Bob Dylan 991103 in Columbus, Ohio

Subject: Stale set lists NOT!! (and thoughts on the columbus show)
From: Pat 
Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 10:04:04 -0500

Last nights show in Columbus was incredible.   Bob and his band
rocked like a freight train running off a cliff.  The energy
never stopped it just kept growing.  With the exception of the
first night of the tour Bob introduced more songs to this tour
than any other night with eight previously unplayed tunes.  I had
made a chart of setlists from the first five nights and was
planning on highlighting the song he played for each slot.  I
ended up writing in over half the setlist.  so far for 6 nights
Bob has played a total of 86 songs which has been made up of 41
titles.  That's almost 50% new songs added.  Considering the way
so many bands play stagnant sets, I think Bob is really looking
out for those who  make it to multiple shows. I am still reeling
from hearing Senor and I Don't Believe You (SALWNM). These are
two of my all time favourites.

Bob and the band really sounded great and I think Charlie fits in
well.  Larry is doing a great job of doing the multi-instrument
thing.  Bob was really hitting the notes and singing clear.  I am
just so glad I didn't write him of after seeing so many inferior
shows in the eighties.  You can really tell Bob is out there
having fun.  He loves the stage and he loves it when we get into
the show.  I think the general admission seating helps because
everybody has to stand and move around.  I've seen shows were it
was obvious that Bob wasn't as into it because the crowd was not
into it.  He definitely feeds off us and then they play even
better, then we get into it and they kick it up another notch.  I
also want to say I only heard one deadhead say anything bad about
Bob.  The crowd was very cool and everyone on the floor was
having a good time.

--
Thanks Bob,
Pat



Subject: About Columbus - Personal message to Bob Dylan
From: bob 
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 11:47:33 -0800

To: Bob Dylan,

Others have accurately described the show in Columbus 11-3-99, so
instead of a review of the show for others to read, i will send these
thoughts to you and hope you see them:

I cannot express my appreciation enough for all you have done for me
with your music and your live performances.  I have seen you 5 times
this year, St Andrews Hall, Clarkston, Oxford, East Lansing and last
night in Columbus.

Saint Andrews Hall was something only for your true fans willing to
stand hours in line to get tickets and then stand again in line to get
a good position on the floor to see you provide a marathon performance
in extreme heat.

I saw you sweat in the heat and sunlight of Pine Knob, Clarkston for us.
Never did you think of slowing down or giving up.

When I Paint My Masterpiece in Oxford caused me to become 18 years old
again (the calender tells me i am 55) as i saw you provide something
that has so much meaning to me.

In East Lansing you continued by providing truly sublime performances
of My Back Pages, Just Like a Woman and Positively 4th Street. Thank
you.

Last night in Columbus will be the last time this year for me to see
you and you gave so much of yourself and your treasured writings. The
only way i know how to convey what i felt last night is to say this.
First, I must confess that in addition to all of your albums, i own
some "field recordings". And my favorite thing to do is make a custom
track-list mini disc of your songs for my own personal use while
jogging. (I try to go 5 miles when i run) I arrange the order of the
songs on the mini disc so that by the 4th mile of my run i feel like a
young thoroughbred. The energy and inspiration for me is something i
cannot describe in words. In Columbus last night it was as if you
selected and performed the songs that i would have selected for myself
to hear on mini disc and only hope to ever see you perform live. I
could recite the songs, but maybe you understand what i am saying.

Thank you so much for providing all of these good things for me.

And please take good care of yourself until i can see you again.

bob



Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 04:43:15 -0500
To: karlerik@monet.no
From: Mark Rothfuss 
Subject: OSU Review 11/3/99

Last night I witnessed the greatest Dylan show ever. Well, that
may or may not be true.  One thing is certain though...as I stood
there at "The Shot" arena it sure felt like it.  Ive seen his
Bobness around thirty times in the last three years. In fact, I
just saw him at MU last friday. But I have never seen him like I
did last night. He is always good...often times great, but last
night he was PERFECT. The setlist will obviously go down in Dylan
history as an obscure footnote, but to the fans in attendance it
should remain a vivid and astounding reminder of just what Bob's
all about. It was an absolutely inspirational experience.  For
the first time in years I was unable to predict but a few songs.
My jaw dropped to the ground so many times, that halfway through
the electric set it just stayed there. What's more, the many
surprises were played and sung with palpable care and dedication.
Not a throw away in the bunch. This show was for the fans...the
serious fans!  Instead of a greatest hits package with a few gems
tossed in, this show was a show of gems with a few greatest hits
for contrast.  Thus everyone, including all the little Phil Phan
neo-hippies, went home happy.

Now let me lay out a few technical kudos. First of all, the sound
system was top notch. It really accentuated the delightful
whispers and roars of our hero. Secondly, the venue, while larger
than one would like, was state of the art. I didn't watch any of
Phils set, because I was too busy scoping the giant arena out.
The floor was general admission (standing) and it was a mess of
hippies, college students and full fledged working class adults. 
The seats were occupied by a slightly more conservative group,
but ive seen worse. I was off to Bob's right, in the seats, and
had an excellent view.

Onto the review.....

Dressed in black with white stripes on his pant seams, a big
haired Bob busted out on stage with his band of gangsters for a
rousing "I am the man, Thomas." I excpected this one...and was
glad to get such a superb version. Clear, crisp vocals and
excellent musicianship from the start. My prediction for song two
was fortunately not as accurate. We were treated to a beautiful
"Girl From the North Country." Bob used his best raspy whisper to
deliver this simplified, countryfied, masterpiece. The audience
showed a great deal of appreciation for his exceptional effort.

Well, I was pleased at this point but I have seen him do both
before. "Hard Rain," on the other hand, was a first for me.
Always a favorite, I was on the verge of tears when I heard the
familliar chord structure. Then when he sung the first line my
joy was uncontrollable. The articulation was remarkable. He was
really doing his best Dylan impression. This is now my 2nd
favorite version next to the symphony backed version of Nara in
'94. Larry and Charlies backing vocals on the refrain were also a
very cool dimension.

Then, much to my enthusiasm, we were blessed with "Tomorrow is a
Long Time." I knew the show was a special one at this point. Also
aided by backing vocals on the refrain, this was a lovely
performance. It had its rough edges (probably a result of the
insufficient rehearsal time) but that only added to its
uniqueness.

Finally at number 5 we fell back to Earth for "Tangled Up in
Blue." However, this was no ordinary "tangled." Much like the
Miami version it was a phenomenal reinvention of a very often
played song. It just kept picking up steam as it rolled along.
Bob did fantastic harp work, but left his harp on the stand. For
that reason alone, I give MU's rendering the first place prize
(though this was a very close second).

Ok, 6th song, time to strap on the fender. But what's this?? "To
be alone with you!" I was just listening to the BD.com version on
the way to the show and made a comment to my brother(who is of
course a big bob nut) about how great it would be if Bob played
this song. Obviously, I was just being wishful, just kidding
around...but my wish came true. I could not believe what was
happening...I mean what are the chances? (get out your calculator
and spreadsheet A.J.) In any event, it was a great
version...though I was in such shock that I could barely listen.

My shock quickly turned into complete paralyzation when Bob began
"Senor." This was the song my brother had been wishing for. I was
like, "not gonna happen." Turns out I was wrong. Tonight's
rendering was extremely unique. Larry played the fiddle and Bob
played a fantastic harp solo. Reminded me a lot of the Brixton
version from 95, but with more tex mex flavoring. Oh, it was
heaven! But how much longer could it go on this way??

Well, with the intro chords of "I dont believe you" my question
grew more intense. This was the 3rd song I'd never personally
witnessed live. Probably my least favorite of the surprises...but
still pretty damn good. Bob seemed a little confused...but he was
with it for the most part. He just had to think a little
harder...you know, "how does this one go, again?"

Time for some dark, swampy, muddy, electric blues! "It takes a
lot to Laugh." Damn it! What a perfect version.  Bob's vocals
were raw and intense. The guitars were at war with one another.
He really wailed on lines like "If I die on top of the
heeeeeiiiiilllll!!!" Ive never personally seen this one either,
but ive heard dozens of bootlegged versions. This one topped 'em
all!

Ok, Bob I'll play your game...what are you gonna do next? You
gotta be kidding me! "If you see her say hello." Wow! Mine and
Keith Richards favorite Blood on the Tracks tune. Amen! Thank
you, Bob...THANK YOU!!! In addition to the initial coolness of
the fact that he is actually playing it, he played it very well.
Faster than the original, even a little faster than most late-90s
versions. He dropped the "If youre makin love to her" verse, but
so what? It was a sheer joy!

After the band intros, I was certain we'd get HWY 61. Once again
I was wrong...we got Silvio. Not a personal favorite...but very
tight on this night. Really rocked without relent. Next was "Love
sick" and it was love sick. Always sounds great! Hell, even "RDW"
couldnt dampen my spirits tonight. For the first time, I actually
enjoyed it. Pretty similar to other 90s versions.

"Please, Bob, no Blowin in the wind!" "Ok, Mark...I'll play It
aint me Babe." Its as if Bob was picking up on my brain waves.
What a lovely song. Timeless beauty. He wrapped his voice around
every line...and did the quick "Nah, na, Naaaah it aint me, babe"
on the boogyfied chorus.

The final nail in this perfect show was "Not Fade Away." Bob was
on fire. You could feel the ecstacy in the air. He knew exactly
how good he was this night. It was so loud and powerful that the
hairs on my neck stood on end. My heart stopped beating and I
lived through the music. With the applause and cheers roaring in
his ears, he disappeared behind the curtains. For what seemed
like hours we stood there awaiting his return for one more
song...but he was off..."heading for another joint!"

I was blessed to be in attendance for this epic show. 5
stars...A+....3 thumbs up! Do whatever you can to get a copy!  

Thanks everybody,
Mark Rothfuss
mrothfuss@prodigy.net
 


Subject: East Lansing Review
From: Jeff Knorek 
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 20:18:19 -0500

Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh & Friends    East Lansing, MI  11/3/99


Well, we've been planning a long time for this one.  Anywhere in
Michigan is a hometown show for us, so in addition to our tour
party (myself, Kish, Michele from Toronto, and Becky from LA, all
out to see East Lansing, Columbus, and Pittsburgh), we engaged
with or delivered tickets to another dozen friends in the 24
hours leading up to the show.

The weather wasn't anything to write home about unless you had to
stand around in the parking lot trying to sell something.  In
that case the weather SUCKED·about 35 degrees F with a driving
wind after a nightlong rain.  Fortunately, our motel room was
cozy warm and just a 15-minute walk to the venue, Michigan
Stateâs basketball arena known as the Breslin Center.  So for us
the weather was merely a nuisance (it would get much better on
down the road).

Arriving at the motel around 1:00 pm, Mechy and I soon made our
way to the box office to pick up the BDTS tix there waiting for
us.  Turns out they werenât the ones we used, as we had much
better GDTS tix that we used as well as a fistful of
TicketBastard seats which we had distributed to a bunch of our
friends.

Our walk through the parking lot took us past the remnants of the
scene that once populated (then dominated) Grateful Dead
concerts.  Ask any older Deadhead if s/he thinks that the scene
got out of hand toward the end. It was so consumer driven that by
1990 we all but gave up on it, and would instead hang out at our
campsite, hotel, or some recreational spot until the doors to the
venue opened.

The East Lansing scene, this afternoon still in its infancy,
looked fairly sedate if not a little bit chilly.  Mechy and I
strolled through, and not ONE person said anything to us. No
hellos. No nothing. They all just stared at us or ignored us
outright, even after making eye contact.  We're too old to
warrant their courtesy, I guess.

I had all my hair shoved under my hat, so I didnât look like
them. Mechy wasnât wearing the prescribed uniform, either, so the
crowd just parted for us as we walked through it, looking at us
but saying nothing. It was just a little creepy. The days of yore
that I remember were different; folks were friendly and warm and
generally were good to one another even if you looked different
(i.e. short hair), but that was a long time ago.  Now you have to
look the part or there is no part.

One guy did wheel up on his roller blades and tried to sell me a
whole wheat cornbread muffin.  I said ãNo, thank youä but he
persisted, extolling its many virtues. I had to cut him off: 
ãBrother, Iâm just not hungryä.  He muttered ãroyt awnä and spun
away.

Back at the motel we raged and laughed and had a ball.  Friends
dropped in and together we killed a few bottles of wine or some
beers, depending on the palate.  Maybe we even roasted one·who
knows.  Our room was near the junction of two major railroads,
Grand Trunk Western and CSX. Trains rolled by all afternoon.  We
skimmed through the Weather Channel, and it looked real ugly east
of us.  Kishie put on Grateful Dead and Daniel Lenois CDs as we
noshed on cheeses and some of the corned beef that I had cooked
earlier, and BBQ ribs that I Îqued on Sunday night.

We departed early for the show as Mechy and I had extras to sell.
We cut the rest of our brood loose and worked the parking lot.  I
was very impressed by the logic that some people used to try to
get me to give them a ticket instead of me accepting remuneration
for one:  ãOym awn tooourrrr, and I get in to every show, and I
havenât paid to get into a single oneä.  That guy was my
favorite.

So we sold our extras for face value cash money to regular
looking people who were grateful to have tickets at all.   The
show was not sold out, but the seats available at the box office
did in fact tug. The ones we sold were on Charlie Sextonâs side,
first section forward of the stage.

Once inside we made our way to our seats.  Mechy had front row
dead-ass center on the floor, while Kish, Beck, my brother
Charlie, and I were back in the 20th row on Charlie Sextonâs
side, which was near the back of the floor.  Thatâs right, 20
rows and near the back of the floor. Yes, this place is small for
a basketball arena.  Darn near intimate, one could argue.

The TicketBastard seats that we had purchased were just over our
right shoulder, about ¸ way up the lower bowl.  5 of our friends
were there, and to check out a different sound mix Iâd go up
there from time to time.

Phil & Friends started nearly right on time. The set list looked
like this:

Terrapin Station>
Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys>
East Lansing Noodle Factory Jam>
Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys final verse>
Cumberland Blues>
China Doll
Midnight Hour

They played Terrapin like it was the very first time they ever read it.

It did get better from there, Low Spark was cool, but the jams between
the verses, particularly the one prior to the last verse, got a little
tedious.

Cumberland was fun; I always love a shuffle groove to what is
essentially a country song.

China Doll was beautiful, but the neo-hippies behind me needed to carry
on a loud conversation about all the vital shit that was happening out
in the parking lot and the set list of the Chicago show, so I lost part
of the guitar solos.

Midnight hour was good enough, but I must say that Warren Haynes sings
those Pig Pen tunes way better than Bob Weir ever could.

All in all, an okay set leaving a lot of room for improvement.  I was
very glad to see Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes playing guitar.  I like
the idea of Allman Brothers Band alumni playing Dead songs instead of
somebody who is trying to sound like Jerry.  That was my big problem
with seeing the Other Ones; Jerry was so obviously missing.  The show I
saw from that tour took me to a place where I didnât want to go, almost
like it was some kind of hospital patient wheeled out there to wring
some more money out of the GDP cash cow.

This show, however, was way, WAY different.  Even though they are
playing the same songs, the current incarnation of Phil & Friends
doesnât come off sounding like a Grateful Dead Revue.  It sounds much
more pure and honest, even down to the point of taking chances and
getting a little singed as a result of trying.  This band takes risks,
and I think they shed some of this risk-taking onto Bob Dylanâs set.
Not everybody digs the jams that sometime meander to nowhere, I sure
donât.

But sometimes they just reach out and punch it.  They are one band that
you need to see more than once to give them a fair listen, if you are
inclined to give them a fair listen.

The energy in the house was warm and peaceful.  None of the ãmy band is
better than your bandä crap that is filling the newsgroups these days.
Deadheads and Dylan fans appeared to be getting on just fine. The crowd
did thin out somewhat between sets, though, much to my astonishment.  It
was roomier down our way when Dylan played. Iâll let you all
editorialize on that one.

After about 20 minutes after Philâs set was over, the air became thick
with Nag Champa. This should serve as one of the testimonies as to how
small this venue is; remember, we are at the back of the floor and we
can smell Dylanâs Nag Champa.  We got everybody in our crew back to
their seats in time for the flashing lights and stage introduction
(which, BTW, I used to loath but now look forward to).

  1. I Am The Man, Thomas (acoustic)
This is the first time Iâve heard this one.  I didnât realize it was so
up-tempo!  Larry sings great backup Bluegrass-ish vocals.  The sound is
remarkably clear.  This song seems to loosen up the band quickly.  The
chorus just WAILS!

  2. My Back Pages (acoustic) (Larry on Fiddle and Bob on harp)
The Cleveland â96 version of this is my favorite of this one, weâll see
if it survives in that #1 spot upon review of the tape of this version
(once I get one ;^).  I fiddle didnât sound in the least bit hokey and
syrupy as it could in the wrong hands.  Sometimes when you are standing
there in the heat of the moment, it sounds like the best thing you ever
heard. I try to be somewhat more objective when something special
happens, like Larry playing the fiddle.  It has to fit; otherwise it is
merely a novelty.  Larry makes it fit.  Bob blows a truly lovely harp
solo.  Gone are the days of the ãconsolation harp soloä, not long ago,
where heâd make a faint attempt and quit, ending the song.

 3.   Masters Of War (acoustic)
Yawn.  Every last one of us is a part of the Machine; some of us merely
strive to mitigate the degree of our complicity.  As long as we rely on
cash and fossil fuels, we are all part of the economic factors that
drive War.  I donât buy the argument that we can preach to the
warmongers while we drive cars powered by the very fuel that their craft
has virtually guaranteed to be ours so that we can all drive ourselves
to work or go on tour or whatever.  Whenever I hear this song I just
listen to the music.

  4. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (acoustic) (with harp)
Iâll never get over the gumption of this song.  What an artful way to
say ãGoodbyeä.

Seeing this here in the set made me wonder what the encore was going to
hold for us, since this is a fairly typical encore song.  Even though I
have seen this one at almost every Dylan show weâve seen, it was good
enough that by now I have declared this to be the best acoustic set that
I have ever seen.  No small feat since I am not a huge fan of the
acoustic set to begin with, but this one is just cookinâ

  5. Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic) (with harp)
Speaking of cookinâ, this one smoked.  Bob just blew and blew his harp
solo at the end. Seemed to come around several times, extending the
length of the song by a minute or two.  We are very happy to see him
playing harp so much more these days.  The Deadheads in the house, or at
least, the ones who stayed, were going apeshit.

   6. Maggie's Farm
I turned to Kish and told her that this was my favorite part of the
show, the first electric song after the acoustic set. This one then
started with a real country twang to it, like we were at some hoe down
somewhere.  How I love American Music!  Larry Campbell can do those
country licks like it is nobodyâs business. With Charlie Sexton anchored
there at the other end of the stage providing wild but straightforward
riffs charging forth, this band is like an unstoppable freight train.
Drummer David Kemper knows the to lay back and knows when to leap out as
the guitarists really nail one.  Tony, of course, swings there giddily
and smiling, driving the whole jam like he was born to do it from the
get-go.  All those ãJam Bandä kids need to pay more attention to these
guys here.  They are the real deal.  And they dress sharp, too!

As for the sound, it appears that the mix has evolved to the point where
if you are on Larryâs side of the stage, you get more Larry.  If you are
on Charlieâs side of the stage, you get more Charlie in the mix.  This
is how the Deadâs sound was before they went to digital sound in 1992.
You could fashion your own mix by moving around the venue.

This evening we got a big olâ fat Charlie Sexton mix at our seats, and I
noticed that in moving around Breslin Center we could get a different
mix and volume level depending on our location.  Up where our
TicketBastard seats were, it was seriously loud with Charlie in your
face.  Over to the left of us on the floor, it was quieter with a more
ensemble kind of mix; everybodyâs volume even.  Here at our GDTS seats
were it was loud but not too loud, with Charlie up front but not in your
face.  Larry was there for all the solos, but otherwise Charlie
dominated the guitar mix.  Bobâs guitar was somewhere lower than either
of the other two, which is how I like it.  Bobâs vocals were just
dandy.  His inflections and cadence were right on the money all night.
He sang every single song like he really meant it, and knew exactly like
how he wanted it to sound like.

   7. Positively 4th Street
The arraignment of this one has changed; the anchor riff that had
dominated the end of the verses in years past was nowhere in evidence
tonight. In the last stanza, he repeated himself to great effect:
ãYouâll know what a drag, what a drag it is, to see youuuuuuuä.

Larry played Pedal Steel, and took his leads on it. At this point in the
show, two loud talkers were in the isle to our right, so we bolted for
the other side of the floor where there were way more people dancing
than talking (except for the Ann Arbor contingent of Deadheads I
recognized, who seemed more concerned with socializing than they did
with the music...however, they respectfully kept their chatter to a low
volume).  The mix as way different over there, too, not as clear is it
was at our seats just 30 feet away

   8. Can't Wait
It seems like Bob has dumped the TOOM songs from his shows, except, of
course, for Love Sick.  Canât Wait was among my favorite arraignments
from the fall â97 shows.

It seems that they have since lost the punch that they could project
this song with, perhaps because they donât play it every night.  This is
the down side of these wonderfully mixed up setlists; we get to hear
more of Bobâs repertoire, but they donât always nail them quite as well
since they are not playing them every night.  The up side of those
cookie cutter setlists is that they get very familiar with the songs,
and just crush them every time.  I was very happy to hear Canât Wait,
but it was not the best version of it that I have heard.  We just
danced·

   9. Just Like A Woman
Now this one they played like they have played it every night·Charlie
Sexton did the little guitar bit between verse/refrain segments
perfectly.  It was a very sweet and heartfelt delivery from everyone
onstage.

  10. Highway 61 Revisited
We went back to our seats, shooing away the kids who had occupied them
in our absence.  The loud talkers had moved on, so there was nothing to
disturb us for the rest of the night.  As usual, they just blew the roof
of the place with this number.  Bob had let Larry and Charlie take all
of the leads this evening, so this song wasnât quite the ear-blistering
showcase of pent up creativity that it was over the course of the summer
tour.  But it was still awesome, and of course it was great to hear
Larry and Charlie play the leads throughout the show instead of Bob
hogging them all.  Larry has taken to using his Flat Steel on this
number, with Charlie playing all but one of the leads. Boy, did that
crowd ever roar when it was finished.

     (encore)
  11. Love Sick
Charlie seems really comfortable with his role as timekeeper here; he
turns the fuzz way up as he hits that simple little rhythm chord over
and over.  Larry, who has been struggling with gear problems all night,
needs to place his steel guitars a little further away from the drum
riser·he keeps his volume pedal in the corner created by it and his
amps, and has to fit his way between the riser and the steels to use
it.  It looks like he is trying to quickly weave his way through
basement clutter before and after his solo.  He seems to handle this
distraction well, since his solo was mind blowingly good, but it sure
does look inconvenient.  This particular problem would especially bother
him in Columbus and Pittsburgh.

  12. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
I never once thought that Iâd be psyched to hear this song, but the way
Charlie plays the leads, Iâll look forward to hearing it again.
Everyone in the crowd who had any weed left fired up one last double
(not that they havenât been doing it all night to begin with).
Security, such as it was, couldnât have cared any less.  Even the ushers
were dancing!

Charlie Sexton really makes this song shine.

  13. Like A Rolling Stone
Another arena anthem, but they are so ON tonight that they make even
this one sound great.  Thatâs a point I have failed to make thus far;
Bob is really on this evening.  There was nary a flub or foul up to be
heard, although Bob was a little pissy with Tony for some reason or
another.

  14. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic)
Charlie and Larry are what make this song happen; their duel falsetto
backing vocals during the chorus push it to places that Bob may not have
even dreamed of when he wrote the song so long ago.  When I am at work,
sometimes I sing the chorus to myself the way Charlie sings it: ãThe
answer, it is blowinâ in the weeeeeiiiiinnnndä.  I never thought thatâd
Iâd actually look forward to hearing this song; those boys make it sound
fresh and relevant.

  15. Not Fade Away
We love the garage band style that they whip this one into. It sounds
real crunchy and rough, propelled by raw energy and excitement, and the
whole crowd is just going out of their minds with joy.  I love this song
as a show closer; it just leaves everybody feeling so satisfied and
sated.

This show just blows away all of those summer shows, even the one club
date we saw at St. Andrews Hall.  Charlie Sexton has really come into
his own, and is now a solid, forward, and confident presence.  Larry
Campbellâs role has evolved to that of providing color as well as
leads·indeed, he and Charlie trade lead and backing roles in the music
so well that they are probably the finest team to have worked with Bob
that I have seen.Coupled with Tony and David, this band is just
incredible, and we were truly blessed to be able to experience it.

Phil Lesh, I think, played a role in the greatness of the Dylan set.
You know how it is when a good opening act can raise the bar for the
headlinerâs following performance, Kenny Wayne Shepherd didnât do it,
but IMHO Joni Mitchell did.  And Phil & Friends are doing it for this
run of Dylan shows, too.  To such a degree that I think this is one of
the best concert packages I seen offered in a very long time.

Sure enough, Phil & Friends is not everybodyâs cup of tea.  But nobody
is going to be a more vigilant critic of his set than I am, and even if
his set wasnât what I thought it could be, the next night in Columbus
would.  But the fact that he is so obviously taking risks in going out
there in front an audience with a new band and playing brand new songs
for most of the members of that band has to have gotten Bobâs attention,
IMHO, as his own sets have become a stream of rarities and bust outs,
performed with varying degrees of greatness but always with vigor and
enthusiasm.

The vibe inside the house was among the warmest Iâve ever felt at a
Dylan show, and it was one of those rare times when it seemed that all
that mattered (for most of us, anyways) was the music.  We were blessed
to have so many of our friends there, be on the road with great folks,
and come to see this great show (which was among the best Iâve ever
seen).  Columbus would be even better, and Pittsburgh very nearly as
strong but at least as much fun.  This is a Great Big Fun Tour.

And we do love to tour, even if itâs just for a few shows.
Itâs in the blood, after all.

Jeff Knorek
jknorek@msen.com