BS: We off to see Dylan

Subject: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 03:54 PM

Little Hawk, Johnnie Death and I are off to the Ricoh Collisem In Toronto Tonight!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 03:56 PM

I am envious. Have a great time.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 03:58 PM

Good Luck.

I hope that he picks up a guitar. Last year he played keyboards.

It wasn't pretty

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Peter T.
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 04:05 PM

Grrr. only found out about this yesterday. All sold out of course.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Amergin
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 04:53 PM

Peoplee actually go see him willingly????

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: CarolC
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 04:56 PM

Have fun!

Tell Johnny Death that Carol from West Virginia says hi.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST,Shlio
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 05:29 PM

I am so envious. Have a great time.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 06:23 PM

Hope Dylan is *on* for you all..... I'd love to see him again befire he quits, or I quit... I've seen him 4 times over the years but not since about '72 or '73 at the Cap Center in DC when he played with the Band....

Be sure to sit up high (pun intended) where the pot smoke all accumulates so ya' don't have to carry yer own....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST,Shlio
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 06:47 PM

And I have to say it again - I am so jealous.
One of my biggest gripes (pathetic, I know) is that I've missed so much of this. I hope I get to see Dylan once before he quits...

Shlio (young and frustrated)

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: flattop
Date: 19 Mar 04 - 11:03 PM

Most likely, Little Hawk didn't go to a Dylan concert. Tonight was the opening night of a convention for the New Conservative Party of Canada. The party is about 40 days old - made up from two former right-wing parties. They elect a new leader tomorrow afternoon. They are holding the convention within driving distance of Orillia, if I'm not mistaken.

The Dylan story is probably just a cover. Little Hawk is probably a closet conservative compelled to clandestantly cluster with Tony Clement and the conservatives at their convention. In fact, Clement's long speech, longer than any other candidate's, sounded like Little Hawks writing. Did Little Hawk write Tony Clement's speech?

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 01:08 AM

Bob didn't touch a guitar

He pounded on a keyboard that the soundman decided was not fit for hearing

And the whole night he might have sung mabey three lines and thats it!

The rest was all spoken not sung!!!

He only talked enough to introduce the band in a quiet mumbeling voice otherwise he didn't even face the audience!

The band he had with him were great!

I was glad I went but the worst Dylan Show I'd ever seen!

Little Hawk's gonna say it was brilliant!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 02:47 AM

Life is droll...and so are Raptor and Flattop. :-) Two old pals of mine...

Another old pal is Mr Bob Dylan, and out of the many Dylan shows I have seen, this was one of the best...and unexpectedly so, given the one I saw about a year ago.

I give it a 9 or a 9.5 on my Dylan: zero to ten scale.

Why? His voice was far stronger and more effective than last year. He actually hit some high notes (which he couldn't seem to do at all a year ago) and sustained them a bit. I don't think Raptor heard those parts too well. :-) His phrasing was strong, certain, and very effective, while maintaining that glorious sense of unpredictability that is typical of Dylan. He really sounded strong and convincing tonight. A year ago he sounded competent, but sort of like he was only firing on half his cylinders. He was firing on all cylinders this time.

Remember, this guy is 63 years old. How well do most people play and sing a rock show at 63?

He played nothing but the keyboard all night, which was a bit odd. There was an acoustic guitar standing ready, but he never used it. Oh, and he did quite a bit of harmonica playing, which was good to hear...although I wish he would play it now the way he did in the 60's. His harmonica solos THEN were ornate, tuneful, and amazingly good. Listen to Live '66 for some examples of that. Now they are much less imaginative. I think he's out of practice or he's gotten lazy on the harmonica.

So, yes, it would have been nice to hear some guitar work by Bob. A year ago he did lots of that, including some nice leads, but tonight it was strictly keyboard and harmonica.

The band was absolutely great in every way.

The songlist was also great. More on that tomorrow.

I loved it. I come to hear the man sing the songs, and he sure did that. Two thumbs up and then some!

Johhny Death, who is the most hardcore Dylan fan I know of except for maybe me also thought it was an exceptionally good concert. That speaks for itself.

For the worst Dylan performance, I would like to teleport Raptor back to the Isle of Wight show. He ain't seen nothin' yet. :-)

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 05:52 AM

This was really interesting to read. It's been about a decade since I went to see Dylan when he played in Honolulu, and it was not a good experience. The audience fairly groaned with disappointment that night, and I was worried that time had run out on this most remarkable of men. But you're right, LH, he's not a spring chicken by any means, and the fact that he is still getting up there and having his highs and lows, and that we are still privileged to hear him will always be worth the ticket..xx..e

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST,Shlio
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 06:05 AM

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST,The Jester
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 07:28 AM

I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love.
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 08:18 AM

The man's 63? My God, isn't that so incredibly old! How can he be expected even to walk, let alone actually sing?...

My impression around folk music is that 63 is the age when a lot of singers are just getting into their stride, and sounding better than ever.
............................

I love that way you put it LH, though: "...that glorious sense of unpredictability that is typical of Dylan." And I'm not speaking ironically there, because as well as being a great way of gracefully recognising the way his voice slips out of control sometimes, it is true that, with Dylan, he's been able to make use of this creatively. Rather in the way Fred Astaire could incorporate what in other people would have been falls and staggers into his dancing, Bob Dylan can do the equivalent of that vocally. Sometimes anyway.

........................

Surely this thread heading ought to have been: "We're off to see the Dylan"

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: freda underhill
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 08:27 AM

i went to see him in sydney a couple of years ago in sydney, he was fantastic.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: 42
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 10:27 AM

age doesn't have much to do with it. Ritchie Havens did a fabulous show at Hugh's Room in Toronto last weekend. It was intoxicating! By far the best concert I've ever seen.

raptor is soooo rude but everyone sees things in a different light. memory is a strong ingredient in any live performance

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 10:29 AM

Bob Dylan Could have a Shit onstage and Little Hawk would rave about the steam rising off it!

He Didn't sing or play guitar!

I'm a big fan too but I'd like to have seen him sing Not recite his songs to different melodies!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 10:31 AM

Rude? F-you! :^)

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: 42
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 10:34 AM

promises promises

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 01:05 PM

I must admit I thought he died.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 01:06 PM

I think he did.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Matt_R
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 02:44 PM

TAKE ME WITH YOU

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 05:19 PM

Raptor dead? No, not at all...except from the neck up.

Hi there, 42! How are the old pipes doing?

I know a good Dylan show when I see and hear it, and that was a very good one. The one last year was simply okay. But he did play guitar a lot last year, so Raptor would have been in ecstasy if he'd seen that show. We would have had to carry him home strapped to the roof rack because he would have been too aroused to get him inside the car, if you know what I mean. :-) Raptor is a rude nimrod who deliberately farts loudly in subways and buses and is proud of himself for getting the extra attention thereby. His dog is embarrassed to be seen in public with him.

For more of this sort of lowbrow entertainment (and I'm not referring to Dylan), come to the house concert at Raptor's place on Sunday, featuring a western Canadian bluegrass group known as the D-Rangers! That's a pun, folks. Be there or be impaired!

- LH

p.s. I know this is hard to believe, but Raptor lives in a tiny little country place called Utopia. I kid you not.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 08:12 PM

Here is the set list from last night at Ricoh Coliseum:

Drifter's Escape
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
Just Like A Woman
Things Have Changed
Highway 61 Revisited
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Floater (Too Much To Ask)
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
Make You Feel My Love
Honest With Me
Girl Of The North Country (acoustic)
Summer Days
(encore)

Cat's In The Well
Like A Rolling Stone
All Along The Watchtower

Everything was very good, but "Girl From the North Country" was a standout arrangement, very delicate and beautiful sounding. "Floater" was also really neat. The most unexpected one for me was "Drifter's Escape" off the album John Wesley Harding in 1967. There was a brief, very dramatic intro to "All Along the Watchtower"...and what was it? The opening chords of the theme from "Exodus"! That was a very popular piece of music on radio all through the 60's, and it made for a powerful lead-in to the apocalyptic "All Along the Watchtower" (in which Dylan fluffed the first line of the first verse...but he recovered it at the end when he repeated the first verse to end the song).

Nice to hear some of the new stuff.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 08:20 PM

This sums it up I think

Aparently I'm not the only one who thought last nights show was weak!

Little Horks description of me is about as far off as his description of Dylan's performance or lack thereof!

He's just bent out of shape because I don't see Dylan through Rose coulored glasses

I think Bob has artheritis and that prevents him from playing guitar that would also explain why the sound man decided not to let us hear the keyboards that Bob was bashing on all night.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Little Hawk
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 08:45 PM

The Toronto Scum's review? Ha! I laugh. Mary Dickie clearly needs to become better acquainted with Bob's repertoire, so she can recognize the songs with greater ease. The only ones I had any real trouble recognizing were a couple of the newest ones off "Love and Theft". Mary is evidently unaware that Bob has been radically rearranging his songs ever since 1965 or even before that. It's one of the things that makes his shows so interesting.

For instance, the weirdest version of "Just Like A Woman" I ever heard him do was in 1974, acoustically. Last night's band version was quite reminiscent of the original cut from Blonde and Blonde in 1966.

I think the arthritis theory is worth giving consideration to, though. I've never seen Bob do a whole concert before without playing the guitar.

My description of Raptor was generous and kindly... :-)

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 10:23 PM

He is playing the Phoenix tonight and another club in town Tomorrow.

How was the venue? I have never been to the Ricoh.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 11:19 PM

It was a small hockey arena. It used to be the Coloseum building at the CNE!

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 07:42 AM

Raptor,

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was aware of both of those things, but I have not been there for any kind of event since they did th renovations. I was wondering more about sound etc. Is it small enough that it doesn't become a muddy echo chamber like the old Gardens?

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 08:28 AM

The sound was great. Bob's band were amazing.

Raptor

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Raptor
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 08:29 AM

The arena is small enough that the sound caried well.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 22 Mar 04 - 12:10 PM

I've seen him a few times in the last few years. That is one heck of a band that he has assembled. Thanks for the feedback on the venue.

Subject: RE: BS: We off to see Dylan
From: Pied Piper
Date: 22 Mar 04 - 12:32 PM

The Zim may be only 63 but he's had some really bad medical problems recently.
I saw him at the NEC last October and enjoyed the show, but was a bit disturbed to be the only one who sat down after the first number and was surrounded by people who stud up for the whole show.
I don't do hero-worship, but that's not down to Bob.
PP