With a headline like that, how could I not go. Bob Dylan is doing a tour of minor league baseball parks. McCoy Stadium is home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, as well as the home of Baseball's longest game.
If Dylan is going to play my hometown, then I am going to be there. This would be the third time that I have seen him. I had seen Dylan in 1973. He had The Band backing him up. That still is my favorite concert of him. The 2nd time that I saw him was in 79-80 in Santa Monica. That was his “Christian” phase. The music was good, but people raising their hands praising God at a Dylan concert was disconcerting. The seating was general admission.
I invited a former girlfriend, Suzanne, from the early 70's. She was affectionately known as "Suzy Creamcheese" and an avid concert goer. She worked at my favorite record store and that is where we met. We put our collective foggy memories and realized that the last concert we had attended was Alice Cooper's School's Out tour in 1972. When I got back in contact with her a few months ago, we were going over a list of who we'd still like to see. Surprisingly, Bob Dylan was still on her list. I scolded her for such a blatent lapse. And that mistake put her at the top of my list of people to take to the concert.
The concert was listed as, "The Bob Dylan Show" As warm up to the 4 and a half hour show, was Elana James, Junior Brown and Jimmy Vaughan. Each set was exactly scheduled.
5:00 pm - Gates Open for pre-sale ticket holders (Your ticket will have BOB printed on them.)
5:30 pm - Gates Open at McCoy
6:30 -6:55 pm - Elana James & The Continental Two
7:10 -7:45 pm - Junior Brown
8:00 -8:40 pm - Jimmie Vaughan
9:00 -10:30 pm - Bob Dylan
Each artist appeared on schedule and ended on schedule. I particularly liked Elana James set, very reminiscent of Squirrel Nuts Zippers. Later that evening, Elana would autograph her new CD for me!!
The forecasted rain held off for the duration of the concert. The atmosphere was fun and festive. The crowd grew as each group performed. Frisbees were flying and those neon light sticks were showing up as the sun went down.
But we all knew Why we were there. At 9:00 pm the show was delayed so as to keep the lights up to find a missing 12 year old. Once that was solved the lights went down and on came the band.
The first song was Cat’s in the Well. The band was off to a great start. I was in the stands and thought that Dylan was the guitarist on the left. Suzanne said it was the guitarist in the middle pacing back and forth.
The second song had a different pace, but the lyrics (that were recognizable) were familiar…. You ain’t goin’ nowhere, ride me high, tomorrow’s the day my bride is gonna come. Dylan’s vocal range has diminished in the past few year. And this was the sign of songs to come, he was changing the pacing of all of them.
Then he did one from his last album, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Then the harmonica came out. The guitarist that Suzanne thinks is Dylan is now playing a stand up bass. I, of course, let her know the errors of her guess. But the song is not familiar until the whole band is playing. “Everybody knows, that baby’s got new clothes” He paces the phrase, “Just like a woman” in such a way that you couldn’t possibly sing to it. But then again, is Dylan someone you want to sing along with?
Following that song was a song I recognized but couldn’t name (Shame on me) “Sweet Melinda” and “leaves you howling at the moon”. It was Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues.
Each song started with us trying to figure it out and a riff or a lyric would clue us in. He finished his set with “Summer Days” from his last album. And then did a two song encore, “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower”
It was a great set. No talk between songs, just one song after another. I am glad that I went. Suzanne was able to knock another off her “must see” list. And Bob was the guy sitting at the electric organ off to the side!
This is the complete set list
1. Cat's In The Well
2. You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
3. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
4. Just Like A Woman
5. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
6. Masters Of War
7. Highway 61 Revisited
8. Shelter From The Storm
9. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
10. Tangled Up In Blue
11. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
12. Summer Days
(encore)
13. Like A Rolling Stone
14. All Along The Watchtower
