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Bob Dylan 2001.10.27 in Chicago


Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Impressions of Chicago Show
From: Cwenz123  cwenz123@aol.com
Date: 28 Oct 2001 05:37:38 GMT

Friends,

The show was wonderful and energetic.  I had been to the
Springfield show in August and was pleased that the set list
for this one was substantially different, even without
counting the new material.  Bob seemed very happy when he
was singing his new material, frequently grinning and
dancing around.  He also seemed to me to be singing "at"
someone in the front row, probably a dame (although I
couldn't see because I was farther back).  I felt even more
strongly about this when, at the end of the main set, he
swung his arm over his head and pointed at this person,
almost as if he was dedicating the show to him/her.

Sugar Baby was fantastic.  Bob's vocal was very clear, and
the audience cheered loudly when he deplored the amount of
trouble women bring.  Come to think of it, a good portion of
the audience seemed familiar with the new material and they
were responding very well to it.  (Although, after Sugar
Baby, the guy next to me called out for Jack of Hearts.)  I
thought that Bob wasn't speaking to the audience at all on
this tour, but tonight he introduced the band, calling them
"the best band in the land".  He seemed to forget some lines
in Gotta Serve Somebody and (believe it or not) The Times
They Are A'Changin.  In the first case he repeated the "long
string of pearls" line later in the song, in the wrong
place.  Duing Times I was feeding each line to my wife in
advance, as she has trouble understanding Dylan.  At one
point he really seemed to forget what came next, mumbling a
few words and finally remembering the last word or two of
the line.  But I might be mistaken about these; I look
forward to hearing from others who were there.

A word about Highwater.  From the beginning, I thought he
was saying "throw your panties OVERBOARD".  But I've seen
some "official" lyrics that say "on the board".  Well, I
took care tonight to watch (through binoculars) and listen
very carefully, and I am 100% certain that he said
"overboard".  Again, I'd like to hear other imperssions.

Now, I confess to not knowing the names of all the people in
the band.  There are two lead guitarists, and I believe the
one with the goatee and longer hair is named Charlie.  Well,
it was the OTHER one, with the shorter hair, who seemed to
be the force behind the extended encore.  Bob seemed ready
to pack it up after Watchtower, but this guy came up and
appeared to persuade the rest of the guys to do Knockin. 
The same goes for Rainy Day Women, and I am quite certain
that Bob shot him an annoyed look right before the music
started for this one.  But he sang the final song with gusto
and the band had the whole arena on its feet.  BTW, the
attendance seemed spotty at first but then the place filled
up quite nicely.

As I said, I thought it was a terrific show well-worth the
price of admission. But as we were walking out I passed a
group of kids and overheard one say "that SO sucked".  To
each his own.

Jeremy Smith

also jeremy.smith@ey.com


Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 09:11:22 -0800 (PST) From: Dave Kohl dave_kohl@yahoo.com Subject: Dylan does Chicago To: webmaster@dylanite.com I haven't had time to research this (which is because I'm going up to Milwaukee for tonight's show), but here's betting that those of us at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday saw the longest show Dylan has ever done. From the introduction to the boys leaving the stage....2 hours 25 minutes, complete with an extended 2nd encore!!!!! This was my first show of this month, and first since the Springfield IL (Illinois State Fair) in August. While one of the more mellow shows, definite things to remember. Since this was my first show with the L&T tunes, my result was out of 22 songs, I saw 10 of them for the first time ever. Talk about getting my money's worth right there! And I sure caught the emphasis on the "There's a battle outside and it's raging....." line. To me, seeing Bob do "Times" in 2001 is a highlight unto itself. Then, my first time for "It's Alright Ma", "Serve Somebody", and "Visions of Johanna". Since this was my first time seeing "Serve Somebody", I found it odd that he cut out the "you can call me Bobby, you can call me Zimmy...." verse. I'm not sure if this is how he has done it in the past, but it was still cool to see it for the first time. Of the new material, my favorite, based on this show, was Mississippi, but, hey, that's me. I thought Bob was a bit raspy in the early going, and then got stronger as the night went on. Early on, I was concerned since it was his 4th show in 5 nights, but after a while, that was forgotten, and I think even by Bob and the band. The crowd got stronger as the show progressed, too. So along comes "Blowin'" and off they go. I knew that he came back out for a 2nd encore Thurday in Mpls to do Watchtower, but I thought that may have been because of the hometown show. But we weren't leaving. Sure enough, out they come and do a rocking version of Watchtower, even moreso then when I saw it done in August. They finish the song, and they didn't move. It looks like they're staying on stage. Sure enough, there comes Knockin'. As always, a great version, and maybe the longest version I've ever heard Bob do it. (Considering how he reduces some of his songs live, this was a major and very pleasant surprise.) Knockin' ends, and the lights go down. Bob makes eye contact with the guys, and instead of going to take the applause, they huddle and start tuning guitars. Oh, man!! Sure enough, the rocking start to Rainy Day Women. All the lights in place came on, and we got a 3rd song to the 2nd encore. Then, time to take the applause, which was still very strong, and off into the night. On to Milwaukee..... DK
From: "Shawn Pulver" slpulver@hotmail.com To: webmaster@dylanite.com Bcc: Subject: chicago review Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 20:37:25 -0500 Hi, Here are some Chicago comments There are some shows that defy expecations. This was one of those shows. Bob came out at about 8:20, and proceeded to play the longest show that I have ever seen him perform (and maybe the longest of the NET?). The first acoustic set was nice, especially Its Alright, which contained a great vocal. The sound for such a big hall was outstanding. Serve Somebody was a new arrangement, with Bob spitting out the lyrics with that old flair. It was the next song of the show that made the night and made my long trek from London Ontario worth it. After Serve Somebody, me and my friend read Bob's lips as he instructed the band. "Mississippi." Enough said. Me and him were flipping out before a note was played. It was one of those performances that kind of leave you in shock, so I can't say much, other than it was incredible. Larry on slide, and Charlie playing lead rhythm. Kemper did a great job making the song sound true to the album version. "Last night I knew you, tonight I donnnnnnt." Tell me it isn't true was the best version that I've seen, and featured some very nice steel work by Larry. Highwater was intense, probably the most dramatic re-arrangment of any of the LAT songs in terms of how they sound compared to the album. A little more "rock" oriented, with Larry's banjo getting a little drowned out (which wasn't a bad thing, its just that it is more prominent on the album). Masters was dramatic, and I love the newer ending with Bob repeating the first verse and it ending in an almost acapella arrangement. The last verse of Visions featured some of the most unique phrasing that I'veÊever heard,Êtrust me when the tape comes out. Sugar BabyÊfeatured what my friendÊdescribed as the "greatest DylanÊvocal he had ever seen in person." TheÊwhole venue was quiet and respectful.ÊÊÊCold Irons Bound got a great reception (especially the winds in chicago line), while Cat's in the Well ended the main setÊin a rocking fashion. On a few occasions, Charlie was having such a good time that he was sitting down on the drum riser, and then kneeling down on the stage, playing directly under Bob. The encores kept the momentum going. Honest with me featured Larry on slide, playing this weird brown electric that I've never seen him play before. After Blowing, which featured some incredible phrasing on the "too many people have died line," it appeared as though the show might be over. We were wrong, thankfully. Bob came back for Watchtower,Êand was clearly enjoying himself more than any show that I've seen this year. After they left the stage, Bob's roadies had packed up almost all of the guitars, when I could see him tell the band that he wanted to keep playing. When they decided on Heaven's Door, only Charlie had a guitar. On the first verse, Larry didn't even have his guitar plugged in. To everyone, including the band's surprise, Bob decided to come out for an unprecedented 23rd song, RDW, and, as usual, he made up a few new lyrics as he went along. The "extra" encoresÊrepresented a truly remarkable ending to a classic Dylan concert. What a night! Thanks for reading, Shawn.
X-Originating-IP: [138.87.75.73] From: "paul morris" pmorris64@hotmail.com To: webmaster@dylanite.com Subject: Chicago Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 07:38:29 +0000 A few comments to add about the Chicago show. It is twenty years since my first Dylan concert (Earls Court, London, 1981) and I have taken in a good twenty or more in the intervening years. This was easily up there with the very best - a superb show. The first thing I noticed, sitting towards the back of the stadium, was the quality of the acoustics and the excellence of Dylan's voice, as good as anything I can remember. There were some real showstoppers--Serve Somebody, Masters of War, Mississipi--but there were so many great moments its seems unfair to highlight these. Undoubtedly, though, Sugar Baby was one of the most magical performances I have ever heard in a Dylan concert. Spellbinding. I don't know if I have ever seen Bob so animated in concert. At one point he seemed to be down on his knees, as were other members of the band towards the end. Certainly, this seems like the tightest, most band-like entourage I have ever seen Dylan play with. Cheers Paul Morris _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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