Reviews

Chicago, Illinois

Aragon Entertainment Center

October 30, 2009


[Oscar Montes], [Kevin Carolan], [Trevor Townson]

Review by Oscar Montes



The audience was great, as usual many guys from the night before. A girl from
China who happens to study in Florida was there, just to see Bob, she was about
14 years old! Everybody just loved her!

Bob was wearing a black suit and a green shirt, black hat too. Bob began this
show with Leopard skin, great opening, everybody was so excited. Then a
wonderful surprise, everybody just celebrated Bob was singing Then man in me! A
highlight of the night, Bob played it center stage with harp. Then it came the
time for a powerful High water, great performance played it center stage with
harp. Sugar baby was next, really sweet and then a rocking Rollin’ and tumblin’.

The greatest moment of the night came, Bob played Every grain of sand, nobody
could believe it! The highlight of the night! Wonderful, incredible!

Everybody was waiting for Cold irons bound to be played in the windy city, the
crowd was so excited and enjoyed it a lot, Bob played it center stage with harp.
Spirit on the water with Bob on harp was next, excellent performance. Honest
with me, great! Po’ boy was the following, just sweet! Highway 61 revisited
really powerful, lots of energy on this song! Nettie Moore was nice and sweet
and then Thunder on the mountain, everybody was dancing rock n’ roll! Ballad of
a thin man with Bob on center stage playing the harp closed the regular show.

The encore was the same as the two nights before, Like a rolling stone,
wonderful; Jolene, really rocky and to finish the show All along the watchtower,
every night this song sound with more and more energy, excellent!

After the show I met three cool guys from Holland, one of them named Lenno, we
went to the bar just across the street from the Aragon and had a beer, someone
took a picture of us, we said goodbye and promised to see each other in
tomorrow’s show.

I want to dedicate this review and show to my friend and brother Alberto Ortega
who lives in Mexico and happens to be one of the greatest Bob fans all over the
world. He knows I’m dedicating this show to him for a very special song which
was played by Bob tonight and means a lot to him.

Can’t wait to be in tomorrow’s last show of the season in Chicago!

Oscar Montes
forever_young74@hotmail.com

[TOP]

Review by Kevin Carolan



If last night was the entree, then this was definately the main course ! LPH was
an inspired opening to what was to become a very special show. Bobs growling and
capering on The Man in Me was totally sublime and the new arrangement of Cold
Irons Bound was amazing. Every Grain of Sand was a word perfect Masterpiece with
crystal clear vocals and faultless delivery, marred only by the lack of a harp
solo.The band were terrific on the up tempo numbers the interaction between them
was a joy, culminating in a group hug after the encores, they knew they had
produced a stand out show. The 3rd show is on Halloween, and unless Bob manages
to raise the dead, they aint gonna top this one !!!

[TOP]

Review by Trevor Townson



In no way was this as good as Dallas in 2008 but in the end I put it down to
having rushed my choice of relish thereby ending up choosing the wrong sauce 
for my chicken wings. Something about Hooters bar that I like a lot but I cannot
put my finger on what it is. Anyway time to depart for the second show but this
time via the Red Line from Grand to save the feet a little following the 
previous days pilgrimage. 

Today it rained so a lot of people including myself arrived with 
umbrellas. Standing in line there was a lady telling of various word changes
Bob had included into some songs sung the previous night. I must say that I do
not know the lyrics of the songs that she was referring to too well so had not
noticed myself and could not comment. Oh well perhaps Armageddon is to arrive
early and I will not be aware in time to prepare through not noticing even
after having been told by Bob.  I may not have noticed any word changes day one
but I am sure that Bob sang “Betty or not”  instead of “Freddy or not”
on day two during Po’ Boy but maybe it was just to my ears. 

About 10 minutes before doors opening it was announced that all umbrellas had
to be checked in downstairs once we were inside the venue, Right. I had a very
funky compact umbrella a bit like Inspector Gadget would have which whilst not
being the strongest for the Windy City did in fact close down to something 
about the size of a box of cigarettes.  My queue buddy had an umbrella of more 
normal design and proportions so when Bob sang during Sugar Baby “Plenty of 
places to hide things here if you wanna hide ‘em bad enough” it was quite
funny thinking of the comments from my buddy as we marched in as to how 
relieved he would be to retrieve his umbrella from where it was hiding and how 
hopeful he was that it did not automatically open out due to his body 
movements!

Prior to the show starting slightly delayed there appeared to be a set list 
change as people walked around the stage shuffling and changing paper. 
Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat was hot from the off and night two proved a better
night all round for me. No guitar from Bob tonight but I did not miss it at all
probably due to how Bob made up for it by performing at and with the centre
stage microphone so much. Charlie made up for the lack of guitar from Bob by
playing a different guitar of his own on almost every song.

Not only was Stu looking more comfortable and confident now with Charlie  
holding back that undue pressure of the past that has been imposed on the 
guitarists. Bob too was yet again changing and looking confident on microphone 
with out having any instrument as a prop, even on occasions being without his 
faithful harmonica for company. 

Bob was looking much more comfortable at centre stage, OK so he did not  
walk forward and stroll up and down the front of the stage with microphone in 
hand whilst smooching to the crowd but at this rate of change I would not rule 
out something like that happening in future.  He took the microphone off the 
stand a few times to walk a little on the spot with it.  Get ready folks as we 
could soon be seeing yet another new Bob enjoying himself as the worlds first 
and only Rock Crooner, is Bob Dylan yet again Coming Up For Air, that would be 
Brilliant.

Trevor Townson

[TOP]

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