and met 
Laurette after the show. Had a nice conversation with a
guy named Bob (tye-dye shirt) who I may see in Greensboro as we 
will both be at that show. Spoke to a bunch of ex New Yorkers who 
work at the venue and lastly chatted with Roger, Bob's watchman. 
All in all a good first night in North Carolina for myself and my girlfriend. 
Off to Greensboro next.