Reviews

I arrived at the venue at about 6:30pm when lots of folks were already
waiting to get in. It was my 6th Bob Dylan-concert and for the first time
I decided to have no expectations at all. I didn't look up the setlists
from the other concerts of the tour nor read any reviews. The show took
place at the Zenith, a large hall in the north of Munich and it was a
great location for the concert (I personally prefer this kind of
indoor-concerts to those with reserved seating). There was no music before
the show (like on any previous concert I've been to) but that doesn't
bothered me at all. Shortly after 8:00pm the band entered the stage. A few
minutes earlier the crowd got excited when we saw the band members
entering the venue at a sideway on the upper part of the hall (at least I
was pretty sure it was them). I got myself a nice place on the half right
side pretty close to the stage and so I had a perfect view at all the band
members, especially Bob and his piano :-) The first song was Drifter's
Escape and I needed some time to get my ears acclimatize to the high
volume as I was standing very close to the right set of loudspeaker boxes.
Following that was an average The Times They Are A-Changin and Lonesome
Day Blues. After that it was time for my first little highlight of the
show. At first I thought it was You Ain't Going Nowhere (and hey, that
would have been awesome!) but what followed was a really cool version of
Positively 4th Street (so no time to complain). Next was a well rocking
Down Along The Cove and then a great This Wheel's On Fire (first time I
heard this one live and I really enjoyed it). It would take too long to go
into much detail about all the other songs (as there were so many
highlights). To keep things short: they were all great. Every song was
played really really good with Bob hitting it on nearly every single line
and the band playing just wonderful (especially George Recile on drums,
and Denny Freeman, who played some very cool solos). Also Bob's voice
(which sounded quite "hard" during the first songs) got better and better
as the show continued. Bob also seemed to had a good time laughing and
joking several times during and between songs. My personal highlights were
a powerful This Wheel's On Fire, Just Like A Woman (with the audience
singing along on various parts), Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (really nice
drums on that one if I remember correctly), an accoustic John Brown (also
a first-timer for me), as well as an unbelievable powerful and angry
Masters of War (you should have heard this!), but as I said: they were all
great that night. Come again, Bob! Come again soon!!

Martin

The Zenith hall in Muncheon on the 8th was an almost open grid of
girders and support posts with the stage down at one rectangular end. You
could see something from anywhere I thought and drinks and foods were
available all over.  The down lit stage had the big curtain or whatever
behind it and the highlighting changed with the songs and all went dark in
between them.  The eye symbol was only shown during the encores.

He introduced the band members at the end of LARS.  At the end of the main
set he came forward with the band and looked sillily or slyly who knows
out at the crowd for a bit then turned to pick up what I thought was a
microphone and almost say something but, nope, off they go.  At the final
end the same line up and the same looks out into, whatever we look like
back.

This BD Show is great.  Hot licks when you need em and lots of clarity for
the band and His master’s voice.  The band as a group knocked me out
throughout.  Nice breaks, nice highs in Highway and Masters and Watchtower
and the players never intruded on my show.  Many satisfying phrases and
tricked up tunes   I’ve seen BD shows each of the last several years with
last night’s being the first of three this week and these guys are pros
and this is entertainment.  BD sang and played his Tuesday night heart
out.  Great stuff.

First of all, it was my overall 4th Bob-Dylan concert so far.
The venue was quite a big hall, with a little factory-flair
and it was quite full i think. I was standing in the 3rd row
and had a fantastic sight at everyone on the stage.

Bob and his band entered the stage a few minutes after eight
and started of with a powerful Drifter's Escape. Brilliant choice
for an opener, i think.
The last time I saw Bob live was Summer 04, and I immediately
noticed the changes in his voice compared to that time: It was
much of an improvement. For me he seemed more "into" his songs than
03 and 04, and it felt like that for the whole concert.

Drifter's Escape was followed by The Times They Are A-changin',
whos lyrics are one of the (many) reasons that I've become a
Dylan-fan, so I just can say: Beautiful.
I hoped for Lonesome Day Blues as the third song, and I wasn't
dissapointed, this band playes blues-rock at it's best.
Next was a very nice slow arrangement of a song I couldn't
identify (yes, it was 4th Street, and I'm ashamed, but I'm
23 and just starting to become more of a hardcore-fan).
Down Along The Cove is a song I don't like too much in
the album version, but live it was great, same for
This Wheel's On Fire.
The inevitable Tweedle Dee was played with much energy,
Bob seems to really like this song, which seems to be written
for beeing performed live (like so many other songs).

The next three songs together formed my own personal highlight
of the show, starting of with the immediately cognizable
chord progression of Just Like A Woman. The crowd was really
into this wonderful version and sang along loudly in the
chorus, which was hearable very well because Bob sang
the "...just like a woman" lines delayed each time.
To hear Highway 61 live is nothing too special, but special
was this version, just hitting my personal taste of
explosive blues rock, an incredible performance of each
single band member.
Reading the setlists of this fall's tour, I came to Munich
with the realistic chance to hear and see my favourite
Dylan-song-at-the-time (which is of course changing fluently).
When Bob started with "John Brown went off to war...", I
knew I was lucky. The sparsely but very effective instrumented
arrangement suits this powerful song perfectly. I especially
liked Donnie Herron's banjo.

I don't like I'll Be Your Baby Tonight too much (the performance
was okay, though), so I'll go on to Honest With Me, which again
added some tempo to the show, and was placed very well in this
position of the set. Bob sang the song very "dirty", just like
it ought to be.
Masters Of War must of course be a highlight, and it was one.
With the lyrics as up-to-date as ever before, it just hits you
to hear the many truths of this tremendous song.
The main part of the show ended with a solid Summer Days, where
Bob really laughed much during the song. I don't know what was
going on, but he seemed to have much fun, especially with George.

The applause went on until the first chord of Like A Rolling
Stone which was played as powerful and solid as All Along The Watchtower
afterwards, I really don't know anything new to tell about those two
songs. I almost hoped to hear Don't Think Twice as first encore, but there
is nothing negative to hear Like A Rolling Stone live again at all.

All in all, it was a great, nearly perfect show. The sound had
the right volume and was very clear, at least where I was standing.
You could clearly identify each single instrument, like I've never
experiended it before at any other concert. The band deservess an
extra mention:
It was the first time I saw Donnie Herron live, and I like him,
like Bob obviously seems to do (telling by his gestures and the
frequent eye contact by the two). Though I never liked pedal or
lap steel too much, he is adding a nice flair to each song.
Stu Kimball was impressive, he has lot of groove and a very nice
arsenal of fresh sounding bluesy licks.
Tony Garnier was playing as tight and professional as he ever does,
but the biggest impression to me made George Recile, and I'm saying
that as a guitarist. Any band is lucky as hell, when having a drummer like
that. This is pure dynamic and powerful drumming, really punching each
song forward. If I had to mention something negative, it would be Denny
Freeman's guitar playing, which I found a bit too stiff and somehow
uninspired. His licks and most of his solos sounded a bit too stereotyped,
with a few exceptions of course (e.g. Just Like A Woman or Tweedle Dee, if
I remember it right).

This show just suited my taste perfectly, and I'm hoping to see
such a show again.