Thanks to John Burkhart for the following review:


 The evening's entertainment started at 7:00 PM sharp.  Dave Alvin & the
Guilty Men played much the same set that they had the previous evening in
Syracuse.  Solid Rock-Country-Blues that was well received by the still
milling about audience.  Joni Mitchell started at about 8:15 and opened
with her solo version of Big Yellow Taxi.  She then moved right into her
second number and abruptly stopped playing mid-chord about 30 seconds into
the song.  She admonished the crowd that it was difficult enough to
concentrate without people moving around the hall.  She stated that she
would wait one minute and people needed to move in or out.  She stood there
for 30 seconds or more and slowly started to play again.  Her band came out
and she completed her set (identical to her set in Syracuse) and explained
to the crowd that she was suffering from the flu and that she was grateful
to have made it through the evening.  She performed CSN&Y's "Woodstock" as
her encore.
 Bob came onstage and launched into a steady version of "Gotta Serve
Somebody".  The band was steady, the sound was magnificent, and Bob seemed
somewhat reserved as he started his show.  The stage was separated from the
crowd with a barrier and a pit.  As the show progressed the audience
started to get more into the event and Bob started to feed off of the
excitement, becoming more animated and comfortable as he completed the
first electric portion of the show.  
 The accoustic set started with a rousing version of "Stone Walls and Steel
Bars".   Bob rocked through "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", and moved right
into "Tangled Up In Blue" with some of the best harp I've heard him play in
years.  The crowd rushed the stage after "Tangled" and Bob really started
to get into his performance, seemingly drawing energy from the crowd in
front of the stage.  He concluded his acoustic set with more amazing harp
on "My Back Pages", 
 He finished the main part of his show with blazing versions of "Across The
Borderline" and "Highway 61".  When he left the stage it was obvious that
he had been enjoying himself as he bowed and waved to the crowd.
 Bob came out for his encore and delivered animated versions of "Love
Sick", "Rainy Day Women", an acoustic "Blowin In The Wind" (with great
harmony vocals from Larry Campbell and Bucky Baxter), a rockin "Till I Fell
In Love With You", and closed the night with a heartfelt "Forever Young".
 As Bob started to leave the stage towards the rear, he turned around and
came back up to the front and high-fived three or four outstretched hands.
He waved to the crowd again, bowed, and disappeared behind the stage.
 As I was leaving, I asked my friend Rob Bowman what he thought of the
show.  All Rob could say was "Wow!".  Rob later stated that he had just
seen the best show since the fall of 95', coming from Rob, that speaks
volumes.

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Go to the Set Lists (by date) page 1997 Tour, 1996 Tour , 1995 Tour, Pre 1995 Tours
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