Late May 1995 Tour Reports

Mon 22 May 1995, San Fransisco
Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 15:51:47 GMT
From:    Craig Jamieson (rcj10@CUS.CAM.AC.UK)
Subject: Joel Selvin reviews Monday 22 May 1995 Warfield San Francisco...

OLDER DYLAN SHOWS OFF HIS NEW VIGOR / HIS CLASSIC TUNES GET NEW SPINS

 JOEL SELVIN, Chronicle Staff Critic

In a powerful and engaging two-hour show Monday at the
Warfield Theatre, Bob Dylan plumbed his extensive repertoire for a
glistening handful of his finest songs -- some well known, others
less so -- twisting each one into a new shape, forcing his audience
to hear them in a different light, revealing previously undisclosed
facets and, once again, proving himself one of the great songwriters
of his time.

Wearing a gold embroidered toreador jacket over an untucked and
belted purple satin shirt, Dylan took the stage without guitar to
blast off with a gale force ``Down In the Flood,'' a torrent of words
and music he delivered tilted on one leg, harmonica in his hand.

It was a surprising opening number -- an unreleased outtake from
his famed collaboration with the Band, ``The Basement Tapes,'' that
Dylan included as an inconsequential footnote to his album,
``Greatest Hits, Vol. 2.'' But with the scorching performance he gave
it at the Warfield he served notice that this would not be a routine
show.

One of the keys to Dylan's renewed strength as a performer is the
four-piece band with which he has traveled for several years now, a
unit muscular enough to detonate his most explosive songs and limber
enough to curl delicately around his silken ballads. Dylan was right
in there with them, trading licks with his guitarist, John Jackson,
knocking off old blues lines like a champion.

Steel guitarist Bucky Baxter stitched fine-point detail into the
edge of the sound, while bassist Tony Garnier warm
ly rounded out the bottom end, even resorting to bowing his upright
bass through the verses of ``It's All Over Now, Baby Blue.'' Drummer
Winston Watson drove the engine with piston-like surety.

In the course of the two-hour, 14-number set the band stretched
out song after song like a freight train barely contained on the
rails.

The accomplished, sympathetic accompaniment allowed Dylan to bring
``When You Go Your Way and I Go Mine'' into crunching overdrive, to
reclaim ``All Along the Watchtower'' from Jimi Hendrix and to bring
the concert to a close with a rejuvenated ``Obviously Five
Believers,'' guitars ringing out the vintage blues lick from ``You
Don't Love Me'' that Dylan originally played on harmonica.

The quartet could carefully knit together a quiet, lacy tapestry
to make the understated ``Desolation Row'' glow like a dying fire or
give ``She Belongs to Me'' an elegant, laid-back, contemplative mood,
borrowing more than a few licks from Ricky Nelson's arrange
ment of the song.

Dylan wrenched the old bouncing melody away from ``Mr. Tambourine
Man,'' singing the song in a droning monotone that brought the
jarring lyrical images starkly back to life. Similarly, ``It's All
Over Now, Baby Blue,'' in the slowed-down arrangement he debuted at
last year's Woodstock Festival, sprung back vividly.

Dylan brooded his way through ``Tears of Rage,'' a song best known
in the version on the Band's ``Music From Big Pink.'' He returned for
the encore with ``Lenny Bruce,'' a powerful elegy many missed on the
1981 album, ``Shot Of Love,'' but that few at the Warfield will
forget thanks to the sturdy backing and Dylan's convincing vocal.

Dylan did not speak a word, other than to introduce the band
members, but what he communicated to the audience was nothing less
than a reaffirmation of his commitment. He did this with the dignity
of someone confident enough in his ability to let the songs do the
talking. Once again, they did.
__________________________________________________________________________
DAY:  WEDNESDAY
DATE: 5/24/95
PAGE:  D1
5/24/95 San Francisco Chronicle

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 13:34:32 -0400
From:    Braitman (braitman@AOL.COM)
Subject: Warfield/22 May 95

It occurred to me last night while seeing the first of four Bay Area Bob
Dylan shows, that we've been perceiving old Bob rather inaccurately for a
long time.  What he is-his being-ness, as it were-has always been too
complex for the instant analyses of the pop media, and has always made
pedantic windbags out of the earnestly sincere Bobophiles who write for
the fan press.  Last night it was clear that the nature of the confusion
over Bob's Being is the triadic nature of his expression.  The pop media
has always admired him as a Songwriter, but usually this admiration is
tinged with uncertainty over his abilities as a Performer.  They've always
had a bit of guilt at enjoying someone whom they couldn't really call a
"singer" and whose performing style often seemed bizarre or alienating.
Ah, but the writer of "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Like A Rolling Stone"
could be excused for his performing shortcomings.

Well, as we know, Bob's Being is intimately tied up with the Performance
part of the triad, and in a live setting the surprises and challenges of
what will happen to old and even new songs is a major part of what
continues to make him interesting.  That is why we see him four times in a
week, because anything can happen.  He and his band are a machine of vital
moving parts, each connected to the whole.  Every note is important,
thought driving the musical form to constant seeking, constant exploration
of sound and effect.  I realized that as Performer, Bob could be compared
to Frank Sinatra, a stylist whose best work is in the constant
reevaluation and reenergizing of older material.  Last night's two
revelations were a stripped down, acoustic band version of "Mr. Tambourine
Man," and a blazingly passionate final encore of "My Back Pages."  The
former was dark and steaming, the latter painfully heartfelt.  His harp
playing was inspired, his voice open and full.  He has discovered the
truth again of both songs, and our experience of his discovery was
thrilling.

The third part of the equation gets much less play than the others, but it
was much in evidence last night. Bob Dylan-Guitar Man.  Yes, he's not well
known or much respected as a guitarist, but he's played for years and
knows exactly what he wants out of soft twangs and loud clangs.  He had a
few solos last night that were emotionally and lyrically perfect, as well
as loudly satisfying.  So he's no Clapton, so what; he's someone else
entirely.

I'm looking forward to the next three shows this week.  Some of the
instrumental combinations are sure to differ; the energies to be changed;
the rapport between the two guitars, drums, bass and pedal steel bound to
be altered in ways unimagined.

O boy.

Date:    Thu, 25 May 1995 00:53:51 GMT
From:    Jeff Hawkins (jhawkins@CRUZIO.COM)
Subject: Dylan At The Warfield

I was at the show Monday night, and thought y'all might be interested in the
set list


It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry
The Man In The Long Black Coat
All Along The Watchtower
Most Likely You Go Your Way I'll Go Mine
Tears Of Rage
Tombstone Blues
Mr. Tambourine Man
Desolation Row
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Seeing The Real You At Last
She Belongs To Me
Obviously 5 Believers

1st encore: Lenny Bruce

2nd encore: My Back Pages

It was a fantastic show.  IMHO, it was probably the best Bob I'd seen in 15
years.
He was animated, sang a couple of songs just holding a mike (no guitar, no
harmonica)(we decided
this was either Bob Sinatra or Bob Diamond).  He did some great rasty electric
lead guitar
(this was Bob Young, or Neil Dylan), and did a beautiful acoustic rendition of
Mr. Tambourine Man.
It was a wonderful evening

Jeff

Date:    Fri, 26 May 1995 15:27:12 -0400
From:    Ragman10 (ragman10@AOL.COM)
Subject: Concert Review 5/22/95

So, I arrived at the Warfield at about 3 in the afternoon and was
surprised to see about ten people on line...I was expecting many more.
Most people seemed to not want to talk or anything, so I took my spot in
line and waited.  Luckily, I had a nice chat with the man in front of me
who, though not really a Dylan fan, was a cab driver from Oakland and had
many stories to tell.  To make things even better, he was giving out
fortune cookies.
At about 4:30, a worker from the Warfield comes out and tells us that we
must brake up the line and reassemble at 5:30.  He said something about
not wanting to disturb the neighboring businesses.  Though most people are
upset, we agree to reassemble in the same order later using the honor
system.  Let's just say that it didn't work.  However, coming from New
York, I reallize that it could have gone worse.
Well, at 7 the doors open and I rush in.  The usher accidently tells me to
run and not walk (Freudian slip?).  The Warfield is simply beautifull and
it takes we a few seconds to find my way to the stage.  Once I do, I end
up in the second row, center.  I am very pleased.
To my right is a female college student and we immediately start up a
conversation about San Francisco, Dylan and, of course, Heike.  Ms. Shiff
(sp?), if you read this, get in touch with me and I'll send you the Supper
tape.  The floor is much less crowded than Roseland and the chance to sit
down and avoid back pain is a welcome opportunity.  Directly in front of
me is Stephan, a German medical student in America doing a residency.  He
is a very experienced and knowledgeable fan and, through the next few
days, we get to know each other very well.  We were both very pleased to
be near someone else who knew the songs and we spent much time discussing
concerts, both in Europe and the USA.  I sense his excitement and it adds
to my own.
At 8:20, "Crash on the Levee" begins.  I'm beginning to love this song.
Just watching Dylan with no guitar, practically screaming the
lyrics...what a great start.
"Man In A Long Black Coat" follows and, after I thank God that he didn't
play Lay Lady Lay, I am practically in a trance as the song continues.
Watching the expression on Bob's face as he holds the line endings, what a
thrill.  Much like "Senor" the night before, I would describe the song as
haunting.
"Watchtower"- a crowd favorite and I'm once again impressed that, even
after hearing this song hundereds of times, I still find myself rocking
along.
The first chords of "Most Likely" let me know that it was gonna be a
special evening.  Once again, I'm surprised and pleased that "Just Like A
Woman" has been put away.  "Most Likely" is rocking like that "Woman"
never could,  The crowd is very excited as Dylan plays solo after solo.  I
see JJ playing along with a smile on his face and I'm reminded that this
is why I waited on line.  Why I love Dylan so much.  I find myself singing
along, jumping up in the air as those three chords are played over and
over again.  I'm in heaven.
"Tears of Rgae" is anything but a let down.  Though slower than "Most
Likely", both JJ and Dylan do excellent solos  whil the singing is
excellent.   Throughout the show, Dylan has not appeared as animated as
other shows as I've seen and this trend cotinues.  However, his singing is
strong and the delivery powerful.
"Tombstone Blues" is one of the reasons I made the trip in the first
place.  It, along with "Dignity" and "I Want You" were the three songs I
wanted to hear most.  With it following the two previous songs, I'm left
asking if the electric set could have been any better.  The songs is
bluesy and rocking.  The first few lines sound like Dylan is just talking,
but I'm quickly aware that the song is picking up.  Dylan is really
enjoying himself and he plays verses that  I have not heard since the
album version.  The drums seem to really carry this song.  The song
recieves a rousing ovation.
"Tambourine Man" was once again excellent.
"Desolation Row" was considered by most to be the highlight of the show.
Dylan, with guitar, delivered a passionate, moving delivery.  This song is
not my favorite but this did not blind me of the fact that the song was
nearly perfect.  Dylan's acoustic solo's left us all in awe.  He played
solo after solo after solo moving up and down the guitar, seeminlg
impressing the band.  The ovation was tremendous.
"Baby Blue" was fine.  I think the delivery is too slow and I don't think
the song moved the crowd like "Desolation".  After "Desolation" it might
have been nice to play a faster song, perhaps "Don't Think Twice".  Hell,
what do I know?
"Real You" seemed to have more energy than the night before.  It does not
seem to rck the crowd like "God Knows", but the arrangement is still
pretty good.
"She Belongs To Me" was surprisingly good.  It started out slowly but,
towards the end, it seemed to speed up and become much more rocking.  I
think, at times, it's a bit soupy (too much Bucky) but, on this night, the
drums seemed to have more energy.  Dylan and JJ both played solos and,
after hearing both 1992 and 1994 versions of this song, I was left
surprised and impressed.
"5 Believers" was a pleasant surprise.  People I spoke to who had seen
other shows, said the song had improved greatly.  It seemed to alternate
between fast and slow with the buildupo to the fast, pounding drums being
very exciting.  The lyrics were fast and a bit muffled but, considering
how many times I sat through Maggie's farm, this was great.  Dylan took
off his guitar with the song almost over and took a few bows.
"Lenny Bruce" was the first encore and, though Dylan had trouble
remembering the lyrics, the song was well done.  Dylan regrouped after a
horrible first verse and saved the song.  If it was a choice between this
and Mr. Jones, I was happy to hear it.  Dylan put a lot of passion into
this song and I at least got the feeling that he was recalling his respect
for Lenny Bruce.
"My Back Pages" was, like Santa Barbara, a fine ending.  This time, to a
great night.
In other news, "Lay Lady Lay" was the alternate for the #2 song.  "Tom
Thumb Blues" was the alternate for the #4 song.  "Me Babe" was the
alternate for the final song.  "Gates of Eden" was the alternate for
"Desolation".  "In The Garden" was the alternae to "She Belongs To Me.

Tue 23 May 1995, San Fransisco
Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 06:25:27 GMT
From:    "Jay S. Luxenberg, M.D." (naj@ITSA.UCSF.EDU)
Subject: Warfield 5/23

This a feeble attempt at a setlist for tonight from an addled memory.

Watching The River Flow
I Want You
All Along The Watchtower
Queen Jane Approximately
Sylvio
Mr. Tambourine Man (a)
Boots Of Spanish Leather (a)
Dont Think Twice, Its Alright
God Knows
Jokerman
Never Gonna Be The Same Again
Obviously 5 Believers

Stuck Inside Of Mobile
The Times They Are A Changin' (a)

An excellent concert. The first two songs were done sans guitar for Dylan,
and he was animated and articulated the lyrics well. Extremely rockin'
version of 5 Believers and very interesting arrangement of Never Gonna Be
The Same Again with introduction were highlights for me.

--
Jay Luxenberg
naj@itsa.ucsf.edu

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 06:38:02 GMT
From:    Arthur Siegel (arto@WELL.SF.CA.US)
Subject: Re: Warfield 5/23

Good show indeed!
Corrections to Jays setlist:

first song was Down in the Flood

Jokerman came between Queen jane and Silvio.

Sitting behind the mixer, I could see the printed setlist.
Shooting Star was the other choice for the Never Gonna Be the Same slot.
Tombstone Blues or Obviously 5 believers.
It Aint me babe or "Times they are a'changin'"

Glad Bob picked Times as the final encore.  It was an excellent version.

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 13:34:42 -0400
From:    Braitman (braitman@AOL.COM)
Subject: Warfield/23 May 95

Last night's show (5/23) was very different in spirit.  Only four songs
repeated from Monday ("Down in the Flood" as opener, "All Along the
Watchtower," the poignant "Mr. Tambourine Man," and a pumping iron version
of
"Obviously 5 Believers").

Generally, I felt the band was less fiery, less insistent on the beats,
but
perhaps more genuinely emotive at times.  Surprises included a slow,
soulful
"Spanish Boots of Spanish Leather," and a set-closer of "The Times They
Are
A-Changin'.  This latter was substitute for Monday's highlight of "My Back
Pages" (disappointingly missing), though "Times" was close and attempted
the
same stately grandeur of singing and instrumentation.

My favorite was a totally blasting version of "God Knows," which minimized
his vocal participation and gave all the musicians a long robust turn at
hard, hard rock.  Excellent tempo changes and dynamic modulation.
Riveting!

Examiner and Chronicle reviews out of the Monday show, and they're
typically
stupid boosterism.  Craig Marine of the Ex has now shown himself a real
silly
writer a few times, with such banalities as "one of his most inspired,
moving
and beautiful performances, leaving those lucky enough to be in attendance
with a lasting vision of greatness."  Yawn, yeh yeh yeh.  Joel Selvin, of
course, is beneath contempt, and-typical-he left before the end of the
show
(as revealed by his comment that "Lenny Bruce" was the encore.  Wrong.
There
were at least four songs after that.)

Speaking of "Lenny Bruce," I think I've finally figured out what Dylan is
trying to do with this.  The lyrics are so straightforward and plain, very
mundane in fact, and the melody almost so.  I think he's written a song in
the style of the very early rustic folk ballads, using as a kind of modern
irony a quintessentially sophisticated subject.  The problem is in making
the
two elements works together, and I don't think Bob has ever done this
successfully.  It doesn't work as a full modern rock band version, and it
doesn't work (like Monday's version) as a moody modern acoustic string
band
piece.  Better, perhaps, to do it true primitive style, solo acoustic
guitar
and voice.  Give it a try, Bob.

Bob even made a couple jokes and laughed once when he was introducing his
pedal steel player.  Couldn't make out the words, though; have to wait for
the bootleg.

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 13:40:10 -0400
From:    Braitman (braitman@AOL.COM)
Subject: Re: Warfield 5/23

"Times" was neat to hear, but not as effective as MOnday night's "My Back
Pages," where his voice had  greater emotional power.  Also, his harp was
stellar.

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 14:13:51 -0400
From:    Fess (fess@AOL.COM)
Subject: Re: Warfield/23 May 95

I'm afraid Lenny Bruce was in fact the first of 2 encores.

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 18:52:23 GMT
From:    Raegen Rasnic (raygin@NETCOM.COM)
Subject: Re: Warfield/23 May 95

Braitman (braitman@aol.com) wrote:
: Joel Selvin, of
: course, is beneath contempt, and-typical-he left before the end of the
: show
: (as revealed by his comment that "Lenny Bruce" was the encore.  Wrong.
: There
: were at least four songs after that.)

Well, I was there too, and I definitely remember it as the encore, just
before "My Back Pages".  It was great, though, wasn't it?

: Bob even made a couple jokes and laughed once when he was introducing his
: pedal steel player.  Couldn't make out the words, though; have to wait for
: the bootleg.

I didn't see a pedal steel from where I was sitting, but when he
introduced the dobro player, he made some reference to the guy being "the
ex-mayor of Buckley, West Virginia".  Must be a private joke or something.

Just helping keep the record straight.

-RR

Date:    Wed, 24 May 1995 19:45:31 GMT
From:    Seth Kulick (skulick@ZEBULON.CIS.UPENN.EDU)
Subject: 5/23 SF Examiner Review

This just came over the Van Morrison mailing list.  A bit silly, yes,
but it's nice to see Bob get such good press.  Sheesh, all these
positive comments almost make me want to go to Giants Stadium.

Actually, I think it would be really great if Bob took advantage of
playing a small theatre like the Warfield by opening up, with, say,
"Gotta Serve Somebody" and "I Believe in You" and then playing all new
songs, never before performed live, with a good chunk not even officially
released yet.  Top it off with lots of talking to the audience, and maybe
standing at the mike singing without a guitar, for, say, "Pressing On", and
that would be guaranteed to get even better reviews.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought this might be of interest to the Van group:

oo The best side of Bob Dylan

by Craig Marine

Tuesday, May 23, 1995

TWO days shy of his 54th birthday, Bob Dylan treated San Francisco to one of
his most inspired, moving and beautiful performances, leaving those lucky
enough to be in attendance with a lasting vision of greatness.

As anyone who has ever seen more than one Dylan show can tell you, going to a
Dylan concert is a bit of a crap shoot. When he is in a foul mood, there is no
one in show business who can touch Dylan for tossing away a song in a mass of
mumbles or frustrating his own band members with
such petty annoyances as neglecting to inform them as to which song he might
be playing next.

But when he is fully present and focused on his material, as he was Monday
night at the Warfield Theater, Bob Dylan shows why he is far and away the most
gifted singer / songwriter of the latter part of the 20th century. The wealth
of the material he can choose from is staggering, and Monday
he was in a generous mood, reaching into his catalog for such gems as
"Obviously Five Believers" from "Blonde on Blonde," "Tears of Rage" from "The
Basement Tapes," and "Lenny Bruce" from the underrated "Shot of Love" album.

This was not, however, a trip through the arcane Dylan. Instead, it was a
masterful demonstration of musicianship by Dylan and his four man backup band.
The group, the same basic quartet that
backs Dylan on his latest "Unplugged" record, has worked up fascinating and
original new arrangements of some Dylan classics that prove how vital these
songs -- some of them more than 30 years old -- remain today.

During the course of two hours, Dylan played just 14 songs, giving each his
full attention and drawing every possible hint of emotion from each. Although
this was a full-on rock band, they
were also capable of nuance, lending a country sound with Bucky Baxter's slide
guitar to tunes such as "Man in the Long Black Coat" and "She Belongs to Me."
Lead guitarist John Jackson let fly with some dog-whistle high notes during a
rollicking "All Along the Watchtower," which, as
the show's third song, served notice that Dylan had come to play this night.

However loud the music was, it wasn't necessary to strain to hear the lyrics,
as Dylan was in an enunciating frame of mind and the band brought the sound
down some when it came time to sing,
making some of the songs clearer even than they sound on the original
recordings. Dylan, while not exactly a chatterbox, did acknowledge the crowd's
applause after each song and -- surprise of
surprise -- even cracked a bit of a smile once or twice. This last development
may have accounted for his refusal to allow photographers into the hall.


More than anything, however, what lent Monday night's show its magnificence
was a stunning, three-song, half hour acoustic segment in the middle of the
show. Following a particularly rocking
"Tombstone Blues," Dylan stood alone in a spotlight holding a microphone in
one hand and a harmonica in the other and sang the most tender and pure
version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" imaginable, accompanied softly by his band.
The effect was mesmerizing, as Dylan seemed to put
his soul into the song, allowing a glimpse into the vulnerable heart of the
man capable of writing such a gem in the first place.


He then picked up an acoustic guitar for a monumental version of "Desolation
Row" and closed the acoustic segment with a version of "It's All Over Now,
Baby Blue" that made it clear to all that
they were in the presence of genius. There may be only three true geniuses in
the history of rock:
Dylan, Brian Wilson and John Lennon. All right, four if you toss in Boy
George. But rarely does the public get an opportunity to witness genius at
work.


That said, Monday night's brilliance is no guarantee of the quality of any of
the many Dylan shows taking place around the Bay Area in the next several
days, including two shows at the Berkeley
Community Theatre this Thursday and Friday and an appearance atop this coming
Saturday's bill at the Laguna Seca Days outside of Monterey. It may be
difficult for Dylan to stay attentive night after
night, or perhaps more accurately year after year, as he continues the
"Neverending Tour" through
which he is attempting at least partially to separate Dylan the man from Dylan
the myth. By making
himself so accessible and touring so constantly, Dylan becomes less the
reclusive genius of years
gone by and more as he views himself, as a troubadour with a guitar and a few
songs to share.

When Dylan closed Monday's show with an acoustic rendition of "My Back Pages,"
finally standing alone after yet another wonderful harmonica solo, he seemed
all of his nearly 54 years.
Yet the song never sounded better, and the chorus, with Dylan singing, "But I
was so much older then, I'm younger than that now," never seemed more suited
to an artist who clearly still has so much to offer the world.


05/23/95 18:09 PST


(c)Tuesday, May 23, 1995 San Francisco Examiner, All Rights Reserved,
Unauthorized
Duplication Prohibited.

Date:    Mon, 29 May 1995 13:50:35 -0400
From:    Ragman10 (ragman10@AOL.COM)
Subject: Belated Concert Review 5/23

Ok, it's a bit late but I took a few notes after the show...

I arrived at the Warfield at around 3 pm to find the same people who had
been there the day before, just in a slightly different order.  Seeing my
friend Stephan in front, I, being a New Yorker, immediately jumped in line
with him.  He had arrived at 10:30 and was the third person on line.
There were Taco Bell wrappers everywhere and the whol setting had a
"picnic in the park" sort of feeling.  Well, I sat down and, after meeting
the two guys in front of me, talked about Dylan for hours.  People are
usually interested when I tell them that I attended an Unplugged taping
and we spent a good deal of time discussing the song selections, the
European CD...Bob's shirt.  Anyway, the line was not as large as the day
before and, to everyone's surprise, unlike the night before, they did not
brake up the line at 4:30.
At 4:30, I took my customary trip for dinner.  After visiting Wendy's for
the second time (I had gotten locked IN the bathroom the day before), I
returned to the line, quite pleased with my spot.  At 7, the doors opened
and, even though this annoying and rude lady tripped me and stormed
through security, Stephan saved me a spot, front row between Dylan and
Garnier. I had never been at the rail for a whole show and I was very
excited.  Once again, compared to Roseland, there was no crowd.
Big Bob took the stage at about 8:25 and performed a very strong version
of "Crash".  The vocals were clearer than the night before and he appeared
to be a bit more physically animated.  At one point towrds the end, he
took his arms and covered up his face, almost as if he were a boxer
covering his face.  He appeared to be enjoying himself.
Along with "Tombstone", "I Want You" was the other song I desperately
wanted to hear and Bob did not dissapoint.  The tempo was much like
Brixton March 29 and, though I was thrilled he played it, I didn't think
his singing was as powerful as that show.  Still, it really is beautiful
how he has slowed it down.  I thought the Unplugged version was too slow
but, on this night, I was still very moved.  I think Bob not playing the
guitar makes this one somehow more powerful...more sacred.
"Watchtower" was, well "Watchtower".
"Queen Jane" sounded a bit different than 1994 versions.  Not in terms of
vocals, but in terms of the instrumental introduction.  I usually
recognize the first few chords but, on this night, it took me awhile.  For
what it's worth, Stephan recognized it immediately.  Nothing particular
stands out about this song except I have a vision of Dylan, up at the
mike, the light striking his face so perfectly, enunciating
"Jaaaaaaaaane".  It is not my favorite song but I still recognize that it
was very well done.
"Jokerman" was my highlight.  It amazes me how, after playing it at every
1994 show (sans Paris), he can still make it sound different.  While the
instrumental part is the same, the vocals are somehow more poignant.
Perhaps the song has been slowed down a bit.  Whatever, maybe it's the
fact that, with it being played first in 1994, Dylan's voice was not
warmed up.  He seems to sing a bit higher on it now.  Though he continues
to sing the same verses as 1994, it is all more meaningful.
Before the show, out on line, I told my friends how great 1995 "Silvio"
was...and they just laughed it off.  Well, on this night, this song rocked
like no other.  Winston changed the drums a bit from Santa Barbara, and
the excitement in the crowd was unmatched.  The chorus just explodes.
This song was Stephan's favorite.
"Tambourine" was excellent as usual.
"Boots" was the last of the songs that I desperately wanted to hear and
Bob did not dissapoint me again.  For anyone who has not heard a 1995 tape
of this song, get one.  It is as powerful as "Tambourine" but it just gets
played less frequently.  JJ playing on the song is really breathtaking,
not to mention Bob's vocals.
I have heard enough versions of "Don't Think Twice" that I thought that I
could never enjoy it again.  Well, for one night at least, I was wrong.
This one was very well placed (after the relatively slow and beautiful
songs before it) it picked up and woke up the crowd.  In the middle of the
song, the stagelights went off.  Then, to make up for the darkness, they
turned on the houselights.  A few seconds later, they got it fixed.  Dylan
smiled and just kept on playing.  It was a funny moment.
"God Knows" was "God Knows".
"Never Gonna Be The Same Again" was very well done.  Dylan's vocals were
once again as powerful as "Jokerman" and I felt very lucky to hear this
one live.  It's not much of a song,IMHO, but it seems to mean a lot to
Bob. I have its chorus stuck in my head.
"Five Believers" was good, but did not rock like the night before.  It
seemed to be a bit shorter as well.  It seems to me that the quality of
this songs varies by night. On this night it was good, not great.
"Mobile", my favorite song (ie. Ragman hah,hah, hah...you get the point)
was well done.  Dylan seemed to stumble through some of the lyrics but he
picked it up in the chorus.  As usual the song was very long but was a
real crowd pleaser.
"Times", with a complete band, was excellent.  Very powerful, very moving.
 Excellent Dylan solos on both guitar and harp.  They do something with
the red lights on the final song of the hight which makes them all stand
out in my mind.  Compared to "Me Babe", thank God he chose this one.
Though we all expected an additional encore, we left very happy.
In other news, "Same again" could have been "Shooting Star", "5 Believers"
could have been "Tombstone" and "Times" could have been "Me Babe".  All in
all, a very good to excellent show.


Thu 25 May 1995, Berkeley
Date:    Fri, 26 May 1995 06:57:12 PDT
From:    James Fox (JWF5%ENG%SFBPP@BANGATE.PGE.COM)
Subject: 5/25 Berkeley

Berkeley Community Theater,  5/25

Down in the Flood
I Want You
Watchtower
Just Like a Woman
Pledging My Time
Seeing the Real You At Last
Mr. Tamborine Man (a)
Masters of War (a), phenomenal
To Ramona (a), beautiful
Memphis Blues
I and I
Positively 4th Street
e1) Ballad of a Thin Man
e2) It Ain't Me Babe

Bob was reaaly good this evening, as he has been during this entire birthday
week.  Lots of dancing and smiles. He even high fived a front rower as he left
the stage after Positively and gave his harmonica to a lucky person after It
Aint Me Babe.  Can't wait for this evening!

Date:    Fri, 26 May 1995 04:36:02 -0700
From:    "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM)
Subject: berkeley community theater 25 may 1995

flood
want you
watchtower                      (-- kind of original tonight
just like woman                 (-- swings gently
pledging time (license kill)    (-- always a rare pleasure; loosely
                                    sublime
real you

@mr t-man                       (-- spiritual bullseye by
                                    last verse; standing o; slow,
                                    elegiac delivery and instrumentation
                                    nearly impossible to tarnish; recent
                                    renditions pregnant with regret
                                    for what may never be again;
                                    each performance is new song in itself,
                                    and the genius is that it all
                                    seems so unplanned; check it out
                                    before it's too late and
                                    you're sorry you missed it

@masters (eden)
@ramona (too many mornings)     (-- nice, clear vocal; waltz time

mobile                          (-- lilting tone; genial; little uneven,
                                    good to hear again
i & i                           (-- gently vicious, incantatory,
                                    primitive, sensual
4th st (5 believers/grain sand) (-- loose as a goose, yet scalding; unique

thin man                        (-- happily cruel, elliptical: likeable
ain't me                        (-- sounded better than most nights
                                    (for once); sharper teeth



scratch notes:


enthusiastic, appreciative audience; many standing ovs; venue acoustics
serviceable, but too barnlike for consistent clarity -- yet he did
an excellent job filling it.  afterwards, i heard people complaining that
it was great, but they "couldn't hear everything."  don't blame 'em, but,
like anything else, it helps to study a writer's corpus before expecting
to feel nuances;

the band seemed oddly tossed at sea rhythmically and melodically by rare
under-rehearsed and conducted reduxes of _mobile, _ix2, _ramona --
but the ultimate result was far more interesting and spontaneous than
an off-the-shelf delivery;

i've noticed recently that his voice doesn't hit stride until almost 1
hour into the show -- in the middle of the acoustic set; i suggested to
the sound mixers that the old man do everyone a favor and either play an
hour longer, or warm up awhile.  they said: "yeah, you tell him."  i
said: "i scream it to him every night.  it does absolutely no good! --
ella fitzgerald does it, why  can't he?"  them: "ella fitzgerald is a
singer.  he's...uh...a legend."



overall rating: 92

Fri 26 May 1995, Berkeley
Date:    Sat, 27 May 1995 08:13:49 GMT
From:    Ron Taylor (fatron@IX.NETCOM.COM)
Subject: Berkeley, 5-26 observations

My first impression is how GOOD Dylan looks compared to a couple years
ago.  (A little nip & tuck, perhaps?).  He starts the show without a
guitar, and pulls it off like the old pro he is.  He shifts his weight
slightly to one hip, holds the mic chord up about shoulder height in
his right hand; dips his shoulder toward the mic in his left hand.  He
is COOL!  Light blue, silk shirt with French cuffs, shirttails out.
Black jacket (velvet?) with silver thingamajigs on the lapels.  Black
pants with one shining stripe down each leg, over black, pointed boots
(more cowboy than hobnails).  Hair, bushy Dylanesque!

This is absolutely DYLAN'S band!!!  For my money, his best ever.  I've
seen him more than 30 times over the years, with various backing
ensembles, including the Band.  These guys are great!  And they cut
figures every bit as cool as the man himself.  This band without a
name!

Dylan's voice, tonight, was incredibly strong.  (Although, walking out
afterwards I actually overheard someone criticising his range).  While
he doesn't cover scales, his skills, stylings as great as ever.  He
brought hoots and yips from the crowd with both loudly belted, and
softly growled inflections.

He plays lead guitar more prominately than with any group I can
remember (although I had a similar impression last year).  No
Bloomfields, Robertsons, Taylors, Tacketts, Smiths - no more back seat
on lead.  He and JJ Jackson work very well off each other, at times
both playing leads.

This is about the only time I can remember actually preferring the
electric to the acoustic in a Dylan show; and this is not to in any way
belittle the acoustic set.

Tonight's songs:


Down In The Flood  - good kick-out-the-jams-warmup got a standing O
                     from many
Senor
Watchtower  - Best I've ever heard him do it (but he hasn't taken it
              back from Jimi, yet)
Born In Time  - every set needs one, I guess
Silvio  - hand to hang on tight through that one, whew!
Tombstone Blues - Yes, Dylan's a master bluesman!


Mr. Tamborine Man - magic!
Gates of Eden - powerful
Baby Blue - OK


Jokerman  - great guitar work from both Dylan and Jackson
I Remember You  -  All Dylan's lead
Obviously 5 Believers - flat out kicked butt!


Knockin On Heaven's Door - not one of my favorite Dylan songs, but as
                           good as I've ever heard it - hard driving
                           guitars

Now things get a little fuzzy, he started One Too Many Mornings with an
acoustic guitar, then ended up without it, singing and playing his
harmonica through his hand held mic.  It seems like there was another
song, either before or after Mornings, but for the life if me, I can't
be sure.

Dylan's still the man!


Regards,

Ron

------------------------------

Date:    Sat, 27 May 1995 08:58:46 GMT
From:    Ron Taylor (fatron@IX.NETCOM.COM)
Subject: 1 Final Observation, Berkeley, 5-26

Each time Dylan left the stage (before & after encore) he leaned into
the audience to "slap five" with extended hands.  I can't remember for
sure, maybe he did this when I saw him last year, also.  Regardless,
this is a fairly recent phenomina. (sp?)

Ron


Date:    Sat, 27 May 1995 10:24:43 -0700
From:    "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM)
Subject: berkeley community theater 26 may 1995

flood          (-- each vocal verse more powerful than last; punchy harp

senor          (-- uneven, but takes fiery risks

watchtower     (-- mildly infectious monotony; (another day,
                   another apocalypse)

born in time   (-- wistful vocals (slightly muffled); warm feeling
                   stays with you

silvio         (-- caustic, uninhibited; blazing by instrumental bridge

tombstone      (-- *highlight*: spunky, sloppy, happy, loud;
                   priceless elliptical phrasings of: "momma's
                   in the factory, she AIN'T GOT NO shoes; papa's
                   in the alleyWAYYYY, LOOK-IN for the *FUSE*; i'm
                   in the kitchen with the TOMB -- STONE blues"



@mr t-man  (-- ! (why spoil the magic with mundane superlatives)

@eden        (-- mystical, measured; meditative purring about original sin

@baby blue     (-- slow, dark & handsome



jokerman (god knows)  (-- lacking orchestral momentum from
                          old days in #1 slot; variable voicing; oddly
                          friendly; still has punch

i'll dismember you  ;)   (-- interesting, off-center melodic line; good
                             instrumentation; awkward transitions,
                             but very *inspired* near end



5 believers  (-- all over the rhythmic map, but well worth the confusion

encores:

heaven's door  (-- _unplugged arrangement slashed by barbed wire,
                   healed with soft bandage; full-standing audience
                   *swaying*

@one too many mornings    (-- inspired choice!; _supper club arrangement
                              with sad pedal steel tumbleweeds; soft
                              hohner at end turns explosive;




notes:

looser than last night; more uneven musically, but more inspired,
varied setlist: 13 DIFFERENT ALBUMS represented tonight alone!

major themes: death, and men:

no civil rights-era humanism; no gospel redemption; no _blood on the
tracksian concilations to fate; mostly ominous images of worldly demise
and lonely, death-obsessed *MALE* archetypes, e.g., senor, mr.
tambourine man, jokerman, silvio, etc... tone was warmed by _born in
time, and _i'll remember you.

audience was so admiringly exuberant that dylan couldn't cop his
favorite "stand inside my shoes" hostility poses -- making him
gesturally less expressive.

the voice was distinctly *resonant*, though only intermittently
dominating; mostly just happening across poignant, cutting phrases.

band seemed uncertain at times -- not knowing who should take charge --
but found pockets of heat.  after _tombstone, i could've sworn dylan said
something like: "we're gonna come back later and play that song right."
sounded okay from here, fellas.

with the theme of unfulfilled manhood, and all the *different* musical
periods represented, it was difficult to maintain a coherent orchestral
feel, but it made arbitrary moments more exciting.

i happened to walk by the backstage door at 19:35 as bob was stepping
out of his blue van.  he was wearing a gray sweatshirt hood to hide his
famous countenance.  we had this short exchange:

jnb: bob, nail it.  nail it, bob!
dylan:

Date:    Sat, 27 May 1995 15:34:56 GMT
From:    "Jay S. Luxenberg, M.D." (naj@ITSA.UCSF.EDU)
Subject: Berkeley 5/26/95

5/26/95
Down In The Flood
Senor
All Along The Watchtower
Born In Time
Silvio
Tombstone Blues
Mr. Tambourine Man (a)
Gates of Eden (a)
Baby Blue (a)
Jokerman
I'll Remember You
Obviously Five Believers

Knockin' On Heaven's Door
One Too Many Mornings (a)

Somewhat trunkated version of Senor, and Dylan's voice not fully "in
front" in mix until Born In Time, but excellent song choices tonight. I
normally would be disappointed with another Knockin' On Heaven's Door, but
this version is absolutely chiming, with a twin guitar sound reminding me
of early Allman Bros sound. Tombstone Blues was a highlight for me, but
Dylan started off Tambourine Man by saying that they would be playing the
last song (Tombstone) over again later to get it right.

--

Date:    Sun, 28 May 1995 00:43:47 -0400
From:    Braitman (braitman@AOL.COM)
Subject: berkeley community theatre 26 may 1995

I'll have to put in my "two or three cents" here about last night's
concert.  Of the four I saw this week (2 Warfield, 2 Berkeley), this was
the weakest.  Something was definitely "off" with Dylan  and the guys,
there were few "magic" moments of trancendence like previous.  I guess
starting about 45 minutes late was some preview that this was not to be
the greatest Bob Dylan concert.

Some of the early songs seemed simply done by rote, as if going through
the motions, and the messiness of the musicians, like on "Watchtower" and
"Tombstone", made them seem like an ordinary bar band at times.  Like my
friend said, the basic sound of the group is Lynyrd Skynyrd/Allman
Brothers with a touch of Derek & the Dominos.  Dylan's guitar soloing was
definitely monotonous and uninspired last night (generally, though there
were a few hot licks here and there).

"Born in Time" was a surprise to me, never having heard him do it in
concert before, so it was a pleasure on that level. But it certainly was
strangely "straight" and pop for Dylan.  Very neat and efficient song,
very superficial.  Better was "Sylvio," which I didn't recognize for
awhile. A very good attempt at transforming that which was originally
"pop" into something bigger and better.  Almost came off.

"Obviously 5 Believers" not as good as (Tues?) night, but fine
nonetheless, a musical highpoint.  "One Too Many Mornings" was great to
hear too, but I was a bit put off by Dylan using the same arrangement for
it that he has for every closing song of the previous shows.  Whether it
was "My Back Pages" or "Blowin' in the Wind" or "Mornings," he used the
same form...slow and impassioned, good acoustic picking, then slowing the
song down even more, getting very quiet...then picking it up with the
harp, blowing into larger and larger sound, a "grand finale."  It worked
most impressively with "My Back Pages" on Monday night...but seemed to be
reduced in emotional impact every night afterwards because with the luxury
of having seen him in concert more than one night, it was apparant that it
was a transparent FORMULA.

Sorry, I don't mean that to sound harsh, but there I was sitting with my
wife and best friends and this was the first show of the series they had
seen, and I just knew they were not getting the top quality performance I
had experienced in previous nights. Sigh. Oh well.  You takes your chances
with Old Bob.  But bless 'im.

Date:    Sun, 28 May 1995 00:42:36 -0800
From:    "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM)
Subject: some are mathematicians...

i was slightly mistaken when i posted that the 26 may 95 berkeley show
had songs from 13 different albums.  actually, it's 12 different albums.

song num    title             album

1> _down in the flood     _basement tapes
2> _senor                 _street legal
3> _watchtower            _john wesley harding
4> _born in time          _red sky
5> _silvio                _down in the groove
6> _tombstone             _highway 61

7> @_mr t-man             _bringing it all back home
8> @_gates of eden             "
9> @_baby blue                 "

10>_jokerman              _infidels
11>_i'll remember you     _empire burlesque
12>_five believers        _blonde on blonde
13>_heaven's door         _pat garrett
14>_one too many mornings _times a-changin



curiously, the only songs repeated from a single album (_mr t-man,
_eden, and _blue), all came consecutively in the acoustic set -- and all
from _bringing it all back home.  more curiously, despite the show's
dramatically high variance, _blood on the tracks_ was again absent.


thus:

12 different albums
-------------------        x 100  =   (almost 90 per cent chance
14 original songs in show              of next song being from a
                                       different album)



question for dylanese statisticians: is it possible that this represents
the highest album variance in any full-length dylan show?  looking
through krogskaard, there seem to be a bunch of shows with more
_different albums_, yet most would appear to have a lower variance,
since there were more songs in each show (and more repetitions of albums).

also, what was the show with the _lowest variance_, i.e, the  _least_
chance of the next song being from another album?  logic dictates that
concerts around the first album would be up there, along with the gospel
period (79-80) -- when most songs came from only two albums.

is there a comprehensive database (with album fields) for easy
calculation of variances?  i don't have an olof file handy, but i
remember it only listing the _percentage of songs from a given album_,
but not the variance in the number of albums per show.

even more curiously: since the three recent hollywood shows seemed to
focus on _blonde on blonde_ and _highway 61 -- are we in a phase where a
group of shows on a tour will have a no set pattern of variance at all
(or a very abstruse one)? -- or -- based on past tours -- is this a
statistically tolerable *variance of variances*?

also: the youngest original dylan song in the above set was _born in
time_ (5 years old), and the oldest: _one too many mornings_ (31 years
old) -- a span of about 26 years.  what are the records for greatest
(and least) timespans (between original songs) within a show?

wouldn't it be variantly amusing if a new album came out and a whole
show came from it?  the variance would be zero!  the odds?  get a
construction permit to build an extension on your abacus....

jnb

Date:    Sun, 28 May 1995 02:05:25 -0800
From:    "jules n. binoculas" (p00518@PSILINK.COM)
Subject: Re: berkeley community theatre 26 may 1995

>DATE:   28 May 1995 00:43:47 -0400
>FROM:   Braitman (braitman@aol.com)
>
>I'll have to put in my "two or three cents" here about last night's
>concert.  Of the four I saw this week (2 Warfield, 2 Berkeley), this was
>the weakest.


i only saw the two in berkeley; and musically, i kinda know what you
mean -- since the first berkeley show may have been more awe-striking in
the slow parts, and more sustained in the rocking sections -- yet, the
cool thing about 26 may was a more coherent and thematic song cycle --

the first three songs: _flood, _senor_, _watchtower, were all cold,
threatening, apocalyptic warnings of natural disasters, armageddon, and
god knows what -- this set the tone....

conspicuously absent in slot #2 was the slower-tempo romance: "_if not
for you_," "_i want you_," "_lay lady lay_."  it became clear, early,
that "the deputy would walk on hard nails." (without a tetanus shot)

then, things alternated between stately, warm reminiscences (_born in
time, _i'll remember you), crooked blues rockers, and haunting hymns
to imaginary anti-heroes, i.e., _mr tamb-man, _jokerman, _silvio).

it was as dramatic as the musical presentation was uneven  (which i
didn't mind so much anyway, as the mistakes seemed more spontaneous).



>Something was definitely "off" with Dylan  and the guys,
>there were few "magic" moments of trancendence like previous.


good thing he's not a brain surgeon





> I guess
>starting about 45 minutes late was some preview that this was not to be
>the greatest Bob Dylan concert.


what!  you missed that part?  no wonder....   :)





>Some of the early songs seemed simply done by rote,


i frequently gripe about this, but lately it hasn't bothered me.  i
think not having seating (palladium, warfield) makes things more
spontaneous.




>as if going through
>the motions, and the messiness of the musicians, like on "Watchtower" and
>"Tombstone", made them seem like an ordinary bar band at times.


who're gonna call?  dylanbusters?




>Like my
>friend said, the basic sound of the group is Lynyrd Skynyrd/Allman
>Brothers with a touch of Derek & the Dominos.


got any quaaludes?  no, seriously, i guess that sounds right.  is it a
good or bad thing?




>Dylan's guitar soloing was
>definitely monotonous and uninspired last night (generally, though there
>were a few hot licks here and there).


those 54th-birthday all-nighters can wreck havoc on your reproducibility
quotient...  ;)




>
>"Born in Time" was a surprise to me, never having heard him do it in
>concert before, so it was a pleasure on that level. But it certainly was
>strangely "straight" and pop for Dylan.
>Very neat and efficient song,
>very superficial.


as always, i found the vocal hard to hear, but didn't mind -- though if
the singing's not powerful, it's a little static --




>Better was "Sylvio," which I didn't recognize for
>awhile. A very good attempt at transforming that which was originally
>"pop" into something bigger and better.  Almost came off.


progress




>
>"Obviously 5 Believers" not as good as (Tues?) night, but fine
>nonetheless, a musical highpoint.


second that mo'




> "One Too Many Mornings" was great to
>hear too, but I was a bit put off by Dylan using the same arrangement for
>it that he has for every closing song of the previous shows.
...
>slow and impassioned, good acoustic picking, then slowing the
>song down even more, getting very quiet...then picking it up with the
>harp, blowing into larger and larger sound, a "grand finale."


i agree in principle, but felt _one too many, was a poignant summation
of how he felt after decades of sporadic greatness: ragged.  in any
case, thank god it wasn't _ain't me, babe_.  there should be a tariff
if he insists on it.




>it was apparant that it
>was a transparent FORMULA.


yeah, but they've been grumbling the same things about homer's _odyssey
for 2500 years.  i like to think of it as a "style" -- sometimes it
works, sometimes everybody gets stoned --





>Sorry, I don't mean that to sound harsh, but


i didn't even notice until you just mentioned it.  think of your
disappointment as an invitation to see more shows before that guy with
the hood and sycthe wanders into the "D" section of tower records.  i
figure dylan's doing some long-term estate-planning, and's gonna retire
from touring within 5 years max (though i hope i'm wrong).

admittedly, chuck berry, and b.b. king, etc., are in their 60's -- but
they have less historical baggage under their eyes.




>there I was sitting with my
>wife and best friends and this was the first show of the series they had
>seen, and I just knew they were not getting the top quality performance I
>had experienced in previous nights.


there's a 35-year-old line of dissatisfied customers ahead of them!
(helps cut down ticket-price inflation)




>Sigh. Oh well.  You takes your chances
>with Old Bob.  But bless 'im.


again, for me, the breadth, and thematics in the setlist more than
compensated for any erratic technique or structural weaknesses.

it's becoming clear, that if an arbitrary concertgoer doesn't know the
words to every song, he/she is in for a bumpy ride at best.  but fixing
that problem requires only diligence...



sorry to hear you were disappointed (lower expectations and different
libations often help).  i'd like to hear your detailed impressions of
the other shows --

jnb


Sun 27 May 1995, 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

Sun 28 May 1995, Reno
Date:    Tue, 30 May 1995 20:40:34 GMT
From:    Andreas Kreusch (andreas@SBL.SALK.EDU)
Subject: setlist Reno 05/28

- Down in the flood
 - I'll be your baby tonight
 - all along the watchtower
 - just like a woman
 - man in the black coat
----
(The setlist I posted to r.m.d. missed one song:  
"Seein' the real you at last" as song No 6 after "Black coat".)

- Tambourine man
- Masters of war
- Don't think twice
---
 - Silvio
 - She belongs to me
 - Highway 61 rev.
--
encore:

 Knockin' on heaven's door
 It ain't me
 Rainy day women

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


Date:    Wed, 31 May 1995 03:08:32 -0400
From:    RickR1 (rickr1@AOL.COM)
Subject: Re: Is there a list from Reno out there?

Christine,
   I was at the Reno show last night and though I didn't keep track of
everything he did I'll try to remember as many of them for you as I
can...In no particular order, except that he started with Crash on the
Levee.
All Along the Watchtower
Don't Think Twice
It Ain't Me Babe
Masters of War
Seeing the Real You At Last
Mr. Tambourine Man
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Rainy Day Women
Hiway 61
Just Like A Woman
She Belongs To Me
Silvio
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Man in the Long Black Coat

I can't swear that these are all the songs he did, but I think this is
pretty complete. As I said the order here is not accurate.
Fantastic show, BTW....I've been a Dylan fan for 25 years, but my wife
became one last night.
Rick

Tue 30 May 1995, Eugene, OR
Date:    Wed, 31 May 1995 05:48:22 -0500
From:    "Heike C. Strand" (hcs@DELPHI.COM)
Subject: *** Setlist...Eugene, OR 5/30/95 ***

Down In The Flood
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
All Along The Watchtower
You're A Big Girl Now
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Silvio
-----
Mr. Tambourine Man
Masters of War
To Ramona
-----
Seeing The Real You At Last
In The Garden
Highway 61 Revisted
-----
Ballad of A Thin Man
The Times They Are A Changin'

A friend called me tonight after the show...he said a strong performance
overall.  The crowd was attentive, yet somewhat subdued.  The "deadheads"
finally got a stage rush going & then it livened up. The only thing that
I really heard was that the box office had front row center seats just
before showtime.  The guy really knows how to break my heart!
***********************************************************************

The beautiful thing about '95 & Bob to me is that he is so full of
energy...energy that makes one feel he's happy.  A performance is a
performance & we certainly cannot expect to know what lays beyond it...
but my bet would be that he is feeling quite good about life....

And as silly as it seems to me...for some reason, that makes the experience
rise into a higher level...if you are embracing another human being's
emotions at the moment...somehow this has great relevance.

Heike C. Strand


Date:    Wed, 31 May 1995 09:21:52 -0500
From:    Gary (gpalmer@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU)
Subject: Re: *** Setlist...Eugene, OR 5/30/95 ***

In article (BA5dERm.hcs@delphi.com), Heike C. Strand (hcs@delphi.com)
wrote:

[text deleted]

> The beautiful thing about '95 & Bob to me is that he is so full of
> energy...energy that makes one feel he's happy.  A performance is a
> performance & we certainly cannot expect to know what lays beyond it...
> but my bet would be that he is feeling quite good about life....
>
> And as silly as it seems to me...for some reason, that makes the experience
> rise into a higher level...if you are embracing another human being's
> emotions at the moment...somehow this has great relevance.
>
> Heike C. Strand


That is so true!  I've seen performances by Dylan in the past that were
technically on a par with current performances, but he was silent, and
immobile.  It's so much more enjoyable to see him smiling, interacting with
the audience, rockin' it up.  It's perhaps a bit odd, but as a fan I WANT
to believe that Dylan is happy, and enjoying what he's doing, and that he
enjoys performing. Before this time, it seemed more like Dylan felt
compelled to tour, rather than wanting contact with an audience.  It's nice
to feel wanted...:-)

I remember hearing a comment during the Under the Red Sky album and tour
that Dylan was happier than ever with the new material and with what he was
doing.  I hope this trend continues...it's certainly a treat for us!

See ya,


Gary

Wed 31 May 1995, Eugene, OR

>Date: Thu, 1 Jun 95 08:48:39 -0800
>To: rust@death.fish.com
>From: schwartz@euclid.uoregon.edu (Jason Auguste Schwartz)
>Subject: Dylan Concert Review (NNC)

NOTE:  ANYONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO DO SUCH A THING IS ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD
THIS TO THE BOB DYLAN LIST (ASSUMING THERE IS ONE).

Rusties,

        Last night I attended the second of two Bob Dylan concerts in
Eugene, OR.  It was fantastic!  Admittedly I was only familiar with about
two-thirds of the material, but he played among others All Along the
Watchtower, Tambourine Man, Don't Think Twice It's Alright, Rainy Day
Woman, Shelter from the Storm, Gates of Eden, Like a Rolling Stone, and My
Back Pages.

        His band (the same as on Bob Dylan Unplugged) was fantastic.  About
half of the songs were played electric and rocked pretty hard (I don't
normally associate this with Dylan...), and the remainder were acoustic
often with cello and slide guitar complementing Bob's guitar playing.  I
would have liked Dylan to play his harmonicas more (he only used one on Mr.
Tambourine Man and Rainy Day Woman), but when he did, he sounded great.  I
think his harmonica playing on MTM was worth the price of admission just by
itself.  I was lucky enough to sit in the 12th row and had a great view of
the stage.

        Dylan was dressed very nicely and looked to be in great shape
(albeit somewhat loaded!!).  He was gracious to the crowd (doing two songs
for an encore, and one more for a second encore!), although he didn't have
much to say.  His words were limited to a "Thank you" after almost every
song, and a brief introduction of his band.  I think he made some jokes
while introducing the band, but to be honest, I couldn't really understand
what he was saying.  The girl next to me commented that his concerts should
come with subtitles! :-)

        Dylan also played Eugene the night before and got a very favorable
review by the local paper.  The reviewer even wrote that his Watchtower
that night matched or surpassed performances by Hendrix and our man Neil
Young!  The crowd seemed to really appreciate Dylan's performance and a
large portion of them had no trouble shelling out the $35 necessary to
purchase a souvenir t-shirt.  All in all, I'd recommend this tour highly.

Jason

Date:    Thu, 1 Jun 1995 13:46:29 PDT
From:    Peggy Fitzgerald (pjfitzge@SP-EUG.COM)
Subject: DYLAN WAS GREAT LAST NIGHT IN EUGENE (5/31)

     I went to the Dylan show last night for his second show in Eugene and
he was _HOT_!  I love this new persona where he is open and interacting with
the audience.  He played some good lead licks and came out from behind his
guitar for a couple of songs.  I would have liked more harmonica but ...oh
well.   A special highlights for me was Mr. Tambourine Man sung slow with
feeling.
          The drummer was memorable and energetic.  He reminds me of Animal
of the Muppets.  The other musicians were good and particularly able to
showcase Bob's musical talents.  They never overpowered him.  I think it
takes a special unselfish talent to let the star _Star_.
     This was truly a performance that ranked high in my thirty years of Bob
concerts, mainly because there was so much BOB out there.  At the least, it
was the best I've seen in the last ten years.  He looked so much more
healthy and alert than he has for a while.  That old man in black and silver
can still turn me on!

Peggy
Date:    Fri, 2 Jun 1995 01:13:30 GMT
From:    Leonard Coop (coopl@AVA.BCC.ORST.EDU)
Subject: Re: EUGENE setlist 5/31/95

as posted by tapeboy@aol.com (TAPE BOY), here are a few of my comments on
the show:

Hult Center, Eugene 5/31/95

1 Down in the Flood        ( great opener, would be even better acoustic?
2 Senor                    ( powerful, still warming up
3 All Along the Watchtower ( nailed it, many commented a favorite of eve.
4 Under the Red Sky        ( vocals incomprehensible, not a hit at all
5 Positively 4th St.       ( vocals need some relaxation, kind of strained
6 Silvio                   ( rocked out
7 Mr. Tamborine Man (a)    ( this song alone covers the ticket value for
oldfans
8 Gates of Eden (a)        ( loved it, vocals tough to follow at times
9 Don't Think Twice (a)    ( amazing band, nuances galore
10 Seeing the Real You At Last ( well done weaker song
11 Shelter From the Storm  ( not used to such a rocked out approach
12 Obviously 5 Believers   ( built up to best rock performance of eve.
encore 1
13 Like A Rolling Stone    ( crowd pleaser, very good overall
14 My Back Pages (a)       ( SO MUCH OLDER THEN YOUNGER NOW - now i get IT
encore 2
15 Rainy Day Women         ( not a favorite but rocked all - shook the Hult
good


>a Great show,  much much better than the previous nights performance.
For me it is a toss up.  Vocals a little better the night before.

>Bob began both shows on guitar,  only taking it off for Mr. Tamborine Man
>in the main set.    Very energized!!!

The crowd had trouble dancing through much of the show - gradually increased
to the point where ushers were not a problem.  Bob repeated the joke about
not having anything to say about Tony Garnier except he once tried to
milk a cow with a monkey wrench. He took a rose from someone and slapped
hands at end, was pointing and smiling at someone on right.  Bob looked
very good, seemed to be having a real good time, was very in the moment, as
evidenced by very different performances of several of the songs played
both nights.

The Hult center was made for Bob and Co. - just the right size, upscale for
the fashion impaired, the BEST acoustics - look for some great tapes from
these shows (I know where a seed may reside..).


Len Coop      bcc.orst.edu
 Date:    Sat, 3 Jun 1995 16:34:50 -0700
From:    Merry Young (merryy@GLADSTONE.UOREGON.EDU)
Subject: Bob in Eugene, OR 5/31/95

I was also at the show on Wednesday, and i have to agree, bob was fantastic.
I've never seen a crowd so energetic and enthusiastic at the Hult Center
before.  The sound quality was great, and from the 5th row it sounded
like bob was singing in my ear.  his voice was strong and the words were
clear, but best of all, like  others have already said, bob seemed like
he was having a great time.  The second encore was an added bonus, i
wasn't expecting it.  The crowd was left wanting even more.  if anyone
knows of a tape floating around out there, i'd die  for a copy--this was
a concert not to forget.

Early June 1995
Mid June 1995
Late June, early July