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Bob Dylan 950527 Laguna Seca Daze


Date:    Sun, 28 May 1995 15:11:44 GMT
From:    Sylvia Shafto (sshafto@IX.NETCOM.COM)
Subject: Laguna Seca -- 5/27/95

Laguna Seca Daze, 5/27/95
East of Monterey, CA

First day of annual 2-day Memorial Day
weekend festival

Unusual in that Bob had 3 opening bands
:-)
Beth Hart, George Clinton, Black Crowes

Highlights of these performances --
Beth Hart did a great reincarnation of Janis
without actually doing any Janis material;
and
the announcer asked for another big thank
you for "Counting Crows" instead of "Black
Crowes," then corrected it to "Counting Black
Crow(e)s."

A few idiots left at this point (because it was
getting "cold") thereby missing the main event.

Bob did a 12-song set plus one encore. Fan
efforts to elicit a second encore were fruitless.

Opening electric set seemed exceptionally strong.

1. Down in the Flood
2. It Takes a Lot to Laugh
   (It Takes a Train to Cry)
3. All Along the Watchtower
4. Simple Twist of Fate
5. Silvio
6. Tombstone Blues

Acoustic with Bob in lounge-lizard mode
(hand-held mike, no guitar, with harmonica)
7. Tambourine Man
8. Masters of War
9. To Ramona (with acoustic guitar)

Closing electric set was excellent, perhaps
not quite at the same level as 1-6.
10. Seeing the Real You At Last
11. Every Grain of Sand
12. Stuck Inside of Mobile

Encore with full band electric
13. Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Singing was clear & focused. Lyrics sung by Bob
were far more distinct and comprehensible than
the warm-up acts

Overall, a great performance, with Bob relaxed
& in good audience-rapport form

Mike & Jay here, using Mom's account

Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 21:31:33 -0400 From: SadieJane (sadiejane@AOL.COM) Subject: SADIEJ GOES AROUND THE BAY WITH BOB (5/25-5/27 notes) FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, YAHDA, YAHDA, YAHDA The bad news first: while I was romping with my childhood best friend at bob concerts in the bay area, unbeknownst to me, tic's were selling apace in my own home town of Boston. shucks. can't win 'em all. Good news: saw three shows in the bay area. Berkeley 5/25 and 5/26 and Laguna Seca 5/27 5/25/95 the best show musically of the three, but the worst seats (rear center orch). Luckily the guy sitting next to me and my friend got wasted the minute the lights went out and didn't seem to mind us monopolizing his binoculars. worth mentioning: Down in the Flood Never heard it live before. Nice warmup song. I want you most lyrical I've ever heard it, gentle country love song / lullabye. Understated and elegant with Bucky's beautiful pedal steel. Seeing the Real You at Last He was in his zone on this one - playing around with the meter of the lyric so that it jived unexpectedly with the meter of the music. Typical Dylan trick. Mr. Tambourine Man Don't need to say much about this new version that has had much mention already. He does his best Tony Bennett routine with the mike and chord and undersings in most dramatic fashion. Just like a good painter, using negative space to fill the voids in our imagination. He seemed to really enjoy the singing and for the first time I began to understand that he may just have a good reason to be putting the ol' ax down. A risk worth taking. He's got this new thing now about adding clever little retorts to the band introductions, something about JJ being from Memphis and Bucky being a former mayor from somewhere (West Virginia one night, Alabama the next). HE DID GIVE HIS HARP to a young girl (12 years?) sitting in the front row after his encore. Nice touch Bob. And another thing: the woman sitting behind me starting weeping during Mr. T. Man. poor dear. 5/26/95 This time I went solo and had a better seat (2nd row left balc), AND had a long chat with Ron Chester (former and craig hopes future EDLIS bibliographic agent) during the long wait before the show (started 45 min. late). Most humorous moment: Classical Musician (me) trying to define Funk (as in George Clinton who was to appear at Laguna Seca with Bob on the next day) for Long Time Dylan Fan (Ron). "Funky. Funk is...you know, sort of like rock and disco put together with some serious attitude. Get down. Be funky." Oh well, maybe in another lifetime..... Not very interesting musically. Competent bob. No surprises and so a bit boring. worth mentioning: Tombstone Blues new version. Hello J. Winter - Hello Allman Bros. *Serious* red neck R&B. Took me until the first refrain before I recognized it. Serious Fun Gates of Eden Only because I was sitting there thinking to myself: I would love to hear Gates of Eden right now, and then I hear it. An arrangement I've heard before and heard better, like in New Haven last October. Baby Blue Only because I've been working on an version of it that I swiped from the Napoleon in Rags CD boot (somewhere in Europe 94). Again, the same basic arrangement but not quite as shockingly beautiful as on that CD. Jokerman Only because it was nice to hear it being played in the middle of a set and not as a warmup. On the otherhand, after hearing it soooo many times last year, I'm ready for a rest....(again apologies for being so jaded). One Too Many Mornings Only because anything is better than another It ain't me babe. (sorry for being so jaded) Bob talk: best Bucky intro, something about Bucky being a child protegee who can be heard on some of the early Bob Monroe albums. ha ha ha. 5/27/95 I LOVE GENERAL ADMISSION SHOWS!!!!!!! Bad news: I was too close to hear anything but what was coming out of the monitors on stage. Good news: I was at the front of the stage for the whole show. Attended this with a friend. We got there in time to hear George "Free you mind, your ass will follow" Clinton. I schmoozed with some Dylan heads who had come from Albuq., NM - blew them away when I told them I had come ALL THE WAY FROM BOSTON to see Bob. They immediately made room for me on their blanket. We skipped the Black Crows and headed for Monterey for what we thought would be a nice dinner somewhere but ended up being prepackaged sandwiches and a pint of Ben and Jerry's (Cherry Garcia) from the local pier supply store. After exploring Cannery Row, and finding it lacking in atmosphere (plenty of timeshares and fancy hotels) we decided to take our chances with Wavy Gravy, the garrulous MC of the Laguna Seca Daze, a two day outdoor music festival at a race track about 15 min. inland from Monterey. We walked right up to the front of the stage (I have a few good years of "cute girl" left and I take advantage of male fans young and old, stoned and sobor when I absolutely must to make it to the front) where the serious Bob fans of all shapes and sizes were gathering to wait for his set to begin. I immediately befriended and set up camp behind some young and friendly x'ers who had prime spots in the very front (one of them let me hang onto to him whenever the dancing (mostly mine) got off balance AND he took care of my coat for me too, very polite and well mannered. This front of stage crowd was made up of the old-timer fans (a resource for all albums prior to BOTT) and the new-timer fans (who know the words to EVERY song on Greatest Hits Vol 1 and 2) and Me (apparently the only one in group able to identify "recent" material such as Grain of Sand, Sylvio, Real You at Last ..... oivey). Bob was having a great time, (wearing a sort of mexican style boleroish jacket and a blue silk shirt) smiling and styling almost as much as JJ. worth mentioning: Watchtower Searing, with great guitar duetting Simple Twist electrically lyrical, full of regret and resignation. Tombstone Blues Best ever, again noone (except me) saw it coming until the first refrain. Serious blues. Tambourine Man Plenty of audience singalong here. Never quite sure if bob likes having people join in like that or not. He seems to be aware it is going on but doesn't acknowledge it at all. I of course only sing along if I have a good harmonization to add... I must add that after seeing him do this version up close, that his performance brought to mind the last song of Schubert's Winterreise - The young man identifying with the derelict, Hurdy Gurdy Man. Wow. I wonder if Bob knows Die Winterreise. bob is the greatest singer. Right up there with Fischer-Dieskau if you ask me. It takes a Lot to Laugh Great guitar work here, very hard-driving and SEXY. I'll ride *that* Mail train any ol' day. Every Grain of Sand One of the most lyrically significant songs ever, personal fav. Not as good as the excellent Tulsa 91 boot version. But worthy just the same. Bob talk: nothing new or noteworthy here. I must add however that a number of politically incorrect young women were tossing their panties and bras onto the stage all through the set (I was tempted but declined out of frugality rather than modesty). At the end of the show as Bob was coming forward to take his last bow he looked down to check out the debris laying around his monitor. Just at that moment JJ leaned in and whispered something to him (something naughty I hope) and Bob cracked THE HUGEST GRIN and then laughed and pointed to the screaming females bouncing and shaking below him. This is probably the biggest smile I've ever seen on Bob. Worth the whole show. Next time I think I'll bring an old bra with me, you know, one of those bras you buy and never end up liking but can't throw away because it was too expensive. Yeah, I'll just bring it in my coat pocket and then toss it up enthusiastically during Just Like a Woman or I Want You.... Bob only played one encore, Knockin' on Heavens Door (electric) probably because of the cold. But for the same reason (to keep his hands warmed up) he also graced us with almost non-stop solid guitar playing (Mr. T. Man being the only exception). It was cold-cold enough to see their breath on stage. So all is forgiven. Anyway, who needs another It ain't me babe! The only other really cool thing I did was eat at Cafe Intermezzo and see the Crumb documentary in Berkeley. Oh yeah, then before taking the red-eye back to Beantown I had a midnight dinner in Chinatown and cappucino with cognac at Tosca's.....(though I didn't get kicked out) The good news: my '53 gibson made it through every flight and change of plane without having to be stowed underneath. Small victories over the airline establishment. The bad news: I got a sunburn while sitting on a big rock overlooking the bay. your everlovin' schubert singin' soul sista sadiej KEEP ON TRUCKIN' Delia ain't dead, she done gone down under