“Me, I’m still on the road headin’ for another joint.” This time only about an hour North of Chicago, in the birth place of Jack Benny Waukegan, IL.
This will be shorter because I actually don’t have much to say, as it wasn’t that different from Saturday night in Rockford. Here we go:
The Venue:
This was a perfectly fine venue. With a 2400 capacity and a theater that opened in 1927, I expected interesting architecture, ornate interiors and terrific sound. The sound was fine. The rest of it, eh. I will say that the staff including the ushers and security were so nice and helpful but not bothersome. Sometimes at these venues the ushers are more disruptive than the rowdy patrons, or late comers. In this case they deferred to not disrupting the show, which I appreciated.
The Crowd:
I was really impressed with the behavior of the crowd in Rockford. For the most part this was the same with a couple very annoying exceptions. We were sitting Orchestra Right, in a technically “obstructed view.” We couldn’t see Bob Britt or Anton Fig, but saw Bob Dylan perfectly so that’s all I cared about. This area became the hotspot for folks who wanted to dance. I’m totally cool with dancers. I think if you want to get up and move for Bob Dylan, do it. What I don’t appreciate is talking during it. A VERY drunk couple stumbled over to our area, sometime after the band intros (I got stepped on twice by drunk idiot #1), and were clapping off beat, banging on the wall and LOUDLY commenting on how much they love the song. If you love the song then shut up and listen to it! Other than that and couple talkers behind us, the sold out crowd was pretty well behaved.
The Setlist:
The set was identical, as were the arrangements. There were a few fun, notable, different moments but overall, the same.
1.To Be Alone With You
2.Man In The Long Black Coat - I still feel very lucky to have heard this. Bob was very much locked into this one. The arrangement almost identical to the album with the exception of no harmonica and no swampy effects. He seems to really enjoy singing it!
3.All Along The Watchtower - For many, this is the highlight because it’s the one “hit” on the show. Crowd was super into it, and who can blame them. What was fun here was that Doug played a lick that was sort of a mix of the lick from Outlaw and the album version. I don’t recall him doing that in Rockford. As usual the major lift, lifted us all up.
4.I Contain Multitudes - I’m obsessed with this new version! Please listen to and decide!
5.False Prophet - After hearing this new arrangements and being excited about it, I can confidently say I both like it and I miss the hard version.
6.Black Rider -Around here, the volume of Bob’s mic became suddenly very low
7.Love Sick - I can’t believe I’m saying this again, but this is an incredible version. Maybe the best ever.
8.Goodbye Jimmy Reed
9.I Can Tell
10.I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You - There was something about this performance that was very moving and felt personal. I’ve always said this song is a love letter to the fans who come see him live and he really seemed to be conveying that sentiment. I’m not sure it comes across in just the audio but I really felt it.
Band introductions - He skipped Anton Fig!!!! Which is very strange because the next song is ALL ANTON.
11.Crossing The Rubicon - The military march for this song is perfect. I felt like I was crossing the Rubicon with Dylan!
12.When I Paint My Masterpiece - No harp on this one! Oh well!
13.Forgetful Heart
14.Soon After Midnight
15.Nervous Breakdown - The new highlight of the night. Bob was WILD for this one!
16.Every Grain of Sand - Stunning, moving and the only harp of the night!
Overall, great night. Some low mic volume and lack of surprises (not Bob’s fault at all) made it not quite as good as Rockford, but the performances themselves were absolutely wonderful. What did you think?
See you in Abeline, TX at the end of the tour!
Your Pal,
Henry
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