Reviews

New York, New York

Beacon Theatre

December 3, 2014


[Oscar Montes], [Phil Hale]

Review by Oscar Montes



More than a year since the last time I saw Bob in Mountain View and NYC 
seemed so irresistible to do it again. When the 4 dates were announced 
and I knew lots and lots of fans would be there it was impossible not to do it. 
I told my non-Dylan fan girlfriend Johanna we should go, she said “no way” 
so I made a plan myself, I purchased flight and shows tickets, etc. One week 
before the shows she said “OK,  I’m going with you, I’m going shopping but 
not Dylan shows”. You all can imagine what I did to get flight tickets but at 
the end everything worked out perfectly.

The first show was great, Bob so much in touch with the
audience.  Beautiful venue, so nice to
see/meet many Bobcats from all over the world. We left so happy the venue
after this first show to have a wonderful after-show party.

Second and forth shows were good, I only skipped the 3rd
one, they said it was also a really good one. I missed this show for going
to a MNF Game at Metlife Stadium to see my favorite team the Miami
Dolphins who actually defeated the Jets, I felt some kind of guilty for
not doing this 3rd show and most because I lost my digital camera after
the game, incredibly next day a received an e-mail saying they have found
it and would sent it to me to my address in Mexico, wow, I couldn’t
believe it!

The highlight of every night was “Long and wasted years”
followed by “Stay with me” and some great versions of “Love sick” and
“Forgetful hear”, “Simple Twist” version on last show was perfect. On LAWY
Bob’s voice was incredible, so loud but so clear at the same time and you
could tell that Bobby really meant every word of it.

I feel last show was the best, really close in quality to
the first one. What I’m sure of is that in the last show Bob was
completely in great mood with the audience, so much that for a moment I
was sure they would do another song after “Stay with me”, maybe some more
louder claps, it was really close.

Leaving the bar when we all met up after shows, on Dec 4th
night something special happened, the radio started playing “Just like a
woman” and John, Danielle Kl, Virginia Lennon and I also started singing
it inside the place, we left the place and stopped listening to it but
that didn’t stop us from continue singing it outside the bar while walking
on the street looking for the subway or a taxi to take us home, something
for sure we’ll never forget.

Traveling with my girlfriend is always great but when it’s
on a Bob tour things drastically change, one has to split their time and
it’s dangerous, I arrived to 3 of the 4 shows 5 minutes before they
started, you can imagine me running stressfully trough the NYC streets,
looking at my watch every second , praying that the subway could go
faster. Well, at least we could take our picture of Freewheelin’ album on
Jones street at West 4th Street, if you want to take a look at it, here
you are:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152921852499308&l=89a31b83bc

Thank you for the good time and help to all Bobcats who I
had the pleasure to spend time with these days: 
Mangala Norskog, Kathy Fortier, Edgar Perez from Mexico, Geir Olsen,
Valeria Cannizzo, Sue Osborne, Nichole Hersey, Ysa Meza from Peru,
Virginia Lennon, Verónica from Italy, Laurette Maillet, Danielle Kl, Julia
Voitech, Alrik, Joachim Steward, Howard Weiner, Denise Sullivan, Susan and
Al, Ed & Michelle, Andrea Orlandi, Keith Stauring, Per Sandwall, Tim
Price, Janice O’Hara, Thomas, Jay Powers, Noreen Lindner Barney, Madeleine
Christie Jarvis, John Paul Briney, Kevin from England, etc.

Thanks to my uncle and aunt in law who live in Staten Island
for allowing us to stay at their home the whole week, sorry that I arrived
so late every night after the parties with all the Bobcats.

See you soon on the road!

Oscar Montes
forever_young74@hotmail.com

[TOP]

Review by Phil Hale



Just in case no one else chimes in: just a few thoughts on the last night
at The Beacon. Wednesday was, I think, the best of the five with an added
intensity and clarity to Bob’s singing. It also brought the most
enthusiastic audience response. I went with a friend who is talented
musically and he smiled kindly but almost sympathetically when I told him
I had been to all four shows up to that point. At the intermission he
turned to me and said “I can totally get why you could and would want to
see this show more than once”. My feeling by the end was that five was
not enough!

This was a monster of a show with so many highlights. Many of the
reviewers are better equipped to describe the intricacies of the playing
on a song by song basis and have done so for other nights, so I won’t
attempt to repeat them. My take on it was that Duquesne Whistle, Early
Roman Kings (both songs incidentally that have grown on me massively in
live performance compared to the Tempest versions), Workingman’s Blues,
Love Sick and Long And Wasted Years were all a tiny notch above the other
four nights.

Just sufficient I think to say that this was, in the context of the last
30 years that I have seen Dylan perform, up there with anything I have
witnessed. The static set list enhanced the experience for me. As has been
referenced by many reviewers it has enabled Bob and the band to nail the
arrangements and created a level of stage craft that gave a different feel
to the show compared to almost all others I have seen.

The fact that Bob has conjured up an amazing tour and run of shows at this
stage of his career is testament to whatever creative fountain he has been
drinking from over the years.  It was an absolute privilege to be there.

Phil

[TOP]

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