Bob Dylan 970413 in Wayne, New Jersey
Subject: WAYNE SHOW From: TIMHRK@AOL.COM Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 23:04:13 -0400 ... Look for an extended review. This was a great show. Watchin the river flow was like a Sun sessions take, Hard rain a gonna fall was simply superb, and he did all the stanzas, Larry Campbell played violin on Friend of the devil. During the acoustic set photographs were projected in the back ground and after at th e finale of tuib a picture of Allen Ginsberg was projected, there was much appluase. Ginsberg's home town was in spitting distance. Only harp was at born in time. Great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great graet Hard Rain was simply one of the best single performances I've ever experienced of a song. Look for a detailed rave in the next few
Subject: Bob Dylan Wayne New Jersey April 13th From: trevorh@itw.com Date: 14 Apr 1997 05:09:35 GMT Hi everybody, I saw Bob tonight just a couple of hours ago and it was incredible. There were (my guess) 4000 people, all standing room only. I was about 20 feet away from him. ... Special guest Antonio Banderas...oh wait a second that was just Larry Cambell. They look exactly the same so I got confused. Bob was wearing this old western "Colonel Sanders from KFC" style suit with a white cowboy hat and white cowboy boots. I was amazed at how tall Bucky was. The sound was incredible. Here are some notes from the concert: Watching the River Flow suprisingly had a country feel to it. Larry Cambell played violin on Friend of the Devil. Bob played harp *only* on Born in Time Hard Rain was the second encore, usually rarely played. The band was really tight and they sounded great, but what else is new? Trevor
Subject: Wayne - Face to Face With Dylan From: Tom Favata (tbuick6@ix.netcom.com) Date: 14 Apr 1997 05:36:25 GMT ... Is that a setlist or what? Dylan comes out at 7:30 sharp, decked out in full cowboy gear. Tan western jacket, string tie, and That Hat! I'm sure it's the same hat he has on in that great publicity shot for "World Gone Wrong". "Crash on the Levee" kicks things off, and the new drummer(sorry, I should know his name) gives this standard opener a new edge. The arrangement, though not radically different, seems totally new. "Pretty Peggy-O" follows and at this point I get the feeling we're all in for a helluva night. Next, of course, is "Watchtower", but even here we are treated to a little surprise. Bucky Baxter slips on an acoustic guitar and the intro he plays is right off of "John Wesley Harding". For a second I thought it would be an acoustic "Watchtower", but the Hendrix version kicked in soon after (Not that there's anything wrong with it:-) The moment I had hoped for was next. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere". No I wasn't! Dylan couldn't have been dressed better for the occassion. He looked how I always pictured him looking whenever I hear this treasure sung. Sure he flubbed a word or two, but who cares. This is what we travel miles to see. It was definitely the "basement tapes" version(the one that does it for me) with Bucky, Tony, and that damn fine new guitarist(who's name eludes me) adding harmony for good measure. A rollicking "Watching the River Flow" and a standard "Silvio" followed, leading into the acoustic set. A new arrangement of "Friend of the Devil" with that damn fine new guitar player on fiddle was excellent, although Dylan was trying to give his vocal a new twist, and I don't think it worked. If he sang it like he meant it(Poughkeepsie, 5/1/96), this would have been one for the archives. An always riveting "Masters of War" was next, followed by the next highlight of the night. I was hoping to hear "Babe, It Ain't No Lie", so when the opening chords of "Tangled Up in Blue" filled the gymnasium air I can't say I was thrilled. By song's end, I was floored. Dylan sang the hell out of it. I swear it sounded like '75, and no , I was not drinking. The drums really added to this acoustic rendition, totally blowing away any and all versions played over the last year and a half. A true tour de force for both Dylan and band. "Seeing The Real You at Last" opened the second electric set, complete with a brand spanking new arrangement. While I can't describe the difference verbally, I can say it was transformed into a completely different song, and it rocked like hell. Another highlight, "Born in Time" followed. While someone (Bucky Baxter, I think) hit a very wrong note at the end of the first verse, Dylan and Co. recovered to finish the song in gorgeous fashion. It was also during this song that Bob blew his harp in anger for the first time of the evening. Truly a goosebump moment. Dylan than introduced the band and closed the non encore portion of the show with a satisfying "Highway61". The first encore was a less than inspiring 3 verse "Rolling Stone". This preceded a truly brilliant acoustic(obviously) "Hard Rain" I can't wait for Paul Wiliams to get a hold of this baby. I know only he can describe this performance justly, so I'll leave it to him. Knowing that "Rainy Day Woman" was about to close the show, I had an idea, albeit a borrowed one from a recent rmd posting. I exited the gym with my younger sister(19) in tow. Using her as a young innocent diversion, I would attempt a face to face with Dylan. Amazingly, we were able to get to the exit where Dylan and entourage would soon emerge with absolutely no resistance. A cop, (the friendliest cop I've ever encountered) let us walk right to where the waiting tour buses were standing. This seemed too easy, I thought. The cop and bus was probably a decoy. There were about 5 other people waiting with us as well, all with kids in tow. Having kids (or a young sister) sometimes pays off. I guess we looked rather un-threatening and that's why we were permitted to enter the "forbidden zone". About 5 minutes after the last muffled notes of "RDW" echoed from within, out walked Bob, white towel over head, cowboy hat in hand. He stopped to sign an autograph for one of the little kids, then continued walking towards a minivan parked right behind one of the buses. My sister, who was standing right in front of me attempted to say the word "Bob", as he walked directly in front of her. As she extended her hand out to shake his, she made eye contact with him and froze. He passed within a half a foot of her. While it looked like he would have shook her hand, she told me later his eyes seemed to say that he would rather not. She respected his eyes and he passed untouched. The thrill of being within a foot of Dylan was enough.....for the both of us. Tom and Christina Favata
Subject: WAYNE: 13 APRIL From: Homeowner1 (homeowner1@aol.com) Date: 14 Apr 1997 13:46:37 GMT Wow! Having read a few of the other (excellent and accurate) posts on this show, I have to say that I agree with the solid reviews. Everything about this evening--easy commute and parking; enjoyable general admission seating; excellent sound (from about 20 feet in front of Bucky Baxter); and, of course, inspired, great music--was fantastic! I wish every concert were as laid-back an affair as this one was. A couple of thoughts: 1/ Did anyone hear a little "Hey Jude" in the jam toward the end of Silvio? I could have sworn there was little Beatles in there! 2/ Is the drummer David Kemper? I didn't catch his name clearly. If so, he's the guy who played in the Jerry Garcia Band. 3/ For any Deadheads out there: Pretty sweet to hear Mr. Dylan offer us some kind items that are related to the Dead/Garcia (Pretty Peggy-O; Friend of the Devil; Tangled Up in Blue; Watchtower; and, in a way, Silvio). Anyway, just wanted to add my 2 cents. Thanks for the great music. Looking forward to Hartford next week.
Subject: WAYNE REVIEW From: TIMHRK@AOL.COM Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 08:56:36 -0400 ... After some Great diner food at the King George, we get to the "rec center." I'm with my friend, Danny. We've seen Dylan together a bunch of times, the first time as teenagers for the Night Of The Hurricane in 1975. Just about every tour, we've seen a show or two. Not together all the time, and I've caught a few more shows. But we're both long term fans. As we walk from the parking lot towards the Rec Center, we already like the crowd. It's a real mix of young kids and old baby boomers, older than us thank God, and a healthy contingent of dead heads. What's weird is the place is a freaking gym. Talk about taking the music to the people. I've seen Dylan outdoors, in stadiums, at the Garden, the Beacon, but this is the first gym. I mean, college banners are on the walls. It was like a sock hop. A real nice feel. They say it held 4,000 people but I doubt that, had to be less, much less. Hey maybe if Dylan was greedier, made deals with credit card and beer companies, he'd have sponsors for a big places.Nope, Dylan has a little thing I like to call INTEGRITY!!! The lights go down and the familiar announcement. Columbia Recording Artist. Bob Dylan. Crash on The Levee, now a bluesy rocker, blasts from the amplifiers. With all the Midwest flooding, this song takes on a very topical nature. Dylan's wearing this large white cowboy hat, it's the shiniest hat I've ever seen and it's pulled down to at least his eye brows. He's dressed like the parson of a church or something. He has on a black western Bow tie, also known as a four-in-hand tie, and a white shirt with huge black cufflinks. The suit is grey, and he looks a little paunchy, not puffy or anything, just a bit more meat around the gut. Why not? He's a grandpa. He keeps his head pointed downward. He's playing some really bluesy licks. Dylan takes most of the leads for the whole night. He's a talented competent guitarist now, not the hacking strum of years past. He shows a prediliction for blues riffs throughout the night. The new drummer is good too, not as heavy handed as the one I saw in 95. Tony Garnier, a really overlooked musician, holds the whole thing together. But Dylan is singing and playing great and Danny points out that Dylan is wearing an "ear piece", which a lot of musicians wear these days he says. It helps them hear better. This may make a difference. I don't know. Pretty Peggy O starts off slightly confused, but to think, here's a song that dates back to his first record, and yet he is singing it with such wisdom and experience. His voice had an edginess, maybe hoarse in a subtle way but it is working. He's moving a lot when he plays guitar too, crouching forward, pointing the neck of the guitar at the crowd, shimming in fact. The arrangement is very similar to the Grateful Dead's version. Garcia did this song in the 90s and tonight's version shares that shuffling sensibility. Then as you can guess, those familiar chords ring out. All Along The Watchtower. The crowd loves it and why not. It may lack an impact for me, having seen it so many times, but it's a guitar anthem and always sounds good. Cambpell and Dylan trade some licks, some real nice interplay,and that familar crescendo ending thunders. The band is sounding great. Dylan is picking some mean guitar. I can't fully explain how Dylan simply improves on guitar each show. In 94 at Roseland, he starts playing more leads, starts leading the band, and in 95 he's doing Garcia quotes during Alabama Getaway and now in 1997 he is the lead guitar player. It's been a startling evolution. The next song begins with some pedal steel noodling by Bucky and we hear the chords. Danny and I look at each other and we say in unison, "YOU AIN"T GOING NOWHERE!" "Clouds won't shift, rain won't lift." It was just so buoyant. People are singing along. I wouldn't think the song is so popular, and he is doing the basement tapes version but the crowd is loving it, singing along like it's a campfire song. "get your mind off winter time." Very sweet. And Dylan ends by singing the chorus acapella, like he is leading the crowd, like he's Peter freaking Seeger. Never heard this one live before. The next number starts off with Garnier doing Bill Black Licks on the bass and Dylan riffing away like Scotty Moore. Will this be a sun session number? "What's the matter with me," the nasal tenor croons. I'm jumping up and down. Watching The River Flow. This is rock and roll boys and girls. This was how it began. Dylan makes it his own. He puts the Rimbaud Boogie in his Folk rock woogie. I think this is my favorite song of the evening. He changes the lyrics slightly too: I saw somebody who was really sad, he couldn't even cry." He probably forgot the real lyric and just flubbed it but it sounded clever to me at least. But these kinds of reinventions are why I keep going back to see the guy. Plus, I love rock and roll. This was rock with the roll Folks. The real deal!!!!!!! Silvio is next. It's a cooking song. The dead heads are singing along. I love the way it just builds and builds until he delivers the last verse, let the echo decide if I was right or wrong. The song has a real extended ending. We're ready for the acoustic set. Larry Campbell gets out the violin. Fiddle player. Ahh, the sound check rumors were right. what an addition to the sound. Those opening licks are not from Dylan, but from American Beauty. Friend of the Devil. The violin just enhances the texture. This song keeps gaining momentum. There's a screen behind the band. Double-exposed black and white images are projected. They seem stark, nothing in particular. This was not a light show. This was not the exploding plastic inevitable. It was tasteful. Like Georgia Okeefe or something. I don't know what it is and have not seen any thing posted about it. The dead heads are in heaven, singing along and Dylan's phrasing transforms this song into a troubadour lament as at home in the middle ages or in the old west as it was when the hippies tripped at the Fillmore. The violin tears at the heart. By the end of the song, Dylan gets this big grin on his face. The crowd actually applauds the smile. Another Dylan moment folks. Masters of War is Next. Now, I've seen the punk rock "real live" version of this song, the poetic return to its folk roots that Dylan did in what I believe was a tribute to the tribute Eddie Vedder achieved at the Anniversary show. But tonight, yet another version. Bucky is on Mandolin now. Larry has the acoustic out and Tony's got the stand up. This becomes like an Appalachian meets the Delta Blues number. It's not just a protest song from the Sixties, it now belongs to the dark folk songs of Appalachia, with a real country blues edge. Lighting Hopkins could have sat in on this number. And he's singing it with such force and honesty, like a song passed down from generation to generation. It's just such a great number. The pope is in Bosnia. People are dying in Zaire. The Israelis and the Palestinians still scuffle. This song matters. "And I hope that you die. And your death will come sooooooooooooon." The pictures seem more stark behind them. At one point, it looks like a double exposure of the Leaning Towers of Pizza. Dylan plays some blistering blues notes. The song has a new tempo, a real abrupt sound. "Until I'm sure that your dead." Classic rock, or classic folk rock, and people start singing along right away. "Early one morning, the sun was shining." What crosses my mind is that This DYLAN, the 70s Dylan, The Blood on The Tracks DYLAN, is as much a part of our culture as that kid with the harmonica and guitar singing blowing in the wind. Note for note, lyric for lyric it's the Blood on the Tracks version, except he says Truck diver's wives. But this song has become such an anthem. The crowd is with him all the way. "Right outside of Delacroix." It's as close to the album sound as any Dylan show. Suddenly a new picture appears on the screen behind the band: a double exposure of Allen Ginsberg. What a touching tribute. Here's a song first performed live at Rolling Thunder, a tour Ginsberg was on board for. Wayne New Jersey is right next to Paterson, where Ginsberg is from, and of course, the school shares the Patersonname. Ginsberg being from New Jersey is something that we Jerseyites find a kind of pride in. Everyone is applauding. What a beautiful climax to an extraordinary acoustic set. Tremendous and touching. The stratocasters are strapped back on. Dylan continues on his blues path with Real You At Last. The hook sizzles. "I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble," he sings. The band rocks. Born in Time Follows. The lyrics sound funny, I think he's changed them, at least the opening ones. This song sort of wanders a bit at the outset. Dylan takes out a harp from his pocket. The only harmonica played the whole night. Sure, the applause erupts when Zimmy blows but it's a far cry from the 95 solos. In fact, I remember watching through binoculars his entire solo, where he had several harmonicas in a case kept on a stool. This one he has one in his pocket. What is up with the harp playing Bob? Not enough harmonica is the only complaint I have about this show, and in retrospect, this point is mute. I liked hearing this song, never heard it before live, and its a great number. At the end of the song, Dylan takes off his hat and smoothes his hair and puts the hat back on, way down, completely over his forehead. "Let me introduce the band." The band introductions come and then it's Highway 61 and everybody is rocking again and the show is drawing to a close. Dylan flubs some of the lyrics. The band's energy explodes. The show really has that sock hop feel to it. We're all screaming for an encore. So, they take a break and return and it's Like A Rolling Stone. It kind of has that Isle e of White Feel to it, or an Unplugged thing going on. The pedal steel is like an organ. I always consider this one of the overplayed Dylan tunes, but it sounds new again. Now, I've seen several Never Ending Tour Shows, and the encores have always been well, kind of predictable. At this point, we are supposed to hear like a One Too Many Mornings or an It Ain't Me Babe. I can't quite make out the chords. And in a quiet tone, we hear. "where have you been my blue eyed son, where have you been my darling young one." I haven't heard this one in a long time and the last time, I believe it was the Petty tour, the version was just so so, and he left out a verse or two. Dylan is really into this song. The lyrics reel out of him, like beautiful streams of Whitman. This is a poignant concert moment. Some gym in nowhere new jersey, a crowd not made up of critics or big city media hype, and Dylan just pulls out this classic gem, this song that is so filled with poetry it's like READING. I saw a branch with blood that kept dripping. Mid song, Bucky gets out the Dobro. It intensifies. And what did you see, what did you hear, he does it all. I saw a gun that shot swords in the hands of young children. Zaire kids on the front page of the Sunday newspaper. The whole place is moved. I can feel tears in my eyes. The instrumental break is just incredible, and just when you think he might cut it short, might not remember all the lyrics. I mean, this song is as long as Sad Eyed Ladies. Dylan saunters up to the microphone. The instrumental break was so complex, we're all applauding. "What'll ya do now, my blue eyed son." It was so poignant, so fucking BLOODY GREAT. It was like hearing a beautiful poem. It is a beautiful poem. The words are just so perfect, sheer genius, image after image. When it ends, there is a gasp before the applause. This was not just experiencing a performance. We were paying witness. You know, you always know you'll be surprised at a Dylan show, and we always have a song or two we would like to hear, but then he slips in a truly great one that is just so unexpected and you get your GOD DAMN SOCKS KNOCKED OFF. Debating set lists or thinking about Stormy Season or rediscovering the concealed charms of his 80s records or arguing why the classic records are classic, yes we do all of this, but suddenly, we hear Hard Rain again and we hear the experience and wisdom of a King Lear in the lyrics written by a young folk singer who just discovered Kerouac and Ginsberg and that magic that is Dylan rings clear and true. We're not hearing some protest tune inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis, we are hearing a Leaves of Grass about the human condition that is timeless, that will be as moving 100 years from now as it was that night as it was in the early Sixties. I'm Going Back Up When That rain that starts a Fallin. The whole place, the band, the kids, the dead heads, the baby boomers, the sound technicians, the bouncers, the hippie taper with the microphone hidden in his hair, the girl with the long brown hair and large breasts, the skinny blonde with earrings in her eyebrows and lips, the moms and dads with their adolescent kids, the pot smokers, the tie dyed wearers, the college kids, ME AND DANNY, we were all moved. Spellbound. Touched. Utterly breath taken. Dylan thanks the crowd, he even throws something in the crowd. Was it the Harmonica? We start going towards the exits. Rainy Day Women is coming on, but anything would be anticlimactic. The familiar strains come on and we hang out, wondering if there might be something else. It's a celebration at this point. I watch kids and dead heads dance. These teenage girls gyrating, learning how to shimmy their hips and shake their tits. These middle age ex hippies grooving like they're 21 and filled with idealistic hope. These dead heads twirling remembering when Jerry was alive. It's an anthem. I love seeing people have a good time.But Hard Rain had such an effect on me. I can't explain it. The words are so beautiful and constructed. Danny and I, well we've been buddies since the third grade. This song is part of our lives, and neither of us have truly listened to it in a while. Now, we will never forget it. Anyway, we hang by the back, watch the crowd and the lights go up and it's over. "One of the best Dylan shows I've seen," Danny says as we wander through the April Night towards the car. I can only nod and feel the breeze against my sweaty face. And Reflect from the Mountain for all souls to see it.
Subject: Still more on Wayne From: Loren Terveen (terveen@research.att.com) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:44:57 GMT I want to second the praising of Dylan's guitar playing. This definitely was NOT the noodling leads we've grown accustomed to over the last couple of years. While there was still some of that, he played lots of sharp, clear lead. For me, the new style was best exemplified on Masters of War and Hard Rain. Both these songs contain pauses after most lines, and all the pauses were punctuated by razor sharp (heavily amplified) acoustic leads. Other highlights for me were Peggy-O, Tangled Up in Blue, Born In Time, and Like A Rolling Stone.
Subject: Wayne -- Another View From: Zoner13 (zoner13@aol.com) Date: 14 Apr 1997 08:20:01 GMT Fellow peculiar Dylan fans -- General admission rules! We were VERY close to the stage. I've never been so happy (and so close) watching that shadowy figure walking out on stage, surrounded by his partners in crime. Is there anything better than watching everybody take their place, and the sound of: "Ladies and Gentlemen...Columbia recording artist -- Bob Dylan!" And of all the great things about this show (I'll name a few) -- I must say it's a new sound Bob seems to be creating that I'm most interested in. With Pretty Peggo-O and You Ain't Goin' Nowhere, there was a great country/folksy/I dunno what else to call it SOUND. It had an accoustic feel to it. Now I think I understand what may have behind the departures of W.W. and B.B. (whom I loved dearly). Dylan, in my opinion, is on the brink of something new. (Perhaps the secrets are in the already recorded album). I think some of the songs we've complained about (or at least I have, in a now outdated post) in the setlists are mere warmups. Once the new guys get up to speed, we're in for a real treat -- more songs like You Ain't Goin' Nowhere. And the new guy, Larry Campbell. I was surprised how YOUNG he looked. And I like him already. What fun he has on stage! (He even plays VIOLIN. It's time to break out the Desire tracks!) He tried, bless his heart, to follow Bob's lead all night, all the while not losing his cool, all the time smiling and waving to the crowd. I'm telling you -- great stuff in the works. But back to Dylan. I've never seen such ENERGY! He played the living hell out of that guitar. And not just his noodling. He played lead guitar. He danced around with more animation than I've been used to. Everbody on stage seemed to be watching his hands. Trying to read his mind. Trying to keep up. But Dylan, in his mid-fiftees, seems to me on some mission of God. To prove this neverending tour is really NEVER going to end. And his voice (ragged from so many shows) was still forceful and coherent. Friend of the Devil my personal highlight. Those guitars. That violin. That chemistry. And that singing. But Hard Rain might be the best stuff for the tapers. What phrasing. What chemistry this band has, or is about to have. I wasn't sure if this performance was good for what it delivered, but for how optimistic it makes the future look. I must confess it gives me great pleasure to be on the other side of the r.m.d. reports -- talking about what everbody else missed. But enough of my yacking. I'll see you next Sunday, at Monmouth. It's General admission again. Zoner
Subject: 4/13/97 Wayne, NJ notes From: Christopher Pelham (cpelham@MACCONNECT.COM) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 16:20:56 -0400 I few more observations about this show: Based on the reviews of the previous shows this month, I was expecting a show with a surprise song or two but with frequent lapses in communication within the band. However, this was IMHO the smoothest of the five shows I've seen in the neverendingtoursaga. Watchtower was perhaps the first big test of the night, and Bob did indeed pull it back and slow it down at the end, but the guys stayed right with him. Larry Campbell watched Bob intently all night, smiling frequently, esp. at the end of Watchtower and FOTD. Never did I notice a look of ire from Larry of Bob at any time. When Bob looked at Larry, he usually seemed to be confirming that they were indeed on the same page. Admittedly, when Bob was taking lead, esp. on acoustic, Larry's parts consistedly primarily of strumming, and Larry looked a bit bored--for instance, on "Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall." I have a friend who's toured with Larry before with the Cyndi Lauper band, and she says Larry's a genius. He can play any stringed instrument, has like 40 of them you've never heard of before. He definitely seemed happiest to me playing violin on FOTD, and I wonder if he'll stay on with Bob for very long if he's not given more to do. I enjoyed Bob's electric lead playing but didn't think his tone or choices were especially distinctive. WATCHING Bob play is great--but until he finds a more original voice I'm going to hope he'll surrender duties to Larry (just as I loved and preferred GE, Robbie, JJ, etc.) Now I was really glad to hear Bob take lead on TUIB, Masters of War and esp. Hard Rain. These were beautiful. He's picking out lovely, interesting parts and really doing himself proud. The latter two were definitely the best live perf. I've heard of these two. Beautiful, clear singing, sharp phrasing, weathered, warm, full sound from the band--was this show really in an aluminum gym and not an oak barn? I disagree with those who say this TUIB sounded just like the BOTT studio version. While the lyrics were nearly the same (this has been well-covered now), the vocal melody was new-at least new to me. Unfortunately, I cannot remember it well enough to cite examples, but the hopefully forthcoming tape should bear this out. I'd never hear "You Ain't Going Nowhere" "Peggy-O" or "Born In Time" live before, and I definitely think all three are keepers. YAGN had a lovely countryish quality and "Born In Time" was so sexy. More than once in this show I felt something of Elvis in Bob's performance. I'd love to hear a "Lay Lady Lay" on this tour. This is a really versatile band and I think will get much more so if Bob allows it. Larry's violin, Bucky's elec. mandolin and lap steel (as well as his mainstay pedal steel), add so much. Also, Garnier now uses a hand held fretted acoustic base at times as well as his elec. and standup acoustic and always holds things together in a and provides the emotional as well as musical energy that Dylan's bass probably ought to. I didn't form any strong impressions of the new drummer. He never irritated me, and I did really like what he contributed to Born in Time. In general I felt like he had a lighter touch than Winston. All in all, I loved this show and encourage everyone to try to see him on this tour! Bob is working really hard, seemingly as hard in rehearsal as in front of the audience, and it's paying off. One other observation: the most age-varied audience I've been a part of yet. Lots of whole families and teenagers. Never smelled any pot! Only saw a few obvious Deadheads, not many people who looked like students of William Paterson College either. Everyone, young or old seemed to be dancing and having a great time, coming away starry-eyed and happy though. Long live Bob! - Christopher Pelham cpelham@macconnect.com "Dig my grave with the ace of spades." -- Blind Willie McTell
Subject: From the Chick with the RMD sign at Wayne (long) From: RJATKO (Rdjxejk@cris.com) Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 22:15:13 -0400 Charlie and RK and I got to Wayne about 2:30, whereupon we went to the diner and met our fellow rmders--all fantastic people, needless to say. By 3:30, we were waiting on line, about 70 people back from the door. I occassionally held up my R.M.D. sign, trolling for fellow rmders (more about the sign later). Quite a few came over, and I got to meet many rmders for the first time--what a blast! Finally the doors opened and we took off. I wound up one person back from the stage, about 10 feet to the right of Dylan. The guy in front of me was a tall rmder and was kind enough to let me stand in front of him (but I was so excited that I misremember his name--thank you, thank you, geneticist and fellow rmder from Ohio!) So I was right on the rail, which is about two feet back from the stage. The stage itself is low, maybe three and 1/2 feet high. Dylan and the band sauntered out at around 7:30--there was no opening act. Dylan was wearing a yellowish-gray sharkskin suit (a definite step up from the dreaded blue sashed satin shirt, but not as good as the long black coat outfit), a white cowboy hat with a black band and small turquoise feather, a white shirt, a black gambler tie, and white cowboy boots. I forget what the rest of the band looked like :-) (Actually, BB and Larry had long jackets on, the goateed TG had a loose fifties-style shirt and a black leather cap, and I couldn't really see the drummer.) Larry played a Telecaster most of the show, although we got a bit of violin from him on Friend Of The Devil. On Hard Rain, TG played an acoustic bass guitar--not the upright. It looked just like an regular electric acoustic guitar, but with only four strings. Dylan was in good form and seemed to be enjoying himself. His voice was strong, and his electric guitar playing was much improved since I last saw him in Pittsburgh 96. Very little of that annoying 3 note noodling, thank goodness. Hard Rain was my favorite, and I liked Born In Time a lot. During You Ain't Going Nowhere, Dylan stopped singing and let the audience sing the chorus (we did a good job, too :-), while the band clapped encouragement. AATW was very good too, not at all a throw-away song. But my favorite song of all was Hwy61R. Why was that, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. My favorite song was Hwy61R because, right before it started, when the spotlights were on the audience, I held up the R.M.D sign, at about waist level. With no one in front of me, it was very visible from the stage. (To backtrack a little, I had done the same thing last year at Drew, but I was two people back at that venue, so I had to hold the sign up in the air. Nonetheless, I did get him to squint at it, and do a double-take and squint at it again. He looked puzzled. But that was then. ) This time, he squinted at the sign, looked at me, and pointed to himself, saying "That's me?". I nodded. He smiled, albeit a small smile (like he has any other kind :-) Then he looked at it again and said either "I *love* you" or "I *know* you". (The exact words were debated later at the bar. Actually, the other rmders debated. I was too spaced out by the whole thing to think clearly. Believe me, once he looked at me, once those intense blue eyes met mine, I was like one of those butterflies pinned to a board. Yes I was. My, my.) Then he finished the song, and at the end looked at me again (sigh), and pointed, and said "*You!*" (BTW, the various theories thrown about the bar were that if he said "I know you", it was either because he remembered me from the Drew show [not me personally, of course, but me as in "the chick with the R.M.D. sign"] *or*, [wishful thinking on many rmders part coming up], he actually reads rmd [or maybe has someone save and printout certain posts, esp. concert reviews], and saw the mention of the sign in my last year's Drew review. I thought he said "I *love* you". Either way, I sure did like it.) It was a great set and a fantastic show. I like these small gymnasiums and I think Dylan does too. Last year at Drew wasn't as strong performance-wise --it was the first show of the year--but was my favorite show last year anyway because of the intimate and casual setting. He actually interacts with the audience a bit in these venues, and that suits me just fine, especially if I'm a bit of the audience that he interacts with :-) Robin
Subject: Another Wayne review From: MLPman219x (mlpman219x@aol.com) Date: 19 Apr 1997 17:10:55 GMT I posted this on Counsel Connect, a computer bulletin board for lawyers (no flames, please... have met some of the greatest dylan fans I know there). Appended By: Michael Perlin Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 10:14:17 EDT Subject: How does it *feeeeeeeel*? -Wow!! You've all heard me wax rhapsodic abt Bob concerts before -- caveat: to those who havent seen him since '92, ignore any post-Petty tour memories u may have had (the new Bob sounds nothing like the late 80's/early 90's Bob); to those who think this is Lawrence Welk for graying Boomers, welcome to the real world -- but this one topped any of the ones I've seen in the past three years. An amazing musical evening. First things first >> the set-list: Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) Pretty Peggy-O All Along the Watchtower You Ain't Going Nowhere Watch the River Flow Silvio Friend of the Devil (a) Masters of War (a) Tangled Up in Blue (a) Seeing The Real You At Last Born in Time Highway 61 Like a Rolling Stone (e) A Hard Rain's a Gonna Fall (e) (a) Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (e). A few observations now and more after class ... 1. The second live performance *ever* of You Ain't Going. 2. The best Highway 61 I have ever heard .. by far (I had always thought that Bob shd retire this from his repetoire, esp. after the Johnny Winter version at the Tribute concert. This smoked.) 3. My 2d Hard Rain in 2 concerts over a 15 month period. No idea what the odds are on that but... 4. New lead guitar player played violin on Friend. 5. Slide show on a screen during the acoustic set included portraits of Allen Ginsburg at the end of Tangled. 6. 4 "first-time-ever-in-persons" for me >> Peggy, You Ain't, Friend and Born. 7. Bob's voice stronger than I can remember, esp. on Crash, Peggy, the acoustics and the encores. 8. Bob's lead guitar playing amazed me.. I remember Jeff scoffing at my praising his guitar work at the Roseland concert (10/94), and, in truth, the 2 times I saw him aftr that before this, he had kinda gone back to playing chords and basic riffs. But last nite he *stunned* the crowd. 9. Sound check (hear half of from outside waiting for gate to opne) included Dignity ... never played in the US exc on MTV Unplugged show 10. Friend of friend saw original planned set list: Stuck Inside of Memphis was listed as alternate to Seeing the Real You, and Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll as alternative to Hard Rain... He'll be in Providence and Hartford this week, then back to NJ to Monmouth College on Sunday, then Penn State and then he moves a bit south and then west. If u can see him, GO! Time to teach... more later...
Appended By: ..... Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 21:38:09 EDT Subject: OOooWee are we gonna fly . . . Thanks perf, for the set list. "Seeing the REal You at Last" got my attention. Haven't thought about that song in quite some time. Sounds like the Bobster was back to his rockin' persona like he was when I saw him in Atlanta Midtown Music Festival, May, '96. Missi
Appended By: Michael Perlin Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 13:48:26 EDT Subject: It *scorched*, Missi There are those who simply don't believe/refuse to believe/can't believe that Bob rocks. He does. Song after song after song. I had wondered whether the new iteration of the backup band was gonna be able to keep up the same propulsive beat that the 94-96 band did w/ Winston as the drummer. And, truth be known, I didnt find that Kemper had the same charismatic drive that Winston did have (the glass shields around the drum set were missing also), but no matter... the band cooked and swung and flat out rocked. Bob's guitar playing -- as I hope I mentioned in the earlier post -- was stunning. No other word for it. I didnt mention a/thing abt Seeing the Real You in my last post 'cause I was so blown away by the Hiway 61 in the same set. My error > he rocked the hell out of it and the audience was bobbing and moving and jiving and shaking along the entire way. Bob, btw, was dressed in gunslinger attire. Cowboy hat, black Wyatt Earp-esque tie, long coat... looked ready for a remake of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. By the end, there was as much sweat pouring off of him as you see on Patrick Ewing's brow at the end of a playoff game... Having thought some more, I have an idea that there are gonna be surprises galore on the rest of the tour. There are loads of songs he's newver sung or hasnt sung since Rolling Thunder days, and my guess is that once Campbell becomes more comfortable w Bob's style and gestalt of concertizing, that there'll be bombshells aplenty before he leaves for Switzerland in June. Again, as I posted somewhere, he's done Idiot Wind, Dignity and ALl I Really Wanna Do in his soundchecks... who knows what's next? (Several posters on rec.music.dylan have said basically what I did abt fact that Campbell plays violin... maybe, just maybe, some of the Desire violin tracks will finally be resurrected. It's almost too much for this geezer to hope for).
Subject: Wayne World - Review - 4/13/97 From: "Beck, Frederick J." (fbeck@PICA.ARMY.MIL) Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 15:40:40 -0400 So much has already been said about the Wayne Show. Still, thought I'd put in my 2 cents, for what it's worth. The best way to describe this show is that it was "full of surprises" (at least for me). When Bob came out in his gray Colonel Sanders outfit, white ten gallon hat and white boots, I wondered if it would be worth the wait. THAT thought evaporated quickly, as soon as Bob broke into: 1. Crash - Yeah, it's predictable but it works really well as an opener. Not as rocking as the Drew show but still quite effective. Larry C was giving a number of big grins during this one. 2. Pretty Peggy O - Surprise #1 ! Never heard this song before but it had a nice country "bop" to it. 3. Watchtower - Say what you will, this is one of those songs that always seems to stir the crowd. With a slower tempo than last year, Bob's phrasing was clear and deliberate (unlike last year's rushed delivery). 4. You Aint Goin Nowhere - I thought he was going into 4th street but this was surprise # 2! A similar feel to peggy o, sweet and delightful. 5. Watching the river flow- Hmm, is there a pattern here? Again: a slower tempo than last year's "carl perkins" version but it certainly moved! I liked when he rhymed: " wonder why" with"goose was really fried"! Great, Bob! 6. Silvio - Yes, Yes.VERY predictable but it functions well in slot 6. It certainly got the Deadheads in the crowd excited. Made for an excellent lead in to the acoustic set, where I got Surprise #3: 7.Friend Of the Devil - I'm not crazy about hearing covers @ Bob shows but THIS performance was nothing short of wonderful! Larry C's violoin added nicely. 8. Masters Of war- Powerful, emotion filled! The folks near me who remembered his village days were hanging on every word, and so was I. Amazing. 9. Tangled- Same arrangement as last year, it was an appropriate closing to the acoustic trilogy. They were flashing slides throughout the ac set and you could see Ginsberg's photo @ the end of this song. Tangled Up In Blue, indeed. The curtains closed on the slide show, and then the band rocked us into: 10.Seeing the Real you @last- Surprise#4 It was at this point that the guys began to cut loose (just a little)! I wasn't impressed with the arrangement but it was still great to hear this one live, for the first time. 11.Born In Time - This was one of the high points for me. The lyrics were clear and this version was superior to the UTRS version. Up to this point: no harp, but he played it here! A standout and Surprise#5. Can't wait to hear this one on tape! 12.Hiway 61- Similar in tempo (and feel) to the original. We all went wild when he did this! Encores: 13 LARS - Always great to hear, and a good lead in from song 12. Seemed to be some sort of technical difficulty halfway through. Bob and Larry worked it out, though. 14.Hard Rain- Surprise #6. I REALLY didn't expect Hard Rain. What a haunting, mesmerising (and I suspect:rare) performance by Bob. Worth the price of admission! At this point the house lights came up and I was wondering: "is that it"? Nah, of course not! IT'S NOT OVER TIL THE RAINY DAY WOMEN SING!: 15.RDW12&35- The crowd goes wild! Extended version, no last verse, but it didn't matter. They could have gone on w/this song for another hour and I wouldn't have cared! Fred was dancing like a madman! To summarize: a surprisingly good, if slow paced show. Bob was "on" from the beginning and seemed very focused and clear thoughout, he even smiled a number of times! You could tell that alot of preparation went into this show and it paid off! It had a consistent feel throughout and therefore worked very well as an overall performance, as opposed to other shows I've seen that seemed to be a series of random "set pieces". I've seen him 6 times since '88 and this was, IMHO the best performance I've seen Bob give yet! For those of you who will see Bob in the next few weeks or so, I believe you will be pleasantly surprised, as I was! Fred PS Thanks evrybody for making the before and after parties a resounding success! Let's do it again real soon! PPS If you want to know about before or after parties at any of the upcoming shows be sure to contact Andra @ parties@edlis.org!
