Bob Dylan 2000.03.31 in Rochester, MN

Subject: Re: April 1, 2000 - Sioux Falls/Rochester- setlist- April Fools!!!
From: Frinjdwelr 
Date: 03 Apr 2000 02:15:21 GMT

>acffh morst laughed:
>I'd like to congratulate Bob on his wry sense of humor- playing a set exactly
>one song different than the night before!  What a joker, man. . .
>-hahahahahahaha
>
>april fools!

Yeah, when the encores were rolling up we were holding our breath to see if he
was really going to do two shows in a row with the exact same set lists.  But
he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
It could have been an april fools joke.  Then again maybe he just didn't
remember the Rochester show, or wanted to make it right. Cause he was
definitely "off" in Rochester.  His color was ashen, his eyes'd made any snake
proud, he moved like his body was an egg shell, and he acted very distracted. 
Either really tired or sick'd be my guess.  He'd pop his eyebrows up and get
into a song for a bit and then it was like the effort it took wasn't worth
keeping up.  Toward the end, the stranger next to me said he seemed to be
having trouble making the sound come out of his throat, like it was painful. 
So I knew it wasn't just me thinking he was not at peak.  Though maybe it
wouldn't have been that noticeable from more than the first few rows.

But Sioux Falls was like the opposite.  He was very focussed, great vocals, and
moving normally(well like HE normally moves anyway). The Nashville Skyline
songs were just delightful.  Though the audience, while very supportive and on
their feet for most of the show, seemed like quite a few first timers. The joke
completely escaped them, and their comments coming out were really funny.  

The fashion report:  He's let his hair go really gray again, short in the front
and long in the back.  Kinda like in 86, but longer yet in the back.  In
Rochester he seemed bugged by the way it'd get caught in his collar or guitar
strap.

To me the high point of Rochester was the very end with Charlie's high jinks,
maybe in support of Bob having made it through the show still standing?  I've
never seen Charlie interact with Bob like that before.  He bent over and ripped
into this guitar bit, which caused Bob to come over playing next to him.  Then
he slid all the way to the floor looking up at Bob like a servant to a master. 
But by then Bob had looked away, so Charlie tugged on his pants leg a couple
times til Bob turned, only to see Charlie grinning up at him from the floor.
This completely cracked Bob up. Then when Charlie got up and got the guitar
off, he like, wrapped Bob in his arms, even bending his head down and laying it
on Bob's shoulder. By this time their backs were to the audience as they were
exiting the stage, laughing and talking to each other.  It was very strange,
but really sweet.   
And if that makes you think of some cynical rude remark, keep it to yourself. 



Subject: Re: April 1, 2000 - Sioux Falls/Rochester- setlist- April Fools!!!
From: Don Carpenter 
Date: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 22:59:17 -0400

No offense, Frinj, but I really have to disagree with your assessment of Dylan's
performance in Rochester.  I thought he was anything but "off".  My wife and I were
in the 8th row and thought he put on a phenomenal performance.  He seemed to be in
a great mood, he was smiling and hopping around the stage like he was having the
time of his life.  I noticed toward the end that he was fooling around with his
hair probably because, as you mentioned, it was getting caught up in the guitar
strap or whatever, but that was the only sign of any discomfort we noticed during
the entire show.  The audience was going crazy, and when we left after the show,
people were just conversing with each other left and right about how incredible it
was.  He even tried to be a bit amusing during "Make You Feel My Love".  Remember
how he was humorously emphasizing certain words and making silly faces?  He was
definitely on target in Rochester.

It was a fantastic show and one we'll never forget.