May 1995 Tour Reports


Wed 10 San Diego, CA, Embarkadero Ampitheatre
Fri 12 Las Vegas, NV, Hard Rock Hotel
Sat 13 Las Vegas, NV, Hard Rock Hotel

Mon 15 Palm Springs, CA, McCallum Theatre
Wed 17 Hollywood, CA, Palladium Theatre
Thu 18 Hollywood, CA, Palladium Theatre
Fri 19 Hollywood, CA, Palladium Theatre
Sat 20 Santa Barbara, CA, Santa Barbara Bowl


Mon 22 San Francisco, CA, Warfield Theatre
Tue 23 San Francisco, CA, Warfield Theatre
Thu 25 Berkeley, CA, Berkeley Community Theatre
Fri 26 Berkeley, CA, Berkeley Community Theatre
Sun 28 Reno, NV, Reno Hilton Ampitheatre
Wed 10 May 1995, San Diego


Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 03:42:41 GMT From: Tim Dixon (timdixon@CTS.COM) Subject: Set list from San Diego Down In the Flood I Want You/Senor/If you See Watchtower Woman Silvio/River Flow Shooting/Takes A Train ___________________ Tambourine Boots/Masters Baby Blue/Desolation/Twice ___________________ God Knows/Jokerman Long Black Coat/I'll Remember Highway/You Go Your Way ___________________ Rolling Stone Times Bob was back and in excellent form tonight! Seeing the Real You was a special treat and really rocked! No Tangled was quite a surprise, too. There were some deviations from the set list tonight--and what a show! Here's what was actually played: Down In the Flood I Want You Watchtower Woman Silvio Shooting _____________ Tambourine Boots Twice _____________ Seeing The Real You Long Black Coat Hwy 61 _____________ Rolling Stone Ain't Me Babe
Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 04:25:55 GMT From: Heike (timdixon@CTS.COM) Subject: *** "Seeing the Real You at Last" *** Hello to all from coast of California...having just returned to a friend's after yet another exciting evening with Bob and the music....I found his computer! My modem is helpless...hopeless and I have been so focused on life's other areas.... Tonight was lovely. I was very pleased to hear "Seeing the Real You At Last"! It was inspired & a real crowd pleaser. "I Want You" was moving...to say the least. Beautiful in fact. Tomorrow it is off to Pine Mountain to pick up my family and head to Vegas...my daughter's 13th birthday is Friday...she chose to go to see Bob and after making all of our plans...I found out that it is a Nightclub-no minors! Alas...time for another miracle. My warmest greetings to you all!! :-) Heike
Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 14:23:49 GMT From: Panama Hat (makey@ROHAN.SDSU.EDU) Subject: San Diego 05/10/95 10 May 1995 San Diego, California Set List "Another Best Friend" I Want You All Along The Watchtower Just Like a Woman Silvio "Thought of You" Mr. Tambourine Man Boots of Spanish Leather (acoustic) Don't Think Twice (acoustic) Seeing the Real You at Last "Man in a Long Black Coat" Highway 61 Encore Like a Rolling Stone It Ain't Me Venue Embarcadero Marine Park South Open air theater on a jetty in the San Diego bay, surrounded on 3 sides by water. Approximately 30 boats tied up to listen. General Admission, with folding chairs, people on blankets and in the permanent bleachers in back. Approximately 2500 people(not crowded at all). Excellent sound. Opening Act Started promptly at 7pm 2 guys from the Rugburns (Gregory Page & Steve Paltz) + a female singer (Jewel?) All acoustic, nice harmony, interesting lyrics. Folk/Rock/Dylanesque Ended at 7:40pm Bob Started at 8pm Was in great voice, exceptionally intelligible (after rough starts on the first two songs). The band was good (guitar, bass guitar, slide guitar, drums), no drums during acoustic portion. Was typically non-talkative (alot of Thank *Youuuu*s), but he did comment before H61 "Gotta get outta here now, Places to go, people to do" Show was over at 9:40pm My .02 Much better show than with Santana last year at the Sports Arena here. Better crowd, better sound, better Bob. Over much too soon. Some of the songs had a bluesy feel/sound that was very appealling. Panama Hat

Fri 12 May 1995, Las Vegas

Sat 13 May 1995, Las Vegas Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 17:43:49 -0400 From: CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM) Subject: Boo-boo on notes from Las Vegas Sorry to say I just noticed that I left a song off the list from the 2nd night in Las Vegas--5/13/95. Here is the correct lineup: (songs with * were played with Dylan sans guitar) Down In the Flood* Lay Lady Lay* Watchtower Like A Woman Silvio TOMBSTONE BLUES @Tambourine* @Gates* @Don't Think Twice Real You At Last Released Mr. Jones (E)Rolling Stone (E)@Ain't Me Babe There! Think I've gotten it right this time! My apologies. Christine Consolvo
Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 07:33:45 -0400 From: CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM) Subject: Las Vegas Review(not too flattering) This review appeared in the Las Vegas Weekly dated week of May 17,'95. While I hardly agree with any of it, I thought I'd post it since it seems to be the only one available. The Page/Plant show at the MGM took precedence, I'm afraid. However, I never have gotten through to the UNLV student news to check there. Any rmd'rs from there who could tell me? Here goes: Bob Dylan The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel Saturday, May 13 Bob Dylan is the greatest songwriter of his time, the legend who didn't die, the enigmatic man who gave answers to many but was himself confused. The Hard Rock was packed with every generation, with a few early Deadheads in their tie dyes. There was no opening act, and Dylan entered with no fanfare. This show was different for the Hard Rock: Video monitors were dark, waitresses stopped serving by 9:15, and there was no spotlight. Dylan was bathed in soft light for most of the show, in a black 18th century-style jacket and white shirt. He opened with a rousing "Down In the Flood" that immediately threw me off the musical track. I have listened to Bob Dylan records from the 60's and 70's for years, and the Bob Dylan of 1995 isn't the same. The great one's voice was never melodic, but it had character. Dylan still has character, but there were times during the first part of the night his voice could have made dogs howl. His vocal range was so narrow he was almost forced to speak the lyrics. He began with classics like "Lay Lady Lay", a raging "All Along the Watchtower" and "Just Like A Woman". It was rumored Dylan wasn't going to play guitar, but he donned it early and played it well. His band was tight with a guitarist, another on pedal steel and dobro, a bass player and a drummer. Apart from the drummer, the band members sported the long jacket look (maybe for Helldorado). When Dylan played songs I hadn't heard, his performance got better, and I began to tap my feet to the music. I believe this was because he sang more in his range and jammed more, but possibly I just got used to his voice. Dylan has so many classics, it was interesting to see which he would play, he settled on :Mr. Tambourine Man", encoring with "Like A Rolling Stone", and closing with "It Ain't Me Babe". For the most part he ignored the audience, treating the crowd with a shy annoyance. Page and Plant wooed their audience, Dylan was apathetic, but in the end it didn't matter. After the last song the audience screamed and clapped until the the lights rose and walked out knowing they witnessed a legend. I felt the same, but found myself pining for the Dylan of a previous age. ----Doug Jablin How does it always happen that the only person in the crowd who isn't wowed is the reviewer? Maybe they think bad reviews get more attention? Christine

Mon 15 May 1995, Palm Springs Palm Desert - 15 May 1995 Down In The Flood Lay Lady Lay All Along The Watchtower Just Like A Woman I'll Be Your Baby Tonight Seeing The Real You At Last Mr Tambourine Man Masters Of War It's All Over Now Baby Blue God Knows Never Gonna Be The Same Again Obviously 5 Believers Like A Rolling Stone The Times They Are A-Changing Ray Webster (courtesy of hcs)
"jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM) >DATE: Wed, 17 May 1995 13:37:03 GMT >FROM: John Howells (howells@netcom.com) > >ray@rothley.win-uk.net (Ray Webster) writes: > > > >Two firsts???? > obviously 500,000 disbelievers! ;)
I've checked Olof's lists, and I do believe that this is a live debut, isn't it? That is, unless Bob played it at one of the 'missing' shows that I haven't seen set lists for this year. If anyone has a source for this tape, or any other '95 shows, for that matter, PLEASE let me know. I've got 4 '95 shows either on hand or in the mail to me and I'm working on getting a few more. Best, Doug
Unfortunately this info is second hand, but an excellent source. 5/15/95 Palm Desert, CA McCallum Theatre Down In the Flood Lay Lady Lay Watchtower Like A Woman Baby Tonight Real You @Tambourine @Masters @Baby Blue God Knows Never Gonna Be the Same Obviously 5 Believers (E)Rolling Stone (E)@Times Changin' Said to be an excellent show all around--in case you can't tell from the setlist. Masters was begun with an extended harmonica solo which was different and God Knows was a standout. Christine Consolvo

Wed 17 May 1995, Hollywood Martin Blackwell (martin.blackwell@nulla.com) Just returned from Bob's first show of three nights at the Palladium in Hollywood. Terrific show! About an hour and a half to 1:40 long. And yes, he actually played a little lead on 2 or 3 songs. And as has been mentioned here before, he did several songs with in quasi lounge singer/Neil Diamond mode, that is, just singing, no guitar playing, somewhat awkward gestures. The good news is: Bob is singing! During those songs especially it was obvious he was putting some effort into singing, not just getting through the songs, as he has done before. As Dylan goes, he sound really, really good! He was putting himself into it, which I really appreciated. He thanked us at one point, and at another asked us if we were having a good time. And then asked what happened in the OJ trial today (okay, I made up that part ). The band was very good, and very well suited to Dylan. There were no Dylan solo acoustic numbers. For the acoustic numbers, Dylan most often sang, but didn't play (except some terrific harmonica), and was accompanied by a standup bass, guitar and electric mandolin. And the set list: HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM, MAY 17, 1995 1. DOWN IN THE FLOOD 2. LAY LADY LAY 3. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER 4. JUST LIKE A WOMAN 5. SEEING THE REAL YOU AT LAST 6. PLEDGING MY TIME 7. MR. TAMBOURINE MAN 8. MASTERS OF WAR 9. BABY BLUE 10. GOD KNOWS 11. NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME AGAIN 12. OBVIOUSLY 5 BELIEVERS 13. LIKE A ROLLING STONE (ENCORE) 14. IT AIN'T ME BABE (ENCORE) Unfortunately, I can't go tomorrow, but I'll be there Friday... Don't miss him this time around...
CSMSAXS Arnie Stodolsky (CSMSAXS@MVS.O (...?) Songs 5 & 6 are in reverse order on the above setlist. Arnie
Bill Wallace (walrus@KAIWAN009.KAIWAN.COM) What a night last night!!! The Jokerman at the top of his form. He played the guitar, harmonica, he sang, and he played the audience. I saw guitar-bob, I saw vegas-bob, I saw smiling-bob. That was it!! I lost my notes which included the set list, and I need to write a review for a local rag... can someone please e-mail or post the complete set list?? thanks! "Strike another match let's start anew..."
Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 14:16:50 -0400 From: Keith Alan Bernstein (KABxxx@AOL.COM) Subject: First Hollywood show Set list for Wed: Flood Lay Lady Lay Watch Woman Pleging My Time Seeing the Real You Tambourine Masters Baby Blue God Knows Never Gonna Be The Same Again (!) 5 Believers Rolling Stone Ain't Me Babe --- Never Gonna Be featured a new verse that was pretty cool, 5 Believers was sped up and really cooked. For the most part, Bob's phrasing was remarkably conventional -- even Watchtower sounded more like the Hendrix version than the rushed version Bob's played over the last couple of years (the lyrical phrasing closer to the musical phrase, etc.). That said, Bob's guitar and harmonica work were as good as I've ever seen or heard-- simply fantastic! A great show-- and a couple more to go....
Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 05:22:35 -0800 From: "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM) Subject: hollywood palladium 17 may 1995 hollywood palladium 17 may 1995 Down In the Flood Lay Lady Lay Watchtower Like A Woman Pledging My Time (-- excellent choice; executed with aplomb Real You At Last @Tambourine @Masters @Baby Blue God Knows Never Gonna Be the Same (-- first-class phrasing, especially: "don't worry, baby; i don't mind leaving/i just wish it were my idea" Obviously Five Believers (-- yes, he almost sounds more black than jewish! Rolling Stone It Ain't Me quick notes: songwise, nearly a clone of palm desert two days ago; fresh highlight: _pledging my time_ (slot 5). performance: measured, sensitive, effectively punctuated -- though not overly boisterous; songs: _down in the flood strong, supple, barrelhouse blues; accessible pace; no guitar; self-conscious visual parody of pose-happy cigarette-smoking lounge singers from 40's; closest dylan gets to street mime dylan looks genuinely relaxed, barely expending any energy, yet snaking through the verses with methodical whimsy; the lack of guitar actually focuses the artist's "performing grammar" and accentuates expressive body language; movement was intermittent, subdued, and interesting; the vocal was clearly audible through the sound system, but less than prominent -- yet, the whole presentation was satisfying (maybe more so if you knew the words, but it had a nice cordiality for those who didn't); seems likes art; looks like fun; makes you want to be bob dylan (at least for 5-7 minutes); _lay lady lay playful intimacy; amiable; seductive; feline; (coulda been disastrous in such a cavernous hall) _watchtower a hair less generic than usual; less impenetrable wall-of-sound; flashes of exciting musical inflection; not unlikeable; _just like a woman lilting; made its point, but no visionary explorations into unknown territories _pledging my time perfect vibe; nashville gin-soaked _blonde on blonde-era feeling without the poison headache; elusive yet direct; light-on-its-feet; cutting; sincere; synergistic band at their best with punchy, swinging sound; bona fide dylan signature piece; pays off; worth keeping at the ready _real you at last fresh, solid delivery; more friendly than _empire burlesque or late '80's tour; song improves when each line is articulated thoroughly, methodically @_tambourine man measured, caressing rhythm; colorful phrasing; first-rate euphonics, poetry, and proportion; perpetual genius in motion! @_masters of war standard issue: effectively biting, though unoriginal vocal painting; not without wistfulness; digestible, unhurried pace; nothing spectacular but not fatally boring @baby blue slow, naturalistic pacing and risky inflected tonalities pay soulful dividends _god knows a touch more hesitant; more calculating, more ponderous; better than most paint-by-numbers '93-4 versions -- bonus: "rise above darkest circumstance" line included! _never gonna be the same again patiently explored, stately, down-scale rhythm & blues progression; imagine a show-horse pacing around a ring; not overbearing; softer than original album (sans synthesizer and wailing refugee chorus); holds its own in current rotation, but less than cathartic _obviously five believers vibrant elmore james blues-style excursion; perfect blend of stinging power and flexible dylanesque raucousness; reminiscent of _you don't love me_ from allman brothers live at fillmore east '72; welcomed addition to songlist: tightly-paced yet unhurried; cuts loose better and invites listeners in more closely than either _maggie's farm, or _cat's in the well; perfectly balanced *highlight* _rolling stone to succeed positively, this song requires breathing space between lines; in a big room it tends to dissipate, yet somehow retains unique mercurial pull; should be more transformed and "hallucinated" (as rimbaud would demand from any visionary experience) _it ain't me, babe i was so sick of this closer that i paradoxically found myself enjoying it (maybe pavlov (or thomas pynchon) was on to something); performed unevenly enough to help appreciate acoustic nuances; almost country-ballad stateliness; venue: refurbished, varnished dance floor from 40's hollywood big-band era; sound bounced off low ceiling too much; instrumentation was fine, but amplified too loudly; dylan's voice not mixed prominently enough, though not unintelligible; i tried to induce sound crew to lower bass and feature *the voice*, but they were unwilling to make adjustments (at least on my recommendations (maybe tomorrow night, guys(!))); sound was only slightly more than passable, but not muddy enough to sink the ship absence of chairs allows for both relaxed wandering and temporary residencies on either side of stage; intimacy diffused in outer perimeters overall presentation: assets: unforced, satisfying, deliberately-paced show with minor unexpected turns; generally excellent with only momentary dead spots -- although impersonally scripted, some new ground broken; more than sum of parts liabilities: mediocre acoustics, continually dissipating intimacy; not enough unexpected artist-audience intercourse audience: many people didn't know what to expect, and acted more like they were waiting for a train, or watching some curious ceremony, rather than participating directly; considering that everyone downstairs was standing: not enough enthusiastic clapping, or exhortation (until after it was too late); when voices _were_ raised, singing got poignant; let's hope dionysius' less civilized descendants stumble in tomorrow ambience: fair number of post-60's long (now-gray) pony-tails (both sexes); good population of wholesome-looking informally-attired females swaying and dancing in shadows; pleasant intoxicatory environment overall band: dependably soulful; razor-sharp as usual (though not allowed to improvise or explore); delivers the goods, doesn't complain (more in subsequent post) jnb
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 13:07:18 -0700 From: PAUL K EISELT (ueisep00@MCL.UCSB.EDU) Subject: Paladium Review (kinda long) I've been told that I HAVE to post a review. Well here it goes... >HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM, MAY 17, 1995 > > 1. DOWN IN THE FLOOD (no guitar) > 2. LAY LADY LAY (no guitar) > 3. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER > 4. JUST LIKE A WOMAN > 5. SEEING THE REAL YOU AT LAST > 6. PLEDGING MY TIME > 7. MR. TAMBOURINE MAN > 8. MASTERS OF WAR > 9. BABY BLUE >10. GOD KNOWS >11. NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME AGAIN >12. OBVIOUSLY 5 BELIEVERS >13. LIKE A ROLLING STONE (ENCORE) >14. IT AIN'T ME BABE (ENCORE) Palladium is general seating. I arrived at about 2:30pm and there were only about 6 people in line. I met some wonderful people, including Heika, Peggy (who had been there scince 8am), Tim Dixon, and Bill (a "famous" booter). There was also this crazy preacher, but he didn't have a ticket. He just wanted to convert BOB back over to Christianity. He had a million and 3 stories and I think about a million and 2 of them were real Bull shit. We waited until 6:30pm and then they let us in. It wasn't until 4:30 or 5 that there was much of a line to speak of....weird. Anyway, as "we" got inside we threw down a picnic blanket and sat down. and we waited for what seemed like forever before anyone else came in. It was strange because, we had spent so much time together (as a group of about six) alone that I was wondering if there really were any other audience members. Finally they rushed in and believe it or not we did not get crushed. Everyone sat down. Weird. The opening act was "Dinosaur Jr." (or so I'm told). They were abysmal. The group is made up of 3 people; 2 guitars and a drummer. The lead guitarist/vocalist, and the drummer were dressed like slobs and acted it. The other guitarist (there were no introductions) was kind of cool, he was dressed cool, a suit and all, but he didn't seem to have a whole lot of interest in the band. Looking at the other 2 folks, I wouldn't either. Their music--er--sound--NOISE was basically a lot of distorted guitar and no point. I think that the lead was singing but I never heard a word of it. The highlight of the show was when one of the amps started spewing smoke, and the roadies had to come out and replace it. Finally the left (of course noone in the audience could hear anymore, but hey I looked at it as a "Newport'65 flashback") And around 8:30 the lights dimmed and we heard "ladies and gentelmen, please welcome Columbia recording artist....BOB DYLAN!!" Bob shot into a rocking version of "Down in the flood/Crash on the levee", it was great. He had no guitar just a mic. and a hamonica. I had heard a lot about it, and had bee looking forward to this "performance". Many people describe it as "awkward", but I felt it was dynamic. He strutted, he pointed, he swaggered, he danced a little. Sometimes it looked like his little legs weren't going to be able to hold him up. But they always did. Actually they managed to take him into some amazing positions. I would like to add to all the regular praise and credits: BOB DYLAN, Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist...Limbo player....wow!! Then we were treated to a touching "LAY LADY LAY". But it's strange because I completely forgot about the performance, until afterwards when my fiancee mentioned how much she like it. "He did that???... oh yeah!!!!" Then we got "WATCHTOWER", it was a decent performance, but I can honestly say that If I never hear this song again, I wont feel cheated. I believe he picked up his guitar at this point. Highlights were "PLEDGING MY TIME" "5 BELIEVERS" "MASTERS OF WAR" AND "BABY BLUE". He introduced the band and made some jokes, but I think that they were the same jokes he makes every night: Something about, Jackson being Ice-T in diguise, and the guitarist being the Mayor of some city.... Then, near the end of the concert, somewhere like "GOD KNOWS", "NEVER..AGAIN" OR "5 BELIEVERS", he walked to the edge of the stage and reached over. I was front center and this happened about 2 people to my left. it seemed like he was shaking peoples hands, but it didn't seem like the audience was getting satisfied. I think he was trying, but the gap between the stage and the rail was too far. Then something real strange happend, as near as I could tell (this was pretty close to me but it was also pretty chaotic) he asked Hieka to come up on stage. Those of us who have met or know Heika, know that this isn't too surprising. The audience lifted her up and Bobby reached but the gap was still to far. If she had been able to touch him she probably would have pulled him on to the ground. Anyway it takes much longer to explain that it took to enact. Well the next song (and damn me, but I dont remember what it was) was definitely sung to/for her. One other thing that struck me as particularly poigniant, was that many of his "love songs" that, when heard on an album (or even a boot) seem like they are about a lover. However, when you hear it in concert and THE MAN is less than 15ft. away. they are about YOU. The audience. I'll explain: "Now I'm finally seeing the real you at last" This at times tool on a tender quality. Like "here I am and there You are, We finally meet" and sometimes I felt gulity for my blind selfish love. I was shouting, cheering, pointing my fingers like "Adam/God/Michalangelo"... I really felt guilty. "I'm pledging my time hoping that you'll come through fo me" I dont know it sounded almost as if he was asking a friend for a favor, but he also, deep down, knew that the favor would not be granted. Again I felt pity and guilt. "God knows I need you.." I dont think that this is how the album version starts out. It seems weak, and vunrable. I got the impression that we were like a drug to him now and that, like a junkie, he needs US whether he likes it or not. "Dont let me down, dont let me down--I wont let you down, no I wont" This felt to me like a promise and I felt guilty every time I had ever doubted his skill or power. I found myself shouting "I wont let you down Bob!" And I felt silly doing it. I think it's a good thing that he didn't go in to "I believe in you" 'cause I probably would have cried. I have to mention something: "TAMBORINE MAN" I dont really like the song, but this time he played it slow and mournfully. It had a real bluesy feel. I was reborn. THIS SONG IS COOL. "Bringing it Back Home" is o.kay I supose, and R.Maguinn can bite me. But THIS song on THIS night was--uh--"TRANCENDANT". "LARS" also had an interesting "twist": Once apon a time you dressed so fine, you threw the bums a dime in your prime.....(guitar solo)....DIDN'T YOU!!! It was weird and unexpected and it made the song fresh and shiny and new. We got no "DIGNITY", and I guess that that must be my only regret. There was nothing "new". One of the things that the "legendary Bob" was praised for, was his spontinaity. Also, most of my older boots have "unreleased songs" I guess I just refuse to admit that maybe Bob is like a well...and sometimes, wells run dry. I felt that he was trapped in his "old fame" unable to come forward and create something new... I dont know, I, uh, I just dont know. The last I saw of that crazy preacher guy, he was waiting out on the back step. waiting to hand that tattered little Bible of his over to Bob. I dont know if he ever "succeeded" in even meeting Bob or not, but then God works in strange ways. I guess. I dont know much about God, but I think the "Preacher" was wrong. He wasn't out on that back step. I think maybe, he must have been inside, and for at least and hour and a half, he must have been on stage... But I could be wrong. --SAJE PRESTON--

Thu 18 May 1995, Hollywood Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 18:24:12 -0400 From: Tomar42000 (tomar42000@AOL.COM) Subject: 5/18/95 Hollywood My umpteenth show of his and it was one of the best!!! (corrected set list) Saw Dylan last night at The Hollywood Paladium. A very good show. He sang very clearly and even put down his guitar(n/g) for a few songs. Opening act: PJ Harvey. She was good. 1/Down in the Flood n/g 2/I Want You n/g 3/All Along the Watchtower 4/Positively 4th Street 5/Sylvio 6/Tombstone Blues 7/Mr. Tambourine Man n/g (beautiful, lilting, punctuated, surreal) 8/East of Edan a/g 9/Don't Think Twice It's All Right a/g 10/The Real You at Last 11/Ring Them Bells 12/Highway 61 Encore: 1/Ballad of a Thin Man 2/The Times They Are A'Changin' BTW, I sat next to the legendary Mick Jones of Clash fame who was thoroughly enjoying the show. Contest: What musician has played more shows (Over 700) with Dylan than anyone else? Winner gets...oh...you know.
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 14:12:35 GMT From: Shoibal Datta (shoibal@SANGER.BIO.UCI.EDU) Subject: Re: Palladium 5/18/95 cjc@netcom.com (Chris Coons) wrote: >This was my first Dylan show and I must say it was pretty damn good. These >probably aren't necessarily in the right order and there's probably some >missing too, but anyway, from what I remember the setlist was: -snip This was my third Dylan show and it was by far better than the others or any live performance that has been televised in recent years. First and foremost, his voice was great (relatively speaking, of course :-)). In recent years he has been unable to raise his voice successfully over the music during the electric part of the show, but not yesterday! The acoustic part of the setlist was the most incredible one I have heard from him in decades (Gates of Eden was stunning). The voice was superb, the phrasing perfect (no straining to catch that word, no mumbling) and the band was tight. Perhaps it was the atmosphere (small, enclosed structure, capacity ca.3000, no seats, almost high school gym-ish, it was not full and you were never more than 100 feet away from the stage if you were standing) or the acoustics, it was worth it. Interestingly, I read a comment about the May 17 show where it was mentioned that his phrasing was almost conventional, Watchtower sounded almost like the Hendrix version. For thos who listen to a lot of his live recordings, is this an off and on thing? Yesterday was almost Budokan-ish, I never thought I'd listen to Bob sing it the way he did before I was born! Anways, enough rambling here, if anyone successfully got past security with the appropriate equipment, I would like to get a copy of the May 18 Palladium show (please email me). Shoibal
Date: Fri, 19 May 1995 02:52:19 -0800 From: "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM) Subject: hollywood palladium 18 may 1995 flood want you (-- reborn in time watchtower 4th st (born time) silvio tombstone (-- slower tempo @tamb-man (-- a++ @eden (-- trippy @twice (l-0) real you bells (shooting star/never same) 61 (can't read my writing) thin man times (back pages) notes: more raw intensity than last night; red hot bar-band r'n'r; more songs peaking with internal energy; searing vocal articulations, more spontaneity with crowd; audience more rough-edged, focused, enthused, discerning; dylan seemed more assiduous, less whimsical, darker, more sardonic lyrically; song selection more than serviceable though still not risky enough songs: _flood harder than last night; less playful, more pounding _want you surprisngly intimate and enigmatic extemporaneous love song to invisible goddess of harmony and conquest; rarely more unique; somehow still personal and exploratory; *mea culpa* _watchtower real heat underneath; surgical precision; powerfully sardonic; hotter than hades _4th st (born time) cool; good pace, good vibrancy, good edge _silvio new arrangement: stake...my...future...on...A-HELL-OF-A-PASSSSST! looks...like...tomorrow...IS-COMING-ON-FASSSST! ain't...complaining...'bout...WHAT-I-GOTTTTTTTTTT! seen...better...times...but...WHO-HAS-NOTTTTTTTT! silvio,...silver...and...GOLLLLLLLLLLD! *i'll take it!* _tombstone quirky arrangement; sneering; fresh and slow; t-man magnificent; what can you say? make a whole cd boot from the latest 12 performances alone eden it's a pleasure to hear a true artist boldly cutting into each line of his work and daring himself to create something not there before; like drinking a dusty wine alive with bitterness twice tell you the truth, i can't remember, but it was first-rate real you on fire; relentless; jumped one whole electron shell (wear asbestos gloves) bells mature; irreproducible 61 nails it thin man totally idiosyncratic; muscularity and wit times turned inside-out with passion; emotional, political, elegiac all at once overall rough estimation: precise, powerful, pounding; harmonic; good audience interaction; razor-sharp vocal edges; less lamentation, more mocking; means business jnb
Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 04:55:05 GMT From: Tim Lundgren (tlundgre@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU) Subject: XREF alt.music.byrds [Dylan show-Hollywood Paladium, 5/18/95 Article: alt.music.byrds.1265 Message-ID: (3pjrel$34u@newsbf02.news.aol.com) From: tomthunder@aol.com (TomThunder) Subject: Dylan show - Hollywood Palladium, 5/18/95 Score: 100 First 20 lines: > Hey Tom....give us a review of the show. > -Roger Okay, here goes...Show was opened and closed with electric sets, with an acoustic middle section. The band was excellent, esp., the drummer, although I didn't recognize any names. Bob opened with a new tune, then a forceful, driving 'Silvio', 'Mr. Tambourine Man was done with acoustic guitars, mandolin, and an upright bass, and an arrangement that hinted at the one off the 'Live at Budokan' tape while remaining true to the original. There was an emphasis on rockers, esp. 'All Along The Watchtower', and 'Real Life'. The material emphasized Bob's 64-70 and most recent periods. I was impressed with how willing Bob seemed to be to play lead guitar. At the end of the second encore, the show closed with 'The Times They Are A Changin'', with the audience faintly singing along on the choruses. The opening act was P.J. Harvey, who was okay, but an aquired taste for some people. All in all, a great show, I'd put it on my top ten list of concerts, and a definate must-see for Dylan fans or fans of great music in general. TomThunder

Fri 19 May 1995, Hollywood "Joseph D. Lierl" (jlierl@thomas.com) Hollywood Palladium setlist May 19, 1995 Sat, 20 May 95 00:57:28 -0700 HollyWood Palladium, May 19, 1995 Set List: 1. Down in the Flood - Acoustic (Dylan singing only with Microphone) 2. If Not For You - Acoustic (Dylan singing only with Microphone) / Super Harp Work! 3. All along the Watchtower - Electric / Dual Lead with Dylan and Jackson 4. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) - Electric / Dylan Solo Lead 5. Tombstone Blues - Electric / "Dedicated to" mumble, "I know they're out there" 6. Seeing the Real You At Last - Electric Lots of guitar hero "posturing" Bob having fun. Seemed to be using the guitar as a prop except for when he was soloing. 7. Mr. Tambourine Man - Acoustic (Dylan singing only with microphone) Excellent harp work, looked a little lost during Bucky's solo. Didn't seem to know what to do without a guitar in his hands. 8. Boots of Spanish Leather - Acoustic (Dylan singing only with microphone) I've always liked the underlying tension of the venom throughout this song, but tonight he sang it very "pretty" until the final verse then the venom started to reappear, but the overall song didn't seem as biting to me. 9. Hattie Carrol - Acoustic Perfect song for LA right now, hope Judge Ito had a feed or someone gets him a tape (only somewhat joking!) 10. God Knows - VERY Electric / Very Rocking version / Excellent Lead work by Bob. 11. She Belongs To Me - Electric / Kind of a Slow Blues feel till the end, when he kicked it into higher gear. Fantastic lead work by Bob. 12. Obviously 5 Believers - Electric / Excellent version / True to original First Encore: 13. Like A Rolling Stone - VERY Electric ROCKIN! version. I saw Winston break at least Four Sticks!!!! Dylan sang it like he meant it more than he has in years. Second Encore: 14. It ain't me babe - Acoustic Again, a little "prettier" than I liked, but Bob was in super voice tonight. Third Encore: 15. I Shall Be Released w/ Sheryl Crow - Electric Bob and Sheryl did a beautiful job of trading lyrics. The chorus sounding great with the two of them actually harmonizing very well. Fourth Encore: 16. Rainy Day Woman #12&35 - Electric I've never liked this song, but the crowd LOVES it, and the band had a great time performing it. Show Notes: Bob seemed to be in a great mood. Looked like he was having a lot of fun. Made a lot of eye contact with those of us in the front rows. It was fantastic seeing him in a club this size. He seemed to be at ease, and I was a lot closer to the stage than I ever was before. Bob seemed quite talkative tonight, but I couldn't make out most of what was being said. He introduced Tombstone Blues by saying "We dedicate this one to" then he said something I couldn't make out then "I know they're out there". During Band intros, he mentioned that John was from Memphis, and something else that I missed, then when introducing Winston he said "I don't know anything about him except" then said something that made Winson hide in his drums and ended with "But he's so good I kept him anyway". Then he introduced Bucky as a former mayor in West Verginia and said something else about him. During Seeing the Real You, Bob seemed to be making a lot of Guitar Hero type gestures, but wasn't really playing while he did it. He seemed to be clowning around for the front row people. He was definitely having a lot of fun during this song. He also played some nice lead lines once he started playing. The solo mike singing was all excellent and you could tell he was putting his heart into those performances, even if it did take the "edge" off his songs IMHO! He introduced Sheryl Crow during the Released encore by saying "She just wants to sing"! Well that's about it, the show started about 8:45 and ended around 10:30. The opening band was Glen Glen (rockablily from the 50's), The crowd enjoyed the performance, but the general concensus after he left stage, seemed to be that he wasn't needed. An excellent show overall and everyone left satisfied. See ya. Joseph D. Lierl jlierl@thomas.com
Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 18:15:58 GMT From: Martin Blackwell (martin.blackwell@NULLA.COM) Subject: Friday at Palladium I don't have the setlist. I assume someone else has it. Terrific show!!! The thing I wanted to say though was that Bob did FOUR encores! I've only seen Dylan maybe 10 times in my life, but he's never done more than two encores at any performance I've seen. I'm sure somebody knows: Who was the female that sang with him during "I Shall Be Released"? I've heard several guesses...anyone know for sure????
Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 15:43:13 -0400 From: CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM) Subject: Setlist for LA III--5/19/95 I wasn't there, but have spoken to a friend on the coast who gave this report: Hollywood Palladium 5/19/95 (songs in ( ) were on the stage list, but not played) Down In the Flood If Not For You Watchtower I Don't Believe You Tombstone Real You @Tambourine @Boots @Hattie Carroll (Back Pages-Love Minus Zero) God Knows She Belongs To Me (Never Gonna Be the Same) Obviously Five Believers (E) Rolling Stone (E) Ain't Me Babe (One Too Many) (E2) Released (sung with Sheryl Crow) (E3) Rainy Day Women Bob was said to be in excellent spirits tonight and this show could be the very best so far this year! He was smiling, laughing and acting like he was "the happiest man on earth". Everyone was totally in awe and all the extra encores were a major bonus for the lucky ones in attendance. He actually left the stage three times (and came back, of course). Sheryl Crow got a hug and kiss after their duet and was said to have done a great job sharing the stage. Christine Consolvo
Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 05:50:37 -0800 From: "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM) Subject: hollywood palladium 19 may 1995 down in the flood if not for you all along the watchtower i don't believe you tombstone blues (-- no more shoes seeing the real you at last @ mr. tambourine man (-- cast a visionary spell @ spanish boots of spanish leather @ the lonesome death of hattie carroll (-- touching injustice (back pages/l-0) god knows she belongs to me (-- never stumbles (never same again) obviously five believers (-- compact history of blues like a rolling stone it ain't me, babe (too many mornings) i shall be released rainy day women #12 & #35 (-- everyone must get dionysian quick notes: the first two shows were satisfying -- maybe even virtuoso -- sketches in a performer's notebook; tonight's canvas: instantaneous passion. building air: steamy; energy level: seething, bursting *highlight*: near-blistering leadwork by whimsical 54 year-old shoulder-shrugging magus waving in black velvet, powder blue, and cufflinks the size of oysters. no extra charge. lots more drinking, smoking, weekend hollywood chaos double the celebration power; badly needed, passionately expended. band spends all night gliding into turbo mach and beyond. if the house lights hadn't been turned on for the third encore, the fire marshal would've taken up smoking to stay calm. songs: _down in the flood bar band blues tell noah's fate; first reference to violence and death _if not for you welcome to hollywood monkey house; glad you could make it _all along the watchtower apocalyptic howling: people get ready _i don't believe you first kiss in the wild blazing night time _tombstone blues more death imagery; full of life _seeing the real you at last something's burning, baby; are you aware? _mr. tambourine man more haunting gentle grief _spanish boots of spanish leather lined with remorse _the lonesome death of hattie carroll death again; some people never get a break _god knows storm-clouds rising _she belongs to me sparkles as it speaks _obviously five believers seething joy; unrestrained intoxication _like a rolling stone everybody hanging out _it ain't me, babe if you can't get out of it: get into it _i shall be released (w/sheryl crow) *extra* read all about it! *extra* celebrity grandfather shows glamour capital how to perform _rainy day women #12 & #35 just like we knew he must palladium residency album distribution *highlights*: different songs from: blonde on blonde (5) rainy day women pledging my time i want you just like a woman obviously five believers highway 61 revisited (4 1/2) like a rolling stone tomstone blues ballad of a thin man highway 61 revisited positively 4th st (single) empire burlesque (2) i ain't never gonna be the same again seeing the real you at last down in the groove (1) silvio blood on the tracks (0)! ... (more soon) jnb

Sat 20 May 1995, Santa Barbara Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 10:19:50 -0800 From: "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM) Subject: santa barbara county bowl 20 may 1995 flood (-- slowly awakening senor (lady lay) watchtower woman silvio river flow (-- fresh line: "saw someone who's goose was *really cooked*" _@tambourine man (-- *mythic* _@masters war _@love minus zero (don't think twice) (-- understated, mournful real you simple twist (shooting star) (-- _bott-man returns!!! takes a train (5 believers/tombstone) (-- spicy, snaky, luscious rolling stone back pages (-- al fresco *highlight* # = not played; no original alternate chosen before show flash notes: peaceful, outdoor coastal lawn-mountain arena; subdued; naturalistic; begins slowly in cool misty gray dusk; dylan starts slowly -- eyes absorbing details like a hungry eagle with overcast gray eyes; he intuitively senses laid-back audience vibe and gradually makes judicious song re-adjustments to soften tone; heats to stirring finale; during _tambourine man_, as he drawls: "it's just a ragged clown behind/i wouldn't pay it any mind/it's just a shadow that you're seeing that he's chasing" -- his raw loneliness unfolds. painful, soothing, impossible to comprehend in a single thought. keeps getting more perfect. how? jnb
Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 15:39:28 GMT From: Steve Michel (michel@NETCOM.COM) Subject: Warfield 5/20 Down in the Flood Long Black Coat Watchtower Your Way Tears of Rage (!!!) Tombstone Blues (alternate on the setlist was Tom Thumb!) Tambourine Man Baby Blue Seeing the Real You At Last She Belongs to Me Obviously 5 Believers. Encores: Lenny Bruce (lots of made up lyrics) My Back Pages ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 15:56:14 GMT From: Raegen Rasnic (raygin@NETCOM.COM) Subject: Re: Warfield 5/20 Steve Michel (michel@netcom.com) wrote: : Down in the Flood : Long Black Coat : Watchtower : Your Way : Tears of Rage (!!!) : Tombstone Blues (alternate on the setlist was Tom Thumb!) : Tambourine Man You left out Desolation Row, which was lovely. : Baby Blue : Seeing the Real You At Last : She Belongs to Me : Obviously 5 Believers. : Encores: : Lenny Bruce (lots of made up lyrics) : My Back Pages -- raygin@netcom.com San Francisco, CA Buy me some rings and a gun that sings A flute that toots and a bee that stings
Date: Wed, 24 May 1995 13:40:09 -0400 From: Braitman (braitman@AOL.COM) Subject: Re: Warfield 5/20 sorry, i disagree. Lenny Bruce was the lowpoint. Banal lyrics, and awkward arrangement. He's never done the song "right," as far as I'm concerned. my highpoint of Monday was "My Back Pages."
Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 19:12:57 -0400 From: Ragman10 (ragman10@AOL.COM) Subject: Concert Review 5/20,22,23... Hello to all. Here follows my own review/reaction/thoughts about the three shows I was just lucky enough to attend. 5/20/95 Santa Barbara County Bowl Crash ng. Senor ng. Watchtower Just Like A Woman Silvio Watching the River Flow Tambourine ng. Masters Love Minus Zero Real You At Last Simple Twist Takes A Train To Cry Rolling Stone Back Pages After flying six hours, taking a two hour bus ride, and waiting upwards of three hours at the Bowl, I was not in a great mood. Perhaps this fatigue in some way affected my view of the show. Perhaps it was the fact that I did not love the song selections. Perhaps it was my not so great seat and the guys talking incessantly next to me.....Agggggggh. Whatever, I still consider this the weakest of the shows. The energy just wasn't there from the crowd and I think Dylan was affected by this. However, the show, compared to those in the past (1994 excluded) was still very good. "Crash on the Levee" had some very interesting phrasing and, as I later learned, this phrasing changed each night. After the song he exclaimed "We were just in LA, the OJ jury was at the show." Was this the case or a joke? "Senor" was my highlight. Dylan, sans guitar, put so much emotion into the vocals that sitting there, outside, the wind blowing against my face, it was almost haunting. I have always loved "Senor" and the chance to finally hear it live was a treat. "Watchtower" and "Just Like A Woman" were standard. I was surprised that Dylan has decided to seperate the lines in "Watchtower". I like it much better in this pre-1994 style. "Silvio" was my second highlight. The two drunk, loud guys next to me went out to the bathroom and I was left alone with this rocking tune. It's amazing that just by seperating the lines, he has totally changed the feel of the song. In other words, for those who have not heard the 1995 version, Dylan sings "One of these days and it won't br longgggggggggggg" pause, "I'm going down to the valley to sing my songggggggggg". It's a lot like the new "Man In A Long Black Coat". The tempo is very upbeat and it, along with "Watchtower" was by far the most revved up song. ""Watching The River Flow" was standard, 1994-1995 style. Oh the acoustics. For anyone who has not heard the 1995 "Tambourine Man", get a tape as soon as possible. It is simply a beautiful prayer. Dylan, without a guitar, JJ playing th melody, Bucky's solo...it is, in a word, perfect. The addition of the "Skipping reels of rhyme" verse makes it so much the better. "Masters of War" was probobly the fan favorite. Dylan, again sans guitar, sensed this and his vocals were full of emotion. Fans, as usual, cheered at the verse ends and, with the way the red light shown on Bob, this song seemed as hauting as "Senor". JJ did that solo which Dylan was giving him special recogntion in Europe, but there was no special introduction. Dylan picked up a guitar for "Love Minus Zero" and, while I love he song, it did not have the same emotional, passionate feel of the previous 2 songs. While it was very well done, Dylan did not do a great solo and I felt a bit dissapointed. None the less, I was very happy he din't play "Don't Think Twice". "Seeing the Real You At Last" was good to hear for the first time, but I got the feeling that hearing it every night would be a bit annoying. The song, IMHO, while being upbeat, did not rock like "Silvio". I doubt that Dylan will play this as frequently in the future as "God Knows". Don't get me wrong, the song is well organized and JJ does a nice solo. It's just not great. "Simple Twist of Fate"- The song was well done but it is one of my least favorite songs. "Train to Cry"- While I really dislike this song, I must admit that it was well done. It's just that it seems that the song is in limbo. Sort of between fast and slow. Is it supposed to be rocking like "Watchtower" or slow like "She Belongs to Me." Dylan really appeared to love playing it. "Rolling Stone" was pretty standard while "My Back Pages" was simply awesome. Acoustic with the full band, Dylan did extensive guitar and harmonic solos and sang pretty much all the verses. There is something so fitting about ending a show with this tune. It caused me to forget much of what I had disliked about the show before it. In terms of other news. Dylan started forty five minutes after showtime. The setlist listed "Lay Lady Lay" as an alternate for #2, "Thombston Blues" as an alternate for #12, "Shooting Star" as an alternate for #11, and "Mr Jones" as the first encore. At some point, Dylan introduced Hoyt Axston, who was backstage, saying he had "written some song about a hotel." Dylan wore black pants (with Buttons) and a black jacket. As usual, he wore boots and no hat. He looked absolutely beautiful. Other reviews to follow.



Later in May 1995
Early June 1995 Mid June 1995 Late June, early July