Bob Dylan 960507 in Louisville, KY
From: mmg19@inetdirect.net (Mitch Grunat)
Newsgroups: rec.music.dylan
Subject: Louisville 5/7/96
Date: Wed, 08 May 1996 05:25:24 GMT
What can I say. This night was electric. Bob was in great voice and
high energy. He opened with Drifter's escape without guitar and
followed with a somewhat predictable set, but the most energy I have
ever seen. Lot's of smiles too!
During the first encore (alabama) a few women from the audience got on
the stage and began dancing with Bob. He seemed to enjoy it! A few
minutes later the stage was filled with people. You couldn't see bob
or the band at all, but they kept playing (I have no idea how they
were able to play with the stage packed) in spite of the fact that
some overzealous fans were hugging and kissing bob. It was actually
scary for a few moments.
I thought that was the end of the show, but after a few minutes of
repairs to the stage (resetting the mikes and mopping the beer soaked
floor, Bob and the boys returned for the most energetic Ain't me babe
I've heard. He DANCED around the stage smiling and playing until he
put down the guitar and played his harp "'till his lips bleed." The
show ended on a high note with RDW.
SETLIST 5/7/96
Drifters escape
Tonight I'll be staying with you
Watchtower
Tears of Rage
I'll be your baby tonight
Silvio (new arrangement!!!!)
Tambourine@
Masters of War@
FOTD@
Stuck inside Mobile
Never gonna be the same again
Maggie's Farm
Alabama
(pandamonium)
It Ain't Me Babe
Rainy Day Woman
GREAT SHOW
Mitch Grunat
mmg19@inetdirect.net
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 08:14:46 GMT
From: Jeff Rose (Jeffrey.Rose@ROSE-HULMAN.EDU)
Subject: Louisville 5/7 setlist and writeup
Louisville, KY Palace Theater
5/7/96
This was undoubtedly the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life.
Read on.
Drifter's Escape (without guitar, vegas style)
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
All Along The Watchtower
Tears Of Rage
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Silvio
Mr. Tambourine Man (ac)
Masters Of War (ac)
Friend Of The Devil (ac)
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Never Gonna Be The Same Again
Maggie's Farm
Encores:
Alabama Get Away
It Ain't Me Babe (ac)
Rainy Day Women 12 & 35
As an interesting sidenote, my friend Brad and I went to the concert with
the hope of getting a new and original reaction out of Dylan. To accomplish
this we wanted to do something that had never been done before. When we
entered the Palace at eight to the sounds of Amiee Mann, we were carrying a
beige stain size 38 D support bra decorated the requests of Idiot Wind
(right cup) and Visions Of Johanna (left cup) with the intent of placing it
at Dylan's feet during the show. As it turns out, such extreme measures
were not necessary.
This was my third Dylan show and my expectations were high after reading the
recent setlists that have been posted. The crowd was about half young
dead head's and half older fans. There were a lot of suits and ties. I took
my seat on the right side ground level fourteen rows back, wedged between
young and old, and waited.
While I had hoped for Leopard-Skin, Dylan started with a poorly mixed
DRIFER'S ESCAPE. His vocals were nearly inaudible for the first verse, and
band didn't seem completely adjusted yet. The harmonica was mediocre.
Dylan slipped into the second song, TONIGHT I'LL BE STAYING HERE WITH YOU
and the entire left side of the theater sat down. "You're losing them Bob"
I thought. A man two seats down from me started complaining to a rather
obese security man, whom we'll call Steven Dillenger since he plays a major
part, about the dead heads dancing in the asile. Steven spent the rest of
the night making minor dents in the crowd of gyrating fans but never
succeeding. While this has never been one of my favorite songs, the vocal's
were so rich and solid, that the entire song just seemed to flow through me.
WATCHTOWER showcased J.J. on guitar, although Bob played some mean lead too.
J.J. was doing a Clapton impression early, leaning back and moving his
hands slow high on the board while producing some fast music. Dylan: "I
cant get NOOO relief" His expressiveness just seemed to improve.
I had trouble indentifying to next song intially, I almost confused in with
the This Wheel's On Fire I've read so much about. But it was TEARS OF RAGE,
actually the back ground vocals made this version all it was, which didn't
seem to be much. Nice solo by Baxter on organ.
I'LL BE YOUR BABY TONIGHT was little too country for me. But I always have
wanted to hear him sing the line about the bottle.
SILVIO rocked again. I seem to enjoy it the more times I hear it.
MR. TAMBOURINE MAN stood average. It was well delivered and had a solid
harmonica solo, but wasn't incredible.
At the end of TAMBOURINE, Brad and I attempted to deliver the goods (bra).
It soared true landing on the stage near the lights in front, but Dylan
didn't see it and our effort was lost. He was still going to surprise us.
MASTERS OF WAR appeared as a searing phillipic. Dylan played some mean lead
and hit us with some hateful annunciation ("till I'm Sure You Are DEAD")
Despite some good songs he hadn't hit the stride I had read about and as he
reached FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, which recieved the biggest applause so far, I
felt that my expectations had gotten the better of me. Anyway, the dead
heads came Grooving down the asiles for this one and Steven became more
undone.
At this point the man complaining about the crowded asile left and the dead
heads got more hyper.
Before the electric set started, Dylan started waving around madly to get
the band's attention. MEMPHIS BLUES is a song I have always wanted to hear
Dylan do. The arrangement was strong and Dylan seemed to enjoy himself. The
organ was pumpin' full steam and it sounded like that Wild Thin Mercury
Music we've been hearing about. But "Awwwww Mama" was the concert just
starting to roll now.
Again Dylan panicks before the song, was he changing the set list? NEVER
GONNA BE THE SAME AGAIN surprised us. It was a simple arrangement, and
Dylan again got intimate with his audience. It didn't get a strong
response, possibly because of little recognition. During one verse Dylan
interdespersed a little Jazzy blues riff between lines, but it was
abandoned. Anyway, the concert was gonna catch fire and Louisville was
never gonna be the same again.
Dylan stepped up. I hoped Seven Days, but he delivered a soulful rocking
version of MAGGIE'S FARM. The crowd ate it up. Dylan played some lead and
enjoyed the vocals. JJ and Tony smiled, and Bob did some kind of strange
bounce thing across the stage. People were dancing everywhere.
As Dylan started into ALABAMA GETAWAY two women got up on the right side of
the stage. The danced and Dylan threw some worried glances in their
direction and an amazed (disapproving?) shake of the head. Then he turned
his back on them and began singing. The deadheads were estatic. Steven,
noticing the women ran to the stage to haul them off. He seemed to take
great pride in this activity that he was so bad at. As they left, Tony quit
playing and walked over to the side and invited them back on, smiling and
laughing. He bargined for salvation, but they gave him a lethal dose. First
the older red heading woman in a black dress came on swingin' with amazing
agility and enthusiasum. Then about three more women ran on from both sides
of the stage, one putting her arm around old Bob and kissing him twice. The
band rocked on, and Bob managed to do the next verse with twenty women
struggling to get to him. As soon as he was done everyone rushed the stage.
Bob and JJ were completely inveloped and disappeared among the mass of
people. Tony stood on top of his amp laughing and looking down at them. The
band played on for the full song with a stage full of people. But the best
was yet to come.
After the song ended some roadies and security convinced the people to leave
the stage and retuned the guitars. Bob returned to play an incredible
version of IT AIN'T ME BABE, with a new twist. Every verse took on new
meaning. His face and voice expressed the song as a rebuttal to the fans
that hounded him (not in a bitter way, just as a reminder). He sung "It
ain't ME babe, no no no It aint MEEEE......babe it aint ME you're lookin
for," with more conviction than I'd ever heard. Then he followed the
carefully articulated singing witha two minute long harmonica solo that was
perfectly beautiful.
Finally he ended the concert with Rainy Day Women. Even though I grow tired
of this song the crowd just ate it up and it became an anthem, us singing
with bob, instead of a performance.
So there's the concert. Words can't express the experience. Although I was
afraid they'd rip him apart during Alabama Getaway the Deadhead's added a
lot to this one, and I felt a certain spirt and togetherness near the end of
this concert I hadn't felt at the others. Has Bob ever been mobbed like
that before?
Sorry about the spelling I'm writing this late (and I have two tests to
study for). Feel free to ask any further questions about the concert.
Jeff Rose
PS I'm only going to be on line for two more weeks, but if anyone can offer
me a tape of this concert within that time I'll trade them five to one.
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Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 23:44:18 GMT
From: Christine Consolvo (consolvo@IX.NETCOM.COM)
Subject: notes from Louisville...it brings me a chill
Well, there I was. Back in the city I fell so in love with in '94. And
back at the Palace...in all it's glorious splendor. With rich-colored
plaster on every surface, it's a most elegant creation. We toured the
venue on the morning of the show (thanks for the escort, Ray) and by
the time our hour was up we were totally wrapped up in it's beauty and
detail. A seemly spot for our troubadour to strut his stuff. And strut
it he did...
Actually, that's the particular feature of the performance in
Louisville that will forever leap first to my mind. It seems strange
that on a night when it was obvious to me that his back was hurting
(each time the guitar was removed, he would reach for the sky with
both arms and twist ever so slightly side to side) that it was his
dancing which was the standout factor.
Yes, Bob was tripping the light fantastic.
Navigating the stage in a way I've never before seen. Sure, there
have been bits of what he was doing on other nights, but this time it
was totally new and different and all-encompassing. He was perfecting
the stage hop-the stage bop. Sliding and gliding...swaggering,
prancing, stalking...brandishing this newest of weapons in a surprise
ambush. Catching us all off our guards. Playing to the gallery in a
way that departed from the usual. Taunting and teasing us. Turning on
the charm with the same ease the rest of us switch on a light. Going
quickly from a waltz to a shuffle to a trot...and all the while
singing to us as an extra added attraction. What brought on this
behavior I'll never know, but I do know that it worked!
You've no doubt heard by now that 100+ young fans wound up on stage
near the end of Alabama Getaway. It all started with two girls on
stage right who wanted their new copy of Road Drawings to be
autographed. They stood coyly to the side at first, then slowly inched
their way toward Bob, but were asked by theatre security to get off of
the stage. So they did it, of course, but Tony seemed irritated and
went right over and asked them back up. Well, JJ wasn't going to be
bested, so he helped a couple more up on his side and the rest is
pretty well...history. It didn't take long for the entire stage to
fill to the very brim with people of every description. I was at a
good vantage point and soon could not see Bob at all. He had
disappeared behind a wall of fans, yet I could still hear his guitar
playing. How they managed to finish the song is a complete mystery
along with how security got him safely off the stage. The lights came
up and they all turned around with triumphant looks on their faces.
[Wow! On stage with Bob Dylan! I'm a star! Wait 'til I tell all my
friends!] I was not impressed with them to say the least. One of them
had Bob's mike and was play-acting with it. I saw red. I could see no
way for the show to continue for the other two encores and to say that
I was upset is putting it mildly. Then...they started coming down.
This made it difficult for us to save our spots and to not be
trampled, but we managed somehow. When the stage was clear of
outsiders an amazing thing came about. Dylan's crew began with towels,
frantically running them across to dry the stage which was soaked with
beer. Someone brought out a rug and placed it in Bob's spot. Guitar
connections were checked and amps righted. And a new set of harmonicas
was brought out! The show would go on! I couldn't believe it. When he
returned and sang It Ain't Me, Babe it was very fitting. But the crazy
thing is that he was, again, egging the crowd on with his precious
charm. He was shamelessly show boating. Smiling slightly with a
sidelong look, he'd edge closer and closer to the edge of the stage
enticing, tantalizing, beckoning and seducing the crowd with a
come-hither look. All the while saying "it ain't me, babe", but we all
knew that it was him. All this made it very hard for those of us
against the stage. The kids were pushing and actually trying to climb
on top and over us and it all worsened for Rainy Day Women. And to
think I skipped Atlanta for fear of just such a scene! It did all turn
out all right in the end and Bob's ego must have gotten a major boost.
As I've said before...I can't think of anyone more deserving...
Just thought I'd mention it...
Christine
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