Reviews

And so what is apparently the last Bob Dylan concert of the 20th Century
took place in the unlikely town of Newark, Delaware at the Bob Carpenter
Center, a not so big concrete arena, where Dylan played in October ’92. 
Asides from being home to the University of Delaware, Newark was once
home to George Thorogood & The Destroyers who once did what they called
the 50/50 tour playing all 50 states in 50 days, traveling to most of
them in a Checker automobile, best known for manufacturing taxicabs.

This show was actually a make-up date for a concert canceled due to
Dylan’s 1998 Grammy appearance, and there were times when this show
almost seemed to travel back in time.

The audience was extremely enthusiastic and after “I Am The Man Thomas,”
Dylan went into a slow beautiful “My Back Pages” with Larry on violin. 
I’ve seen him do this song a few times over the last decade, but
tonight’s version was easily one of the best if not the best.  He sang
it carefully, enunciating each word with great emotion.

An equally strong “It’s Alright Ma” followed and this arrangement gets
better every time I see it with Larry playing intricate guitar around
Dylan’s guitar punctuations while Charlie keeps the rhythm happening
strumming a dobro.  Dylan flubbed a couple of lines but it didn’t
matter.

“Tangled” did its usual job of rousing the audience, but the real
surprise of the night was a previously unheard by Dylan country cover,
“This World Can’t Stand Long,” which I’m pretty sure is a Roy Acuff song
(though I may be wrong) and somewhere in the back of my mind a distant
memory of Dolly Parton singing it is bouncing around.  Whoever wrote it
or did it, it was truly great and one of those special Dylan moments and
particularly memorable for the last line of the chorus: “We should know
it can’t stand long because it’s too full of hate.”  Larry and Charlie
joined Bob on the choruses.

A gentle “One Too Many Mornings” preceded the switch to electrics with
“Memphis Blues Again” with Larry on pedal steel starting the set,
followed by an okay and sometimes slightly bluesy “Make You Feel My
Love.”  

Dylan then brought on opening act Susan Tedeschi to jam with the band on
“It Takes A Lot To Laugh.”  This was one of the real fun moments of the
night.  She is a very good and hot guitar player and she was just
ecstatic to be invited on stage with Bob Dylan and Dylan was enjoying
having her on-stage and absolutely getting off on her guitar playing.  A
true jam with Bob kind of as the encouraging overseer.

Next came “Joey,” but the version was much different than the other two
I’ve seen on this tour.  Larry played guitar instead of pedal steel and
it rocked hard, with a choppier rhythm that was much more reminiscent of
versions of this song from earlier in the ‘90s.

An exquisite “Not Dark Yet” followed with featured an ethereal guitar
break from Larry that earned him well-deserved applause.  It was easily
the high point of the electric set.  Dylan again introduced Tedeschi and
said, “We’re gonna burn this one up,” as Kemper kicked off the rhythm to
“Highway 61,” and burn it up they did.  That road is going to need some
repaving  after this version.  Dylan was having a lot of fun letting
everyone take solos starting out with Larry on lapsteel followed by
Tedeschi and then Dylan nodded to Charlie who exploded with a piercing
flurry of blazing notes.  His solo was over fast, but it was absolutely
amazing and inspiring.

And then it was into a fairly typical set of encores, “Love Sick,”
“Rolling Stone,” “Don’t Think Twice,” and Blowin’ In The Wind,” followed
by “Not Fade Away” with Tedeschi again appearing to sing on the
choruses.

The lights went down and the crowd stayed put and they came back one
more time for “Rainy Day Women.

Dylan didn’t touch his harp the entire night.

So this final show of this remarkable tour wasn’t as adventuresome
setlist-wise as some of the others and perhaps didn’t have those truly
transcendent peaks.  But the energy was there throughout and the songs
were played and sung with conviction.  And in the end you can’t ask for
more than that.  And once again, like every other show I’ve seen in the
last two weeks, this one was completely different in every way.  I can’t
think of any other performer that I’ve seen who can pull that little
trick off.

-- 
"Where the angels' voices whisper to the souls of previous times." 
--Bob Dylan
Peter Stone Brown 
e-mail: peterb@erols.com   
http://store.yahoo.com/tangible-music/petstonbrowi.html

The Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware provided an
unlikely venue for what appears to be the last Dylan show of the
millenium (providing that you think that this is the last year of the
millenium!).  At 5,000 seats, and not sold out at that (not even close
actually), it was half the size of the halls that were played with Phil
Lesh and provided a wonderfully intimate setting for the show.  No
security checks whatsoever (tapers would have had an easy time at this
one!) and no one ever looked at my ticket after entering the building,
and I was in the fifth row!  A very easy show to attend, especially
considering that the hall is 15 minutes from my house (I lived only 5
minutes away when he played here in '92!).

Susan Tedeschi played a well recieved 45 minute set to open the show. 
We sat in the back bleachers (completely empty) for her set since we got
there after she started and didn't want to hassle going down on the
floor with the lights down.  She was very loud, almost to the point of
irritation, but that would be my only complaint.  Three piece blues
band, and she has a great blues voice very reminiscent of early Bonnie
Raitt.  She did a wonderful version of "Angel from Montgomery" that was
spoiled only by its obvious debt to Bonnie, just about a carbon copy. 
When she said she was going to do a John Prine song I was hoping for
anything but the obvious choice, but that was not to be.

Bob hit the stage a little after 9:15 and launched right into the
standard opener "I Am The Man, Thomas" and the band sounded great
immediately.  The mix from the 5th row was absolutely perfect (I was
afraid we'd be a bit to close for the best sound) and the volume was
just right.  My Back Pages, with Larry on fiddle, was outstanding, Bob's
vocals were crystal clear, something that I noticed at all three shows I
attended this tour.  It's Alright Ma.. was stunning, with the Presidents
line getting a huge reaction from the crowd.  I like this as an acoustic
song a lot.  This World Can't Stand is one of the newer songs that I
wasn't familier with, but with Bob's vocals so clear you could
understand every word.  Well done. Tangled was its usual great self,
better then the Philly version and right up there with Baltimore.  No
harp though, a trend that continued throughout the night.  I think this
is the first of about 25 Dylan shows that I've seen where he didn't play
a lick of harmonica. 

The interplay during the acoustic set was great, Larry and Charlie
adding textural licks in the back instead of just strumming all the way
through like they did for the first 4 or 5 songs in Philadelphia. 
Instead of heading right to the electric material we got an absolutely
beautiful One To Many Mornings to close out the acoustic portion of the
show.

Stuck Inside of Moblie started off the electric material and was well
recieved by the crowd, followed by Make You Feel My Love, both red hot. 
Bob then brought out Susan for a mindblowing jam on Takes a Lot to
Laugh.., she and Bob were trading licks back and forth and both laughing
like they'd never had such a good time.  Stratospheric.  Right before
this song started the crowd rushed the stage, it almost seemed organized
it happened so suddenly, and the security didn't bother attempting to
hold anyone back (good move!) so for the rest of the show there were
folks hanging on the front of the stage and in the aisles.  Bob seemed
to like this a lot, getting energized by the crowd and playing up to
those in front.

Joey was next, not one of my favorites but very well done.  This was
followed by a very touching Not Dark Yet, absolutely beautiful, and the
set closed out with a barn burning Highway 61.  I think Susan played on
this one also but I could be wrong about that.  I know she played on the
song just after the band introductions (which I assume were before the
encores) because after the intros (which included Bob the comedian,
"Here's my drummer, he only lies when he's in bed!) Bob said "We're
gonna bring Suzy back up here and really rip this one up!", which we
thought was hilarious.  Larry usually played pedal steel when she was on
stage, all but one song I think and I can't remember which one.  

Love Sick, as usual, opened the encores, and was done with its usual
slow burn.  Like a Rolling Stone was a definate crowd pleaser and was
followed by a great acoustic Don't Think Twice.  Bob left the stage
after one of these two last songs, can't remember which, and then
returned so it was really two encore sets.

The obligatory, but smoking, Not Fade Away was next. Susan was brought
out again and showed her considerable talents on guitar trading licks
with Charlie and Bob, everyone had BIG smiles.  The crowd was loving
this one.  Then a great Blowin' in the Wind, acoustic, and then a
scorching Rainy Day Women, with Susan, with traded guitar licks all
around once again.

I saw three shows this tour and was blown away by Bobs energy and
enthusiasm at each show.  I don't know if he quit drinking or what, but
he's actually laughing on stage, bantering with the crowd, and singing
so clearly that it is downright easy to understand the words to songs
you don't know.  His facial expressions are great, he seems to be really
enjoying what he's doing, and this is the best band I've ever seen him
with, and that includes the 1974 tour with The Band. Whatever you're
doing Bob, keep it up!

what a show.
sound poor except in small sweet spot.
started very slow (acoustic set). what the setlist lacked it made up
in energy and with susan tedeschi. bob was definetly into playing with
her. she's a very hot tall blonde rockin' blues guitarist and i think
she could not believe she was on stage with bob (he had her on for
like four or five songs).. she kept coming back and the songs she
played guitar on (bob would nod his head or shake it depending on when
he wanted her to cut loose) were rocking.. i noticed during the show
that the whole band (even the experiemented tony garnier) looks at bob
and tries to she see what he's getting at (charlie sexton in
particular seemed to be permanently trying to follow what bob was
doing (they don't look at him cause he's a genius but because they
don't know what he's going to do)

the strangest thing about this show and what made it really worthwhile
for me was the interplay between susan tedeschi and bob… she really
managed to draw bob out and he really enjoyed jamming with her ( me
thinks).. the whole band had smiles from ear to ear… she even kissed
bob on the cheek at one point.. which i thought was a little bold…but
bob was into it and at one point moved across the stage to be next to
her. there was a very funny part of one of the later songs (maybe "not
fade away") where bob and her where standing next to each other
trading guitar lics and it was quite precious..

after the recent set lists i found this one a bit dissapointing… after
song 8 the crowd was allowed to move closer to the stage and
everyone's enjoyment much improved…people also lit up everywhere… 
highlights for me were "this world can't stand" (who wrote this?),
"one too many mornings", "make you feel my love" (beautifully sung and
nice electric guitar accompaniment- a bit heavier than on the record),
and "not dark yet" (this was wonderfully sung)…it was unfortunate that
during this song i had to tell the frat clown next to me "i did not
pay to hear you sing so shut the fuck up or move" as he liked to
demonstrate his lyrical knowledge by singing the lyrics half a second
before bob..the performance of "joey" was also nice and there was
surprising amount of crowd recognition of this song… the "not fade
away" was also very nice…as was the "don't think twice" (i dedicate my
enjoyment of this one to leslie)… "blowing in the wind" included some
really nice backing vocals from larry campbell…as with the last show i
saw in baltimore i could understand every word he sung once i found
the sweet spot..

the set lists were definetly more diverse during the shows with phil
lesh.. this was a far smaller venue… i think bob feels more
adventurous , set list wise, when he plays to more adventurous crowds…
just a thought….the way i sum it up "set list was not adventurous but
i think he felt neither was the crowd and i think he was right".. this
was definetly a crowd that wanted to hear the "hits"….

on "love sick" bob plundered the "root and plunder"line which is too
bad as i like it (i know others don't )..

comments overheard leaving the show included "how many songs did he
play??"and "bob was so into it!" bob played just shy of 2 hours and
kept coming back for song after song..bob chit chat included "thank
you you're too kind" , "he never lies except when he's in bed "(joke
about drummer) and some comment about susan tedeschi's guitar playing
.. something like "she's going to burn it up" .. 

bob's guitar playing:  bob has added a move or two to his repertoire..
mainly holding the guitar perpendicular to the ground facing upwards..
also playing more notes on the top few strings (middle frets) as
opposed to only the simple two or three note solos on the bottom
strings (these by the way work far better with the electric guitar
than the acoustic)..

a note of thanks to amtrak for stopping their train in newark,
delaware just for me!

Bob Dylan's fall tour largely supported by Phil Lesh has come and
gone, and what a extraordinary tour it was!  I didn't go to either of
the tour's cornerstone (so to speak) club gigs, but did catch
Saturday's great final date at Newark, Delaware.  I was especially
hyped because of all the talk of the great penultimate Atlantic City
shows (especially the early one) on Friday, and because my new friend
John moved me down from row E in the nearly full back bleachers to row
E right in front of the stage.  Thanks again John!

The first things that was readily apparent to me in the smallish
5000-6000 or so seat venue was that large numbers of UD students went
to the show, rather than large numbers of deadheads I saw in Baltimore
last week. The lack of deadheads of course was a by-product of the
fact that Susan Tedeschi (rather than Phil) was the opening act.  And
no posters were sold for this show, I guess since the UD show was
appended onto the already scheduled Phil Lesh part of the tour. Susan
seems to be  your basic sweet apple-pie-loving Mom and Dad's kinda
girl, except of course that she playing wailing blues guitar.  Her
show was good and as Dylan's crew was setting up for Bob, we could see
her guitar brought out on stage.  So we knew we hadn't seen the last
of her, lucky for both our eyes and ears.

Our hero and idol Bob Dylan came out at about 9:10 and played for just
over 2 hours.  His show was great, just as great it seems as were the
other dates on the tour.  Nothing very much more special for the last
show of the 1900's (vs. the earlier dates), just yet another
run-of-the-mill totally fantastic show!  And as y'all know by now the
big surprise performance was THIS WORLD, which adds to all the many
other great surprise songs played during this tour.  Are you listening
bobdylan.com? 

John, who had attended both Atlantic City shows, noticed that the
first two acoustic songs were not among the 17 acoustic songs played
the previous night, and the second, My Back Pages, was just lovely. 
THIS WORLD had us all sitting in happy disbelief, it was just a
wonderful performance of a great song that I've played back to death
these past two days.  After TUIB we were expecting the electric set,
but instead got a sixth acoustic song that was completely mesmerizing,
a very slow and touching One Too Many Mornings.  About halfway through
I noticed that the audience was gently clapping along to this truly
splendid performance.  After the sixth acoustic song, we were all
right in assuming we'd then get 6 electric and 6 encores, making this
as long as a show as any during this great fall swing. 

 In the electric set we got 2 songs that others rag-on about: Memphis
 Blues Again and Joey, both were fine by me.  And Bob's primal scream
 of "Joey" after the "called them amateurs" verse shook the entire
 arena and all within. We got 3 TOOM songs, and Larry's mellow lead on
 the slow Not Dark Yet received a nice hand from the audience.  Anyway
 before Joey, Bob brought out "Sue" for a bluesy "Train to cry", at
 which point the crowd successfully rushed the stage. Susan leads on
 the three songs she played guitar on were tasty, never fast flashy
 nor overbearing, but my oh my has she got a great bluesy tone.  She
 and Bob traded off riffs a lot too, and throughout Bob was grinning
 ear to ear, as was the audience.  Larry perhaps had more leads
 tonight than Charlie, but Susan took most of the leads when she was
 on stage.  Bob didn't play any harp, or for that matter, piano, but
 Susan's playing and youthful enthusiasm helped us not notice the lack
 of harp.  Bob joked during the band intros before HW61 that David
 never dies unless he's in bed, then he brought up Susan and said
 we're gonna burn it down, which he and the band definitely proceeded
 to do.  In summary, this show was a fantastic end to a fantastic
 tour. Many Thanks and Happy New Year Bob!

John Pruski, Arlington, VA, Monday the 22cd 

 On Nov. 20th ,Jillsy and i made the long trek to the state of Delaware
for Dylan's last show of the millennium(most likely). Before the show,
we met up with our new friends and good hosts, Chris and Crystal.  After
some pre show festivities, we made our way to the tiny basketball arena
known as the Bob Carpenter Center. The venue held 3,000 people at most
but the security was pretty much a non entity and you could sit anywhere
you wanted without any trouble.

 The show started with a strong but short set by blues artist, Susan
Tedeschi. She had a very strong and distinctive voice.  While her voice
had center stage during her set, she did display some of the good guitar
playing that she would lend to some of Dylan's set later on.

 At 9:10, the house lights dimmed and Dylan began his 5th show in 4
nights with

"I am the Man, Thomas" (acoustic)- This was very well played and seemed
like a much stronger
song than when he played it at Penn State 2 weeks ago.

"My Back Pages"(acoustic) (Larry Campbell on violin) Not the best
version of this chestnut that I've ever heard but Larry's violin playing
added a special vibe to the song. I expected Dylan to take a turn on
harp but he didn't play it all night.

"It's Alright, Ma(I'm Only Bleeding)"(acoustic) Dylan began to wake up
during this tune and it was the first song to get a roar from the crowd.
Dylan flubbed one line but sang the line over nailing it the 2nd time
around. Always one of my favorite tunes and it was a real treat to see
in it's new bluegrass arrangement..

"This World Can't Stand"(acoustic)- A total surprise and as far as i
know a tune that Dylan had never played before.  I find it difficult to
give my thoughts or opinions on a song that i don't know but  it seemed
well played and Dylan was leaning into the lyrics with conviction.

"Tangled Up In Blue"(acoustic) As many times as i hear this, it always
sounds just a little bit different. This was no exception. Dylan was
singing very strongly and distinctly. i was still waiting in vain for
the harmonica but instead we got one of those long jams at the end much
like
he played it in 1997 when he had abandoned the harp. During this tune,
the chatty girls behind us got the better of us and we moved to the back
of the hall dead center where we could se better and stretch out a bit.

"One too Many Mornings"(acoustic)(Larry on pedal steel)- This was
amazing! The band played softly in the back ground while Dylan lowered
his voice and sang sweetly and richly. Larry Campbell played a
shimmering solo while the rest of the band filled in the aural
tapestries with minimal notes. Probably the highlight of the show thus
far.

On to the electric set...

"Stuck Inside of Mobile"(Larry on Steel Guitar)- This was very well
played even though i think Dylan skipped the last verse. Dylan's singing
didn't seem to be affected by the heavy touring but he did seem too look
kind of old and tired. Charlie Sexton played some very explosive licks
towards the end of the song that had quite a bit of sustain on them. He
played great guitar all evening while making it look simple. Dylan
played with his hair for a while after the song fluffing it up.

"To Make You Feel My Love"-Dylan was using the same deep, sensitive
voice that he used on "One Too Many Mornings" earlier. There isn't much
too this song but Dylan inhabited it very well and it was nicely played.
It had a strong atmospheric quality to it.

"Lot To Laugh,Train To Cry"(Larry on Steel guitar)(Susan Tedeschi on
lead)-Wo! I was hoping to hear this song but i never dreamed it would be
this good. Dylan and Tedeschi trding guitar licks back and forth. She
was definitely thrilled to be sharing the stage with Dylan. Dylan also
seemed to be having a great time. He was dancing around and was smiling
a great deal. His vocal were punchy and clear and the music was
perfectly played. The stage rush began during the song but the security
didn't care and the crowd respectfully stayed off the stage itself. The
song was the highlight of the evening!

"Joey"- This was never on my list of songs i wanted to see but it wasn't
bad. It was a lot faster than on the album and i think he skipped some
verses. I am still not fond of the tune but it was better than i thought
it was going to be.

"Not Dark Yet"-The 2nd "Time Out Of Mind' track of the evening was up
next. For the first time, Dylan's voice sounded a little weak. He seemed
very human and somewhat frail but it suited the song well. The tune may
actually have been better because of his fatigue. It wasn't bad. Larry's
playing was very good here.

Intros included the line, "On Drums, David Kemper, a man who never lies
unless he's in bed".

‘Highway 61"(Larry on Steel guitar)(Tedeschi on guitar)-Another guitar
showcase where Tony, Charlie and Dylan all took turns matching licks
with Tedeschi who still looked in rapture at being on stage with Dylan.
She was really excellent on guitar and Tony was dancing and enjoying
himself immensely which is always a good sign. Dylan's singing was
decent here but it was kind of a throw away compared to the instrumental
passages. After the tune, Susan Tedeschi gave Dylan a kiss on the cheek.

Encores:

"Lovesick"- i am starting to tire of this tune but it was well played
and Dylan's voice seemed a little stronger than it had earlier in the
show.

"Like A Rolling Stone"- The crowd loved it and Dylan was very animated
but it seemed as if his heart wasn't into the tune very much. It seems
kind of perfunctory much in the same way "RDW #12 and 35" became a few
years ago.

"Don't Think Twice'(acoustic)- This was played in the upbeat country
style and was nicely played. I like the up beat tempo versions of the
tune a lot more than the slow dirge like versions but maybe that's just
me.

Not Fade Away(Susan Tedeschi on back-up vocals)Dylan donned his cowboy
hat and they ripped into a very rocking version of "N.F.A." Tedeschi
clapped her hands and sang along with Larry
on his microphone. This tune is a lot of fun and Dylan was doing a lot
of leg wiggling.

"Blowing in the Wind"(acoustic) - i still think it is a rinky dink song
and i still don't care for it but Dylan sounded very good on this song
and it was actually a very good version of the tune.

"Rainy Day Women #12 and 35"(with Susan Tedeschi on guitar) Dylan was
all over the stage and really hamming it up. The whole band was
definitely going for broke on this one. Dylan sang the usual two or
three verses that he always does and then later into the song he came
back to his microphone and sang a verse that seemed to be ad-libbed but
i could be mistaken. It was a good rendition that left the crowd
satisfied.

 All in all, a very good show that was 18 songs and about 2 hours long.
It was not one of those magical transcendent nights but Dylan gave it
all he had left and that is about all i can ask for. Sorry for the long
review but i tend to ramble when it comes to Dylan,
          Carsten Molt
         Jokerman@bellatlantic.net

DelaWHERE???

Bob's last show of 1999 was held in one of the
strangest venues I've ever had the pleasure of
visiting.  (Mind you, it was NOT the last Dylan Show
of the millennium as the millennium doesn't end until
next year, but some people don't realize that.  2000
is only the rollover of the Gregorian Odometer, not
the beginning of the next millennium.)  There ain't
soo many places on earth quite like the Bob
Carpenter Center at the University of DelaWHERE? 
There was no lot scene to speak of (oh how I already
miss the Deadheads...) and when I walked into the
arena I was kinda shocked by the layout.  It seems
that whoever built the place couldn't decide how to
lay out the bleachers, so they took all three options
laid before them.  Facing the stage, the bleachers on the
left have actual seats like most venues.  The
bleachers on the right, however, have numbered bleacher 
spots, while the seats in the back are pure concrete. 
Weird weird weird.  I took my seat just inches above
the floor (2nd row on the bleachers with a great view
of the stage!!! YIPPEEE!!!) and waited for the show to
start.  Having been on the road for the past few
days, I didn't realize that there would be an opening
act at this gig.  Looking at the stage, I noticed a
smaller setup in front of the BobGear.  My mind began
to wander as to who could be opening.  The bass had
only 4 strings, so it wasn't Phil, and there was only
one microphone onstage.  My questions were answered
just after 8pm when the lovely and talented Ms. Susan
Tedeschi took the stage.  I won't go into a full
review of Ms. Tedeschi's set, but I will say this...
that woman can play the hell outta the blues!!!  On
top of that, she's got a phenomenal voice and a deep
sense of roots.  I hope to hear a lot more from her
in the future.  That being said, I'll fastforward to
9pm... showtime.

I Am The Man, Thomas, a song about the disciple
Thomas (aka Doubting Thomas) who didn't believe that
Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God, opened the set
in fine form.  Not an unexpected opener, but as
always, a pleasure to behold.  I still can't get over the
harmonies these guys can achieve.  Bob was decked
out in his black "psychedelic cowboy" outfit and
looked as good as he has throughout this tour.  I just
don't get tired of these acoustic cover songs opening
the shows. I think it's a great idea, and it's exposed
me to some songs I would have never known otherwise. 
Thanks Bob.

Time to do a Dylan original, and My Back Pages was
the perfect song to play on the last night of this
monumental tour.  Bob handled it in the delicate
manner this song requires and sang its paradoxical
chorus in a way that only he can.  (actually, i
guess its more of a refrain than a chorus, but you
get the point)  Subtlety seems to be the hallmark of
this band, and Larry's fiddle work on this one was
exquisite.  Not overdone at all, just the right
amount in all the right places.  

It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) was the third
song of the night, and my third time seeing this song
on this tour.  Of the three performances I had the
pleasure to witness, I think this was probably the
best vocal performance of the lot.  On the other two
occasions Bob seemed to be overemphasizing or
underemphasizing certain phrases and lines, but this
time, it was too the letter perfect.  Nice work
Mr. Z.

The highlight of the evening came next with "This
World Can't Stand" in the second cover slot.  A more
appropriate song couldn't have been sung this
evening, the last Dylan show of 1999. Like Ring Them
Bells and Hard Rain, this song is a warning and a
message to all that this world isn't the safest or
best place to live, and that things ain't gonna be
able to go on forever if they're based in hatred,
jealousy, and greed.  We're all stranded on a boat that's sinking
fast, and Bob knows it and doesn't mind telling us
about it.  I don't know where this song came from,
but I'm glad Bob knows it.  Can't wait to get the
tape of  this show just for this song.  It's destined to
become like Farewell to the Gold from 11/2/92 in my
book.

Tangled Up In Blue was great, but it always is.  No
harp on this one, though.  That was kinda strange to
see, but the song didn't suffer from the lack of
harmonica.  Bob's still not going to the topless
place, and that's a shame... I like that topless
place, but he's the singer, not me.  If you missed
the fall 99 tour, do yourself a favour and pick up a
few tapes from it, if for no other reason than the
Tangled's.  They're some of the best he's ever done
(and I still contend that the AC performance may be
THE best!)

In the Meadowlands, when the lights went down after
TUIB, I turned to my friends and said "Okay, they're
putting on the electrics now".  Much to my surprise,
when the lights came back up, the band still had on
acoustic instruments and played Visions for us. 
This time, the same thing happened, only it wasn't
Visions, it was One Too Many Mornings (a personal
favourite of mine).  This one was much better than the
performance the night before in Atlantic City.  Bob
was, as he has been this entire tour, all over the
song, and singing it with all the heartbreak required
to make it convincing.  For the second time this tour,
I had tears in my eyes from a performance (first time
was 11/9 - Shooting Star).  Magical.

The ghost electricity couldn't be denied this night,
and when they switched instruments it came to life
in a big way.  Stuck Inside of Mobile With The
Memphis Blues Again sounded better than I've heard it in a
while.  Larry made that pedal steel moan like a
Hammond B3 (kinda like Bucky used to do), and Bob
remembered all the words of all the verses he picked
to sing.  The best was the TV Preacher verse.  "You
see you're just like me, I hope you're satisfied"
was delivered too well!!! AMAZING!!!

Second electric song, and as usual, we're slowing it
down a little.  Make You Feel My Love was as good as
it always is.  Nothing spectacular, but really good.
This is one of those songs they always nail
perfectly when they play it, so it takes something
really special to even make me blink.  Nothing really
special, but perfect all the same.

3rd electric song, time to rock again.  At this
point, the stage rush erupted from the dormant crowd
and I was fortunate enough to park myself right in
front of  Charlie Sexton.  Ahh, front row again. :-) 
I love  the stage rush.... I've missed it.  Remember
in the "old days" (early 99) when it was during
Tangled? 
Anyway, back to the show...  Takes A Lot To Laugh,
Takes A Train to Cry was a real treat.  I'd not seen
this one live in a while, and it was made all the more
special by the addition of Susan Tedeschi to the
band.  She kinda stayed back for the first part of the
song, trying to pick up what was going on (with the help
of Tony), but took a nice little solo towards the
end.  Bob was having a ball onstage, and it was at this
point that I noticed something a little odd. 
Instead of having all the instruments wired directly
into the soundboard, the stage monitors all have
microphones attached to the front of them.  This makes
the resultant output sound a little fuzzier and much
less "digital sounding".  I like that.  Never noticed
it before, but I really like it.  Anyway, Bob and the
band (plus Ms. Tedeschi) were having a blast onstage,
and although this wasn't the best show I'd seen on
this tour, it was turning into a really fine one.

Joey took the "long song" slot tonight, and this was
the second time I'd seen it on this tour.  This
version was different from the Meadowlands version,
and, in my opinion, quite a bit better.  Bob sang it
better this time, and put a lot more emotion into
it. Although this has never been one of my favourite
songs, it was a joy to behold... damned shame it
wasn't Highlands, though.  Oh well, there's always
next year...

Not Dark Yet was perfect... again.  My third one of
the tour, and maybe the best one.  The guitar work
in this one was incandescent and as always, Bob was
at the top of his game vocally.

Highway 61 Revisited saw the return of Susan
Tedeschi to the stage, and this time I was really
blown away.  Not necessicarily by her or even Bob, but
by Charlie Sexton who took the most phenomenal solo
I've heard from anyone this tour!!!  SPECTACULAR WORK
CHARLIE!!!! Bob really oughtta let him step out more
often.  

The encores were the encores.  Nothing out of the
ordinary, and Like A Rolling Stone didn't feature a
guest vocalist like it did in Atlantic City.  I
would like to mention though that Pagel has NFA
listed as having Susan on guitar.  She only did backup
vocals on that one.  Also, Pagel has H61R listed without
mention  of Ms. Tedeschi.  Just a little
clarification for  those who might care to know...

So, the tour is over.  No more BobShows until the
Gregorian Odometer has rolled over to y2k.  The last
show of the tour wasn't any amazing breakthrough
show,  and in a way, it was kinda anticlimatic.  But
that's  okay with me.  I think we're all a little
tired, and  I  know we've all seen some great shows
over the past  few  weeks, so there's nothing to
complain about.  Now  it's  time to spend time with
whoever it is we choose to  spend time with during the
holidays and new year  time  of year.   And I just
want to say to everyone I've  met  on this tour and to
the old friends I've seen along  the way, thanks for
being there and sharing some  great  times with me. 
To those of you who saw your first  Dylan shows this
time around, welcome aboard.  It's  a  great ride if
you choose to take it.  No, it ain't  the  Dead.  It's
a lot different from the Dead, and  that's  what I
like about it.  I hope to see the Deadheads  come back
for spring tour though, caused they really  helped
make this tour more enjoyable because they  know...
it's okay to dance and have a good time!  We only do
this life once... why not enjoy it?  

'Til next year...  have a safe and happy holiday
season, and don't worry bout that y2k thing...
whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen, and as long
as the power doesn't go out and stay out, I'm sure
Bob will be touring again soon and I hope to see ya
there!!!

~r


=====
"Oh the lines are long and the fighting is strong
And they're breaking down the distance between right and wrong."
    - Bob Dylan

the november 20th show at the university of delaware was only the second
dylan concert i've been but it was considerably better than the first.
he played 18 songs, including 6 encores in which he left, came back for
4 encores, left again, and then came back for 2 more songs.  some of the
highlights of the show were, "one too many mornings, not dark yet, its
alright ma (i'm only bleeding), stuck inside of mobile..., and not fade
away.
i was hearing songs like, make you feel my love, like a rolling stone,
not dark yet, stuck inside of mobile, highway 61, tangled up in blue,
and not fade away, all for the second time and all were much better than
i previously heard.
bob did alot of dancing, and played both acoustic and electric guitars
very well, he really seemed to enjoy himself.  he did not play his harp
though, which i had looked forward to because i just started playing
harmonica myself. 
this was certainly the best concert i've ever seen, i cant wait until he
tours again.  whatever the price, i'll be there.

Mike Flynn from parkside, pa

 DelaWHERE???

 Bob's last show of 1999 was held in one of the
 strangest venues I've ever had the pleasure of
 visiting.  (Mind you, it was NOT the last DylanShow
 of the millennium as the millennium doesn't end until
 next year, but some people don't realize that.  2000
 is only the rollover of the Gregorian Odometer, not
 the beginning of the next millennium.)  There ain't
too many places on earth quite like the Bob
 Carpenter Center at the University of DelaWHERE? 
There was no lot scene to speak of (oh how I already
miss the Deadheads...) and when I walked into the
arena I was kinda shocked by the layout.  It seems
that whoever built the place couldn't decide how to
lay out the bleachers, so they took all three options
laid
 before them.  Facing the stage, the bleachers on the
left have actual seats like most venues.  The
bleachers
 on the right, however, have numbered bleacher spots,
 while the seats in the back are pure concrete. 
 Weird weird weird.  I took my seat just inches above
the floor (2nd row on the bleachers with a great view
of the stage!!! YIPPEEE!!!) and waited for the show to
 start.  Having been on the road for the past few
 days, I didn't realize that there would be an opening
act at this gig.  Looking at the stage, I noticed a
smaller setup in front of the BobGear.  My mind began
to wander as to who could be opening.  The bass had
 only 4 strings, so it wasn't Phil, and there was only
one microphone onstage.  My questions were answered
just after 8pm when the lovely and talented Ms. Susan
 Tedeschi took the stage.  I won't go into a full
 review of Ms. Tedeschi's set, but I will say this...
 that woman can play the hell outta the blues!!!  On
 top of that, she's got a phenomenal voice and a deep
 sense of roots.  I hope to hear a lot more from her
 in the future.  That being said, I'll fastforward to
 9pm... showtime.

 I Am The Man, Thomas, a song about the disciple
 Thomas (aka Doubting Thomas) who didn't believe that
Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God, opened the set
in fine form.  Not an unexpected opener, but as
always,
 a pleasure to behold.  I still can't get over the
 harmonies these guys can achieve.  Bob was decked
 out in his black "psychedelic cowboy" outfit and
looked as good as he has throughout this tour.  I just
don't get tired of these acoustic cover songs opening
the shows. I think it's a great idea, and it's exposed
me to some songs I would have never known otherwise. 
Thanks Bob.

 Time to do a Dylan original, and My Back Pages was
 the perfect song to play on the last night of this
 monumental tour.  Bob handled it in the delicate
 manner this song requires and sang its paradoxical
 chorus in a way that only he can.  (actually, i
 guess its more of a refrain than a chorus, but you
get the point)  Subtlety seems to be the hallmark of
this
 band, and Larry's fiddle work on this one was
 exquisite.  Not overdone at all, just the right
 amount in all the right places.  

 It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) was the third
 song of the night, and my third time seeing this song
on this tour.  Of the three performances I had the
 pleasure to witness, I think this was probably the
 best vocal performance of the lot.  On the other two
 occasions Bob seemed to be overemphasizing or
 underemphasizing certain phrases and lines, but this
 time, it was too the letter perfect.  Nice work Mr.
 Z.

 The highlight of the evening came next with "This
 World Can't Stand" in the second cover slot.  A more
 appropriate song couldn't have been sung this
 evening, the last Dylan show of 1999. Like Ring Them
Bells and Hard Rain, this song is a warning and a
message to all that this world isn't the safest or
best place to live, and that things ain't gonna be
able to go on forever if they're based in hatred,
jealousy, and
 greed.  We're all stranded on a boat that's sinking
 fast, and Bob knows it and doesn't mind telling us
 about it.  I don't know where this song came from,
 but I'm glad Bob knows it.  Can't wait to get the
tape
 of  this show just for this song.  It's destined to
 become like Farewell to the Gold from 11/2/92 in my
book.

 Tangled Up In Blue was great, but it always is.  No
 harp on this one, though.  That was kinda strange to
 see, but the song didn't suffer from the lack of
 harmonica.  Bob's still not going to the topless
 place, and that's a shame... I like that topless
 place, but he's the singer, not me.  If you missed
 the fall 99 tour, do yourself a favour and pick up a
few tapes from it, if for no other reason than the
 Tangled's.  They're some of the best he's ever done
 (and I still contend that the AC performance may be
 THE best!)

 In the Meadowlands, when the lights went down after
 TUIB, I turned to my friends and said "Okay, they're
 putting on the electrics now".  Much to my surprise,
 when the lights came back up, the band still had on
 acoustic instruments and played Visions for us. 
 This time, the same thing happened, only it wasn't
 Visions, it was One Too Many Mornings (a personal
favourite of mine).  This one was much better than the
 performance the night before in Atlantic City.  Bob
was, as he has been this entire tour, all over the
song, and singing it with all the heartbreak required
to make it convincing.  For the second time this tour,
I had tears in my eyes from a performance (first time
was 11/9 - Shooting Star).  Magical.

 The ghost electricity couldn't be denied this night,
 and when they switched instruments it came to life
 in a big way.  Stuck Inside of Mobile With The
Memphis
 Blues Again sounded better than I've heard it in a
 while.  Larry made that pedal steel moan like a
 Hammond B3 (kinda like Bucky used to do), and Bob
 remembered all the words of all the verses he picked
 to sing.  The best was the TV Preacher verse.  "You
 see you're just like me, I hope you're satisfied"
 was delivered too well!!! AMAZING!!!

 Second electric song, and as usual, we're slowing it
 down a little.  Make You Feel My Love was as good as
 it always is.  Nothing spectacular, but really good.
 This is one of those songs they always nail
 perfectly when they play it, so it takes something
really special to even make me blink.  Nothing really
 special, but perfect all the same.

 3rd electric song, time to rock again.  At this
 point, the stage rush erupted from the dormant crowd
and I was fortunate enough to park myself right in
front of  Charlie Sexton.  Ahh, front row again. :-) 
I love  the stage rush.... I've missed it.  Remember
in the "old days" (early 99) when it was during
Tangled? 
 Anyway, back to the show...  Takes A Lot To Laugh,
Takes A Train to Cry was a real treat.  I'd not seen
this one live in a while, and it was made all the more
 special by the addition of Susan Tedeschi to the
band.  She kinda stayed back for the first part of the
song,
 trying to pick up what was going on (with the help
 of Tony), but took a nice little solo towards the
end. 
 Bob was having a ball onstage, and it was at this
 point that I noticed something a little odd. 
 Instead of having all the instruments wired directly
into the soundboard, the stage monitors all have
microphones attached to the front of them.  This makes
the resultant output sound a little fuzzier and much
 less "digital sounding".  I like that.  Never noticed
it before, but I really like it.  Anyway, Bob and the
 band (plus Ms. Tedeschi) were having a blast onstage,
 and although this wasn't the best show I'd seen on
 this tour, it was turning into a really fine one.

 Joey took the "long song" slot tonight, and this was
 the second time I'd seen it on this tour.  This
 version was different from the Meadowlands version,
 and, in my opinion, quite a bit better.  Bob sang it
 better this time, and put a lot more emotion into
 it. Although this has never been one of my favourite
 songs, it was a joy to behold... damned shame it
 wasn't Highlands, though.  Oh well, there's always
 next year...

 Not Dark Yet was perfect... again.  My third one of
 the tour, and maybe the best one.  The guitar work
 in this one was incandescent and as always, Bob was
at
 the top of his game vocally.

 Highway 61 Revisited saw the return of Susan
 Tedeschi to the stage, and this time I was really
blown away.  Not necessicarily by her or even Bob, but
by Charlie Sexton who took the most phenomenal solo
I've heard from anyone this tour!!!  SPECTACULAR WORK
 CHARLIE!!!! Bob really oughtta let him step out more
often. 

 The encores were the encores.  Nothing out of the
 ordinary, and Like A Rolling Stone didn't feature a
 guest vocalist like it did in Atlantic City.  I
 would like to mention though that Pagel has NFA
listed as having Susan on guitar.  She only did backup
vocals
 on that one.  Also, Pagel has H61R listed without
 mention  of Ms. Tedeschi.  Just a little
clarification for  those who might care to know...

 So, the tour is over.  No more BobShows until the
 Gregorian Odometer has rolled over to y2k.  The last
 show of the tour wasn't any amazing breakthrough
 show,  and in a way, it was kinda anticlimatic.  But
that's  okay with me.  I think we're all a little
tired, and  I  know we've all seen some great shows
over the past  few  weeks, so there's nothing to
complain about.  Now  it's  time to spend time with
whoever it is we choose to  spend time with during the
holidays and new year  time  of year.   And I just
want to say to everyone I've  met  on this tour and to
the old friends I've seen along  the way, thanks for
being there and sharing some  great  times with me. 
To those of you who saw your first  Dylan shows this
time around, welcome aboard.  It's  a  great ride if
you choose to take it.  No, it ain't  the  Dead.  It's
a lot different from the Dead, and  that's  what I
like about it.  I hope to see the Deadheads  come back
for spring tour though, caused they really  helped
make this tour more enjoyable because they  know...
it's okay to dance and have a good time!  We only do
this life once... why not enjoy it?  

 'Til next year...  have a safe and happy holiday
 season, and don't worry bout that y2k thing...
 whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen, and as long
 as the power doesn't go out and stay out, I'm sure
 Bob will be touring again soon and I hope to see ya
 there!!!

~r

=====
"Oh the lines are long and the fighting is strong
And they're breaking down the distance between right and wrong."
    - Bob Dylan