Reviews

Playing music is kind of a magical thing, almost like your conjuring up
something and sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes
you have to do some extra special things to make it happen, and sometimes
even that extra special thing doesn't always work.

I try not to have any expectations for Bob Dylan shows.  They usually work
better that way.  But there was no doubt in my mind from the very first
listen that "Love and Theft" was easily Bob Dylan's best and most
brilliant album in a couple of decades in every way.  And then there were
the almost unanimously great reviews of the current tour by both fans and
the working press.

So despite by inclination not do, I did have high hopes for my first show
of the tour at the Bryce Jordan Arena at Penn State University.  The air
was let out of the balloon almost immediately when Dylan took the stage
and opened the show not with "Wait For the Light to Shine," or even
"Hummingbird," but (ho-hum) "Rovin' Gambler."  It was okay, but I was kind
of brought back to the summer of '97 when Dylan was playing (for the first
time) "Blind Willie McTell," and also such songs as "Seven Days" and "One
Of Us Must Know."  He came to Philly and did a pretty generic setlist that
he could have performed at just about any point during the previous 20
years.

Anyway, "Girl From the North Country" followed, and it was perhaps the
most lackluster version of this song I've ever seen or heard started by
him totally blowing the opening line (maybe he couldn't decide whether he
was gonna sing this song or "Boots of Spanish Leather," and it was capped
by one of his famous search and destroy guitar solos-only this one was
completely in destroy mode finishing up with a jumble of incredibly wrong
notes.

"It's Alright Ma," one of my all-time favorite Dylan songs followed and
during the song all of a sudden the sound started bouncing from the
opposite end of the arena so you were hearing everything twice: "As some
warn victory, some downfall, as some warn victory some downfall."  This
continued throughout the night on every song.

Things kind of picked up but only slightly with "This World Can't Stand,"
but it was nothing special.  Then for whatever reason Dylan launched into
"Cry A While."  It was sluggish, had none of the intensity of the album,
and was probably done too early in the set though the guitar playing by
Campbell and Sexton and especially the sound of their guitars was totally
on.

The band started a beautiful intro to "I Want You," but then slowed down
the beat to a moderate pace and again Dylan blew the first line.  "The
gyp/guil undertaker cries."  Actually I don't know what he sang.  At the
end he went for the harps, blew a couple of notes on one, picked up
another one and delivered an all-too brief solo that went nowhere.

"Floater" came next.  It doesn't really work without the violin.  It was
okay, but nothing special.  At one point Charlie started to play this
great jazzy stuff on the guitar, but a few bars into his solo came the
intrusion of a three-note search and destroy lead totally obliterating
what Charlie was doing.  It was one of those moments where I just stared
at Dylan and wondered what is he thinking?

Then a roadie handed Larry the banjo and they were into "Highwater."  It
was great.  Finally Dylan and band were all together with a single
purpose. Everything you could've hoped for except the sound echoing off
the rear wall of the arena.

But then it was back the acoustics.  I couldn't figure out what the song
was from the intro, but it turned out to be "Visions of Johanna."  But
none of the song's beauty, mystery, descriptiveness or tension was present
in this version, not to mention that he mixed up two of the verses.  It
was as if he couldn't remember who or what he even wrote it about.

"John Brown" in a different arrangement than I'd heard previously came
next. The band started "Love Minus Zero," and Dylan was back by his amp
looking at and picking up various harps.  He put them down.  It was a nice
version, with Dylan starting low and ending high on various lines.

Some in the audience shouted, "Freebird," and Dylan was into a beautiful
"Sugar Baby."  It was sad, it was beautiful.  Perfect.  A bunch of people
on the floor went crazy at the "Some of these bootleggers, they make
pretty good stuff line."

A fairly decent "Wicked Messenger" came next with Dylan play a too-short
harp solo at the conclusion.  The energy was there but the show simply
never found a groove.  Amazingly enough "Rainy Day Women," a song I could
basically care less about was one of the high points of the night with
some new verses and Dylan accenting the stone.  They'll
sttttttttoooooooone you when..

The encores which started off curiously with "Country Pie" were ok.
"Rolling Stone" had a pointless harp (hard to call it a solo) bit at the
end.  "Honest with Me" was good, but did not have the intensity of the
album.  "Watchtower" started with a brief passage from "Theme From
Exodus," but the song had a new beat that had none of the raw power of the
last versions I saw and I found the repeat of the first verse interesting
but unnecessary.

Maybe playing four shows in a row, each hundreds of miles apart was just
too tiring.  But the setlist just didn't seem thought out in a way to
build momentum and take things higher.  But whatever it was, there is no
way I can say that the Penn State show was a happening concert.

This was my first show of 5 out here on the East Coast, but my excitement
level was not as high as anticipated on my part, due mainly to the events
of the last few months. However, as the afternoon progressed, my
excitement level reached the point it probably should have been at in the
last few weeks. Despite some details to which I will make reference below,
Bob did not disappoint and has me looking forward to the remaining 4 shows
on my leg of the tour.

Roving Gambler and Girl from the North Country were both wonderful
surprises in their respective slots. Right away with RG you could tell
Bob's vocals were strong and the harmonies with Larry and Charlie were on,
but the overall volume seemed to be a little too low. With Girl, you just
new it was going to be a night of great singing, and I will go so far as
to say it was the best Bob's voice has sounded in the nearly 20 shows I
have attended. However, we also learned with Girl that Bob's acoustic
leads were not on. To say they they left something to be desired would be
giving him too much credit - very bad!! But, I could not do any better
(well, I hope so, anyway) so to each his own.

It'a Alright Ma was the first sign to me that we had a laid back crowd.
Bob salvaged a passable guitar solo in this one, and the band sounded
great, but some of the classic lines like "busy being born..." and "even
the president..." evoked little response from the crowd. This is easily
overlooked, but it can also drag down your perception of the show no
matter how good the overall performance may be. Similar thoughts came to
me during This World Can't Stand as the harmonies were tight and the
voclas so clear that even my mother (her third show, and never having
heard this particular song) heard every word clearly, and agreed with Bob
that this world will be destoyed again.

Cry a While was better than I had anticipated. I believe someone made
reference to it sounding like It Takes a lot to Laugh.. at the beginning,
and I must agree. But, this is louder, and Bob appears to really have
passion for these new songs. This was great to see. Again, superb vocals
that ripped out your heart and made me want to cry for much longer than
just a while! I love the new faster, country western I Want You, and the
harp solo at the end finally got the crowd roaring. Floater was another
superb vocal performance by Bob, but the lack of Larry on violin on this
song really drags it down for me. Charlie tries to cover it on his red
Gibson hollow body (I believe), but it just is not doing it. Bob even
looked over his way a few times during those parts of the song - not upset
or anything - but as if to say "Yeah, that doesn't SOUND right!" like
maybe he knows, and he's thinking of either dropping it, or giving Larry
the shot he deserves.

Highwater was enough for me. He could have walked off stage after that and
I would have been happy it was that good. If he had left, it also would
have prevented the disastrous acoustic lead he played during Visions, by
far my favorite Dylan song. Only the second time I have heard this, and
while the vocal drove it once again, the lead was just plain bad. Larry
even tried to make his picking louder by doing it harder, as if to cover
up Bob's solo attempt. John Brown was welcomed in place of Masters of War,
and while Bob's acoustic lead improved, it still was nothing to write home
about. But it was another fine vocal performance with everything clearly
enunciated. A shame that the crowd didn't react as if they new what he was
saying.

Love Minus Zero brought the perfomance level back up on all fronts. Bob
muttered around with the harps during the intro, as if deciding which one
to use later in the song. He eventually opted not to play the harp as he
appeared to have pulled the Visions solo out of the gutter, and perform
this one rather well after a slow start. Larry's steel was simply
beautiful and this was definitely a highlight combined with Bob's vocals.
One of my all-time Dylan favs, and he always does it justice when I am in
the crowd. Thanks Bobby!

The final electric part of the main set worked really well. Summer Days is
amazing. This guy is 60 years old and there were 20 year old college kids
who had to take a break mid song cause it was too much for them. Many had
been standing in the middle of the floor, hoping to get a chance to "move"
all night, perhaps waiting for TUIB. It was as if Bob was saying "OK, you
wanna DANCE? Try this on for size" and very few kept up with him. Another
great response from the crowd after this one. I was hoping for Mississippi
next, but got Sugar Baby instead, and was glad I did. This was incredible,
and the crowd showed much respect with their silence and observation.

Wicked Messenger and Rainy Day brough the crowd to their feet, and Bob
played with the words to Rainy Day, but few noticed. EVERYONE was moving
to this one. We got the "Ladies and Gentleman, students, faculty, and
alumniiiiiiiiiiiii!" introduction for the band.

The encores brought everything full circle. The crowd was up for all of
them. Perhaps the best If Dogs Run Free I have ever heard, and an
extraordinary Honest with Me. This works so well in place of Highway, and
Bob has much passion for these lyrics - it also showcases the tight-nit
band all over again, just in case anyone had any doubts. Blowin' was
again, perhaps the best version I have heard. Tight harmonies, and Bob
shouted out to remind us that indeed "too many people have died!"

Another formation found Bob offering his acoustic guitar to an admirer in
the front row. He even took a few steps forward to offer it even closer,
but he ended up holding on to it. I just hope it was not a negative
exchange, like someone saying his acoustic leads sucked, and Bob saying,
here, you try it. Watchtower closed things out, and rocked as always. The
new version works for me and, it appears, for the band as well.

Overall, very nice show, and Bob is still at a high quality performance,
much higher than most any act out there. Perhaps I mentioned the
squandered acoustic playing too much, but it was really obvious, mainly on
GFTNC and VOJ. He salvaged himself on Love Minus Zero, and the electric
playing seemed to be fine. Maybe he is just still getting used to the new
acoustic guitar. 

On to Syracuse for Bob, and DC for me. Take Care!

Alex Leik

my brother gibbs and i left philly around 3pm and had a leisurely ride up
the turnpike and through the mountains to state college. 3 hours and 15
minutes later we arrived. we ate dinner and then went to the arena. we
bought general admission tickets since this would be the only college
arena that bob would be playing in our area and we have been so fond of
seeing bob in these small venues over the years. i also have tickets for
d.c.,philly, and nyc. all large venues. 

we got inside around 7pm to strategically located ourselves by the sound
board. this venue holds 15,000 and it seemed that there was around 5,000
at concert time. at 7:45 sir bob and the band came out and i was acutely
aware of the new stage setup.. david still stage left rear but charley now
stage left, then tony next to him. bob still front and center and larry
stage right, giving him more room to play his different instruments (like
buckey use to).

i am one of the old timers (first show march 1965/acoustic/w-joan
baez-philly convention center) who has never seen a bad "bob" show. i am
so grateful just to see him offer his "prayers" in song over and over
again. it had been 358 days since my last shows (atlantic city,nj
11/18/00) and my anticipation to hear that first note was high. 

highlights for me were;
girl from the north country
it"s alright ma
cry a while
high water
visions of johanna
john brown
love minus zero
sugar baby
wicked messenger
country pie
honest with me

we left state college at 10:10pm and made it home in a record 2 1/2 hours.
my porsche just loves the cool weather and talk about bob. no music on the
way home. just talk about another opportunity to see the "living master"
rock and roll!, reviewing each song and how we love bob. i am in
heightened excitement to see 3 more shows in the next week. a little
concerned about the large venue thing, but as always, grateful to be able
to see and hear "the living prophet" present his music like no one else in
this world can.

peace,

steven m clofine
SmortyC@aol.com

On the way to State College my brother, Alex, mentioned that, when Dylan
plays four or five nights in a row, sometimes the show may drag a little
because Bob and/or the band are tired.  Well, I just laughed at him.

As it turns out, there may be something to his theory.  This show was not
bad by any definition.  It just did not go where the shows have been going
for the past few years.  The very first thing I noticed when the show
began was the volume.  Instead of the sound filling the room, it actually
felt and sounded like five guys in the distance playing some songs.  Often
times the show will start out at a slightly lower volume until the tweaks
are tweaked.  Well, it just never happened.  Roving Gambler was very good
and the harmonies were great, but they didn't go right through you like
they sometimes do.  Girl From the North Country was probably the best part
of the evening.  I am still amazed when thousands of people stand
perfectly silent to listen to one man sing.  His voice sounded great
throughout the entire show.  North Country did not need anymore volume and
I think that is one of the reasons that it was the best part of the show. 
 Things just did not get going until the very end of the show.  It's
alright ma was good but they either missed hitting the rhythm or the sound
was not done well.  It was really hard to tell which, but I think it was a
combination.  This world can't stand long was decent but like many of the
songs tonight it lagged a little.  I think the crowd really missed the
point of the song.  Either that or they were scared by what he was telling
them.  Maybe a little too close to home.  

But instead of picking the show apart because it was not the best ever,
let me say this: I enjoyed the "new" version of I want you.  This is the
first time I've heard this since the slower version a la unplugged, and it
was nice, they just were not that tight here either. Sugar Baby is an
absolute gem and was played wonderfully tonight.  Highwater was done well,
but there were so many slow or mellow numbers tonight and that just kept
things from happening.  Summer Days rocks like nothing else in the
repertoire (let the boys play their gee-tars Mr. D).  But by the time we
got to Summer Days it seemed like it was too late.  It was played later in
the set tonight than I think it usually is and by that time I think he had
lost the crowd.  He did manage to bring them back with stuff like  Wicked
Messenger and Rainy Day Women.  Country Pie was tight and picked the pace
up a little more as did the rest of the encore.  Blowin' In the Wind was
excellent.  The harmonies were right on and, by this time, the volume was
up and the audience appreciated it.

All along the watchtower had a new groove and I don't believe I've heard
him repeat the first verse at the end of the song and end the song on the
last word of the verse.  Interesting!!

So I believe there were some excellent parts to this show but the volume
at the beginning kept the crowd from getting too involved which kept the
band from getting tight.  So lets blame it all on the house mix.  And if
Alex is right, they were tired too.

joshleik@aol.com

After a very good show in Columbus on Saturday, Jillsy and I were very
excited about the show at Penn State on Sunday. As usual, Dylan didn't let
us down one bit. We lucked out and gotup to the second row right in front
of Larry Campbell. Dylan was wearing a grey suit with his black boots with
white trim.

"Roving Gambler"(acoustic) A nice surprise for the opener and Dylan was in
good form from the first note and the band was with him all the way.
Plenty of good acoustic guitar from Larry who had a huge smile that seldom
left his face the whole show.

"Girl of the North Country"(acoustic} Dylan sand this slowly and tenderly.
Amazingly and thankfully, the crowd was all but silent through the ballad
instead of whistling and hollering as they often do during the slower
songs in Dylans set. This was a beu autiful version of a beautiful song.

"It's Alright, Ma(I'm Only Bleeding}"(acoustic) This was a super charged
version. I really enjoy the bluegrass version of this song. Dylan was
using a lot of nuances in his vocals to great effect on this version and
all night.

"This World Can't Stand Long"(acoustic) A much better choice than
"Searching for a soldiers Grave". Dylan sang powerfully about the "world
too full of hate" and it had an aura of wisdom in ligt of recent events.

"Cry A While" The "Love & Theft" songs have all been excellent live and
this was no exception. This was a letter perfect version. Larry had his
head back and his eyes closed, definitely enjoying himself.

"I Want You" It took me several seconds to recognize this song as it first
sounded a lot like "Ring Them Bells" but once Dylan stepped to the mic and
started singing, It seemed like 'I Want You" was the only thing it could
have been. This version was almost perfect and the harmonic solo made it
all the sweeter.

"Floater(Too Much To Ask)" Tonights version was better than the one in
Columbus but is sounded like a couple more run-throughs at sound check
would help.

"High Water" This may become a new classic. Dylan growled the lyrics in a
perfect tone for the song and Larry's Banjo was turned up in the mix more
than it had been in Columbus. A superb version.

"Visions of Johanna'(acoustic) One of Dylans greatest songs and I felt so
very lucky to be there for a spine tingling version. The crowd was so
quiet, one could hear a pin drop. Dylan nailed every line perfectly and
after the ending, the crowd roared louder than I ever heard a crowd at a
Dylan show. Dylan stepped back, gave a quick smile and then launched
into...

"John Brown"(acoustic) Another poignant version by Dylan and a stark
contrast to the previous tune. Larry played the heck out of bouzouki and
Tony played his upright bass with a large bow which gave a great sound.

"Love Minus Zero/No Limit"(acoustic) This was a minor lrtdown after the
previous two songs but it was still performed well. Unfortunately, Dylan
didn't go for his harmonica on this tune.

"Summer Days" WOW! Even better than in Columbus, if that is possible.
Charlie was having a great time playing lead on this one. He was doing big
knee bends and dancing and Dylan stood back and let Charlie have the
spotlight for several seconds before cutting him off with a solo of his
own. It was a pretty good guitar solo, too.

"Sugar Baby" I was so looking forward to hearing this one live but Dylan
was singing it too loudly and in doing so, it lost some of its subtle
beauty. Before the final verse, Dylan softened his vocal approach but it
was too little, too late. Nice musical embellishments, though.

"The Wicked Messenger" As soon as that bass line started, I knew it was
going to be "Wicked Messenger". Dylan sang as if his life depended on it
and he definitely wanted to live. This song breathed fire and the
harmonica solo was one of the best i've heard Dylan play live.

"Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" Either. you like this song or hate it, i enjoy
the crowd enjoying it. It was a pretty rocking version with Dylan singing
"They'll stone you no matter what you wear, they'll stone you whether
you're here or there". Dylan also announcd the band during the song.

(encores)

"Country Pie" One of my favorite songs and it was a pretty lively version
with lots of grinning by the whole band.

"Like a Rolling Stone" Dylan was kind of on auto-pilot for the first
couple verses but seemed to pick up some steam as the song progressed.
Charlie and Larry sang harmony on the chorus as did most of the audience.
Dylan added a good harmonica solo at the end of the song.

"If Dogs Run Free"(acoustic) A very nice surprise but Dylans voice seemed
kind of shot. 4 shows in a row will do that, i guess.

"Honest With Me" The vocal wearines Dylan was experiencing a song before
was gone and he poured his entire heart and soul into this one. Larry was
playing some nice slide guitar work between the verses.

"Blowing in the Wind"(acoustic) Yawn. This song never ceases to bore me
but the audience seems to love it. 

"All ALong the Watchtower" I was hoping for "Knocking On Heavens Door" but
I'll never complain about "Watchtower" A strong vocal performance from
Dylan. There were a few quick solos from Larry and Charlie while Dylan did
some marching in place dance moves. Dylan then sand the first verse again
to end the song. They stood in formation and the they were gone.

 It was probably the best show I've seen. The highlights totally
 eliminated the lowlights. The lowlights were not even that low. If any
 one has a copy of this show...

Carsten Molt
Jokerman@bellatlantic.net

I first saw Dylan at the Rubber Bowl in Ohio, summer of 1986.  He was
backed up by Petty 7 the Heartbreakers.  They opened for the Dead. Later,
Dylan came out to play with the Dead.  I remember "Little Red Rooster". 
Coincidentally, it is the only time the Dead ever played that song on
stage.  I remember being crunched down front in the heat ane someone was
offering to buy a slice of an orange from a security guard.  They
eventually sprayed the crowd with a hose of water .  I saw Dylan At Bryce
Theatre  in Penn State on 11-11-01.

This was one of the best Dylan shows I have seen in a long time.  He is
comfortable with this band, they allow him to noodle around on the guitar
and do his thing, giving him a solid canvas of backing music. While the
band took stage and before the music started,  the crowd roared at an
ear-splitting level.  What was amazing is that when Dylan and the other
two boys began strumming "Roving Gambler" the crowd became respectfully
silent.  When Dylan landed his lips to the mic, it was a perfect mix of
music that was amazingly not obnoxiously loud.  All three voices sang the
"lay your money down" chorus and the sound from the fourth row was crystal
clear.  The next song was "North Country" that had beautiful finger
picking by the dude on Dylan's left.  At the songs end, Bob looked at
Charlie Sexton and gave a smirk because of the slightly awkward yet
playful ending.  It was the first of many signs of Dylan enjoying himself
on the stage.  The third tune was "It's Alright Ma" I was hoping for
"Desolation Row" because I never heard him do it live. However, "Ma" is
always a winner with its vivid imagery and reminder the "even the
President of the U.S must sometimes stand naked."  Once again, Dylan takes
the guitar solos.  He adds nice color to the tunes and the band allows him
this freedom without stepping on his toes.  This is not easy with two
other proficient guitarists in the band.  However, Charlie and ___ play
with empathy. The fourth tune has all three once again singing the chorus.
 "This world can't stand long because it's full of hate."  This was a
haunting tune that struck a chord particularly during these hateful times.
Song five, Dylan goes electric!  When the lights come on, Dylan is
sporting a brand new chreme colored strat that has "Bob Dylan" written in
cursive on the rosewood fretboard.  "Cry Awhile" is the tune and it is
once again evident that Dylan is having fun.  Song seven has an intro that
slowly begins to sound familiar.  Dylan fumbles the first words but it is
hardly noticed and the tune becomes clear when he begins to sing the 1966
chorus "I Want You".  At the songs end, he picks up the harp (the wrong
key) then he grabs the correct key and blows some coherent  and melodic
lines.  Anytime he touches the harp the crowd roars just because.  It's
amazing what fame can do.  Song seven is "Floater" from the new record. 
This is where Dylan gets into his humorous Charlie Chaplin-like strut. 
While playing guitar back by his amp, he slowly struts up to the mic with
bended knees like a Chaplin who just got off his horse.  It is cute and
humorous.  Even the bass player give a huge smile as he watches Dylan
playfully stroll to the mic. Next comes the banjo and "Highwater".  It's a
beautifully clear rendition of the song.  Once again, what strikes me is
the purity of the sound and the quality of Dylan's voice.  He is no longer
doing a self-parody that all people who don't really get Dylan tend to
mock when speaking of him. Yew Nooo the Voooice I Meeeean.  Not this tour!
 Dylan is singing as beautifully as on the last two records.  Granted the
voice is an acquired taste.  It's like fresh ground French roast coffee
without any sugar or chremer.  Just the real deal that satisfies those who
can really take the time to enjoy it. Song nine goes acoustic again.  This
is a lovely version of "Visions of Joanna".  Another gem from the "66
sessions.  Hard to believe that great art like this is created by a
twenty-something.  The beauty is that he still serves it up with justice
more than 30 years after it was written.  Like a sequoia tree in the
California Sierra mountains, some things last forever. Song ten is "john
Brown".  Eleven is "Love minus Zero" followed by "Summer Days" which goes
electric once again.  Again Charlie and Dylan are smiling during this
tune. Thirteen is "Sugar" from the new record.  It is a lovely ballad that
again can be heard crystal clear.  Fourteen is "Wicked Messenger" where
Dylan again pulls out the harp.  The 15th and final song of set one is
"Rainy Day Women".  It's hilarious to me that many people down front begin
to light up during the "must get stoned" verse.  Let us not forget to
consider the biblical allusion of being stoned to death.  Furthermore,
there is the Shirley Jackson story "The Lottery" that was written in 1948
and caused quite a controversy, much like Swift's satire on eating babies.
 Anyway, take it as you may.  Or as The great Doctor  once said "They'll
stone you when your ridin' in a train, on a plane...here or there or
anywhere..." Set two opens with "Country Pie" where Dylan is clearly
having fun.  His subtle smiles usually come before or after a song when
the lights are low.  From up front, you can see them.  Next comes "Rolling
Stone".  Imagine having to sing this everynight of your life.  He pulls it
off rather well and picks up the harp for extra crowd frenzy.  Next comes
a favorite from last years tour, "If Dogs Run Free":.  This is a cool
jazzy version.  Again, it cannot be overlooked that Dylan's band ("The
best band in the land" he says) really supports him well, giving him a
comfortable trustworthy canvas to paint upon.  Next tune is "Honest" from
the new record followed by"Blowin' in the Wind".  This song again has all
three voices singing the chorus in an anthem -like fashion.  Dylan
enunciates and emphasizes the line "...too many people have died.",
another chilling moment.  It is the last tune and the band stand silently
on the stage looking at the crowd.  Dylan says nothing.  Why should he? 
His songs and legacy speak enough.  It is during this frozen moment of
thunderous applause the Dylan squints an eyebrow to the front-right side
of the stage and with his right hand, shoves his acoustic guitar in the
direction of someone.  He does it twice.  It is as if to say, "I 've
already played over two hours of music, would you like to take the
bandstand?" Finally the band walks off and returns for "Watchtower".  What
strikes me about this version is that it appears that Charlie is trying
his best not to emulate the Hendrix licks.  It is difficult to not think
of Hendrix during this tune and although Charlie plays exceptionally well
during the entire show, it appears that he is trying in vain to shake the
shadow of Jimi.  The Band finishes.  The again stand ane stare at the
crowd, then walk off.  This was perhaps the best show I have seen since my
debut to Dylan in "86.  He appeared to be enjoying himself and his singing
was in fine (French roast) form.  The band supports him in an empathetic
and solid manner.  It is not easy to be a proficient guitarist and not
blow your wad or step on somebody's toes.  Charlie and _____ are great at
this and the rhythm section lays down a solid groove allowing Dylan to be
himself.  On 11-11-01, at The Bryce Theatre in Penn State, PA, Dylan was
everything you need.  He's an artist, he don't look back. Until the next
show, this is Altoid Man signing off.

jratunes@hotmail.com