Bob Dylan 2001.08.1 in Sedalia

Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Re: show #2 ???? reviews/comments
From: "gadugger@sunflower.com"  gadugger@sunflower.com
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 14:29:38 -0500

Remember, you asked for it.

Here's my "review" of the Sedalia show - let me know which sentence I
should submit for that annual bad prose contest :) 

The weather was great - 30 degrees down from the  110 degree heat index
recently in the Midwest. No need to be concerned about hearing "How does
it feel?" while lying prostrate in the first aid tent though a total of
6 fire trucks and ambulances were on stand by. Fortunately the "track"
seats in front of the grandstand referred to a dirt track not asphalt.
Also no need to be concerned about security which seemed remarkably lax.
Two Missouri highway patrolmen were positioned at the extreme sides of
the guard railed off area immediately in front of the stage. Their role
seemed to be limited to shining their flash light on people who stood up
on their folding chairs. 

The stage itself was totally open with the lighting rigging being
silhouetted against the darkening mostly cloudless eastern blue sky. The
lack of a backdrop limited the lighting effects especially the one where
front low lights cast band members shadows upwards. The prevailing winds
prevented the smell of incense from reaching the crowd though you could
see the smoke wafting southerly from behind the equipment. Oscar was in
place right from the start catching the last rays of the setting sun
coming through openings in the grandstand.  Bob was not on time tonight.
Perhaps he wanted to split the difference between the 8pm showtime shown
on the Sedalia poster and the 7:30 time posted everywhere else. 

After a couple of false alarms, Bob services finally began with stage
left Al Santos giving the customary invocation and the crowd giving its
customary response. We were 8 rows back just to the right of the left
speaker stack. Close enough to finally see Bob's two tone boots.
Unusually, Bob seemed in good spirits right from the start. No apparent
Bob stares at Larry who was not relegated to the far right  side of the
stage as he had been at Topeka in April of this year.

 The sound system was very loud and  quite good except for a couple of
times at the end when it seemed likely a speaker or two got blown. The
drums seemed to be a little more prominent in the mix compared to other
shows I have heard in the last year or so. Tonight Bob talk consisted
solely of lame jokeless band introductions at the end of the baker's
dozen song main set. I was hoping for a state fair themed joke like the
1996 "Tony once tried to milk a cow - with a monkey wrench". 

Duncan and Brady was a solid opener which the more I hear it the more it
grows on me. Tambourine Man, which, for me,  could be retired for a
while, was ok and was followed with early harp on Tangled. Loved the
vocal harmonies on This World and wished Bob would use the singing
talents of Larry and Charlie more. The differently paced Positively 4th
Street was great and a great one two punch with SIOMWTMBA one of my
favorite live songs. 

The opening of It Ain't Me Babe fooled me into thinking of Boots of
Spanish leather and was fine though I think it also is over played.
Desolation Row - enough said. More excellent group vocals - love that
Americans line - on Soldier's Grave. 

Next was the 3 song rocking core of the night. Made me think of the line
that the Dead were a jam in search of a song and Dylan was a song in
search of a jam. Band introductions came at the end of Pill Box followed
by the always hilarious formation - "the bitchy monarch surveying his
subjects".

A fantastic Love Sick led off the 7 song one encore performance. Bob's
phrasing on LARS made it hard for the crowd to do its sing a long part.
I Shall Be Released through Highway 61 was the second core grouping of
the night for me. I had never heard Released and Heaven's Door before
live and the way Dylan did AATW and Highway 61 kept them fresh and
vital. When Bob uses the sing song delivery its too much. BITW was a bit
of a let down after this group. Maybe its time for a new closer.

Afterwards I went up to the stage with thoughts of asking a roadie for a
cue sheet but when a cute younger thing -who came all the way from New
York- couldn't even get a response to her request for a pick - well what
chance did someone not nearly as cute pushing 50 from the wrong side
have.  Still it was the best concert of the 6 I have attended. Now if
some of those tapers present will just do the right thing.

george