Reviews

Nearly 19 years since Bob's last run at Wolf Trap, we arrived about 545PM
on a sweltering evening,  with not the slightest hint of a breeze in the
air. While the  venue gates opened at 6, the reserved seating section
did not open until 7. So we enjoyed the mad race to prime lawn seating
from near the back of the venue. As we waited for the seating section to
open, seated in a picnic table area, we were lucky to meet Donnie &
George, each catching up with separate friends. Both very polite.
Our hero was promptly on by 845, dressed in black with white piping and
what appears to be a striped shirt, open at the top no doubt due to the
heat. The band in grey suits and they were into Things Have Changed, and
I was struck by how much this has returned to the tempo of the original
recording. There is a pause added at the end of each chorus, and Bob adds
and emphatic "Yeah!" after each "Things Have Changed", letting us  know
the night has begun! Donnie Herron's pedal steel is really driving this
show, highlighted in 'She Belongs to Me' and 'The Night We Called It a
Day" among others. Charlie Sexton's range stands out when you hear him go
from the Stones vibe of 'Pay in Blood' to the subtle but sublime work on
'Melancholy Mood'. He also now handles the intro to 'Duquesne Whistle",
which I recalled as coming from Donnie last year? This song also stretches
Tony Garnier to the brink, but the consummate professional handles it very
well. A few things stood out...Bob spent a lot of time stretching between
songs, clearly uncomfortable with some part of his body. It appeared maybe
back or legs or both. He's 75, it's July, the air was very stiff. Will be
interesting to see if that happens again tonight. Also, at one point I
noticed Stu Kimball with sweat literally dripping from the  brim of his
hat like rain pouring from a down spout. Again,  a very hot night. But
Stu played on, fantastic leads during 'Highwater' and his great rhythm and
fill work complimenting the driving beat of his stage mate, George. Bob's
vocals stood out this evening on 'Why try to Change me Now', 'That Old
Feeling' and 'Love Sick', the latter of which is no longer the hard rocker
it had been on previous tours, much softer now. No surprises in this
setlist, as has been the norm for a few years now. This is a "show" or
"performance" in every sense of the word, and getting ready for night 2, I
know what to expect. Its all about the delivery and musicianship, and both
are wonderful. Finally, opener Mavis Staples was fantastic,  wonderful
energy and songs that have defined a generation just as much, if not more,
than her tour mate. And what a crack band...I would pay to see this act
all by themselves, which is usually the case with our hero's opening acts.
He's brought so much more music to my attention over the years. On to
night 2 at Wolf Trap!

Vienna is in the suburb of Washington D.C. accessible by Metro Orange
Line. 

I arrived at Union Station early in the morning on the 5 th of July. 

It is already hot outside but I take a walk towards the Capitol and find
myself inside the National Garden. 

It is a nice place to relax among the dance vegetation. 

I then walk farther down towards the Smithsonian Castle. It is a nice
building but there is nothing much to see inside. 

It is now time to find my way to Vienna. 

I booked a room at the Wolf Trap Hotel, not so close to the venue after
all. 

So Jamie accepted to pick me up and give me a ride to the venue. 

As most of the venues on that Tour, the Wolf Trap is an outdoor building. 

The first few rows have numbered seats, something like 30 rows, with a
special pit of 4 or 5 rows right in front of the stage. There is a balcony
they call Boxes on the top of the building. Then behind a walk away …
the lawn. Fans will carry lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, and coolers for
a Picnic party. 

As much as I love picnicking in the wilderness as much as I hate those
Picnic shows. I would not mind a picnic party with the Grateful Dead but
here we are with Mr. Dylan, the Master of Poetry and Lyrics. 

I hate hearing folks talking about their business affairs or the next
beautiful piece of juck they will purchase at Woolmart or the dramas of
the broken hearts on the top of ‘Melancholy mood’ or worst ‘tangled
up in blue’. 

I am sure the next day they will all be bragging about the so cool Bob
Dylan show they have been to, not even able to name one song. They could
name the brand of their beer though! 

Well! So, by now, I know the trick; getting as close as possible to the
rail, behind the chairs, with no freak in front of me. For the ones next
to me I have a technic; to be as mean as possible like “could you,
please, shut up, I want to hear Bob Dylan songs”. I am no cool, no nice,
no polite, no good. I lost my heart at the Beacon! So glad that Mr. R. and
Miss. M. are living somewhere else their happy yuppy life. 

I put my ass on the stone wall, on the right side of the stage, right in
front of the alley way to the stage. 

I can see the center mike and the piano and this is all very good to me
for I got a free ticket. Thank you the young Lady who didn’t even wait
for a ‘Thank you so much’. If there is a God (which I doubt but who
know?) God bless you. 

Mavis is a great soul. All her songs are about Peace, Love, Happiness,
positive … vibrations. 

And I believe HER. So sorry the 60’s didn’t exactly turn into a
Revolution. An EVOLUTION of some kind? 

Unfortunately, I don’t see so many COLOURED PEOPLE tonight, some
Afro-americans, here and there. 

As for the Native-Americans? Bobby should do a Tour in the reservations,
they do have Casinos (for good or for bad). 

So, Caucasian I am tonight. 

As the lights dim dim and the bells ring ring (they have bells here asking
the folks to move their asses from the Bar and take their seats) Stu and
George march the Band to the stage. 

From my position the sound is terribly bad. 

They change something in the tempo of “Things have changed” 

I am still wondering who is the Artist in “She belongs to me”. I
always thought it was Suzy. 

“Beyond here lies nothing” attract the attention of the ushers on me.
I can’t hold my stand still. 

What do I care; ushers today, ushers tomorrow! What a life! 

“The night we call it a day”. It is when I have to put on my mean face
and look menacing to my neighbors. Rapidly the space around me is empty.
Yippy! I can focus on the stage. 

Bobby sounds tired. He is suffering from the heat. I am sure they are all
sweating up there. But I don’t see him getting any drink. 

“Pay in blood”. The lights on the curtains are different. Chris is
doing a good work. That put Bob and the Band more and more in the dark. 

“Melancholy mood” oooooh! Me lan CHO ly mood. 

I pay attention to the next one “Duquesne Whistle”. It gives me the
temperature of Bobby’s concentration. 

Tonight he is out. The Band is not together and Bob mixed the lyrics;
third verse for the second verse…. oh!oh! 

“That old feeling”. No good. The worst. 

“Tangled up in Blue”. Yea! A cynical Bobby tonight? 

20 minutes break. 

The picnickers will pee all they have been drinking! What a waste! 

Ding dong Daddy. 

“High water” is botched. Donnie is constantly tuning his banjo. The
heat and the humidity don’t fit the instruments. 

“Why try to change me now?’. No I won’t. But Bobby Dear, won’t you
change your pants? Black with white straps AGAIN? 

“Early Roman kings”. Badaboom! Badaboom! That Rocks the Wolf and the
Trap. 

“I could have told you”; 

“I could have told you 
She'd hurt you 
She'd love you a while 
Then desert you 
If only you asked 
I could have told you so 
I could have saved you 
Some crying 
Yes I could have told you she's lying 
But you were in love 
And didn't want to know 
I hear her now 
As I toss and turn and try to sleep 
I hear her now 
Making promises she'll never keep 
And soon it's over 
And done with 
She'll find someone new to have fun with 
Through all of my tears 
I could have told you so 
I hear her now 
As I toss and turn and try to sleep 
I hear her now 
Making promises 
She'll never keep 
And soon it's over 
And done with 
She'll find someone new to have fun with 
Through all of my tears 
I could have told you so” 

And if I put a HE instead of a SHE…it goes straight to my Heart, like an
arrow. 

Funny how Bobby can read my mind! 

“Spirit on the water”. The best of Bob on piano. 

The public don’t react anymore. No, No. 

“Scarlet town”. Charlie’s good on that one. I haven’t see Charlie
out on his telephone for a while. 

One time I saw Tony. 

“All or nothing at all”. Nice swing. 

It is when the rats start to desert the boat. Folks are leaving by groups,
they know by now they won’t get what they came for; ‘Masters of
war”, “Mr. Tambourine man”, “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall”…. 

They want Bob Dylan and most of them Bob Dylan from the 60’s. 

But why? When they all live their yuppy lives in comfort and security? 

“Long and wasted years”. 

“I think that when my back was turned 
The whole world behind me burned” 

“Autumn leaves” switching back to melancholy. 

“Blowin’ in the wind” the song that will stick forever to Bob
Dylan’s name like Guernica for Picasso. 

“Love sick”. There is something different in the tempo. It is a lot
slower and Bluezy. 

Dark spirited instead of Rock moving. 

It shows Bob in a gloomy mood. 

I leave on a note of sadness.