Reviews

I attended my 16th Bob Dylan concert in Interlochen, MI on Tuesday 
night. Interlochen is a leafy music camp for students 2nd grade 
through high school. My wife and I made an interesting  4-day road 
trip out of the concert, traveling from Northern Iowa through 
Wisconsin and the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, across the 
great Mackinaw Bridge, then to Interlochen, about 100 scenic miles 
south of the bridge. We camped at a Michigan State Park directly 
across the road from the venue.

Tickets to this show were exceedingly hard to get. The amphitheater 
seats only 3000, and the students and  donors to Interlochen get 
first chance at any concert tickets, and they scooped up 9/10ths 
immediately, leaving very few available when on-line sales began. I 
tried to buy them on-line, but a glitch in Interlochens' computer 
prevented a sale in the short time that I had set aside that day. A 
few weeks later I  purchased two very expensive front-row-center 
tickets on ebay which were being sold by the local United Way as a 
fund raiser.

Jimmy Vaughan opened the show, and from my  stage-side seat I was 
able to really enjoy his blues picking. I had seen Jimmy Vaughan (an 
Bob, of course) on last year's minor-league stadium shows in 
Columbus, Ohio, and Rochester, Minnesota, and it was great to hear him
again.

Bob and the band made their entrance to the usual announcement and 
tore into Cat's in the Well. Bob's microphone was distorted and at 
times feeding back. He didn't look happy about that. The sound 
cleaned up a bit for Don't Think Twice, but something was definitely 
not gelling on stage . Bob seemed irritated and unhappy and the band 
played very tentatively all evening. Bob's dissatisfaction 
produced  careless singing and haphazard organ playing.  Bob and the 
band usually perform much better than this concert. I am well aware 
of the  potential power of this band, having heard 7 prior 
performances over the past 3 years, and this performance was the low 
point of these recent concerts. Dare I say that the Interlochen 
concert veered uncomfortably close to the  live performances of the 
late 1980's that Bob's consistently excellent recent performances 
have helped us all to forget. I think ( and hope and pray) that this 
concert was an aberration.

The concert had highlights (and power) at times. Hard Rain, Nettie 
Moore, To Romona, and Blowin in the Wind were thoughtfully rendered. 
The other songs were not so lucky.

I write these lines with a tinge of pain because Bob Dylan concerts 
and records have made my life far better and richer. I am a big fan, 
but I am an honest fan, as I try to be an honest man.

Peace  to All
Condon

Saw Dylan tonight for the 6th time in the past 25 years.  I have been a
Dylan freak for the past 40 years.  Tonights performance falls in the
average range. From the 6 times I ve seen him he can be plain awful to
spectacular. I feel Dylan from the start of this performance was into
playing this night.  I personally feel his current band although talented
do not fit Dylan's style.  Dylan sounds much better with simple
instrumentation.  They tend to be to loud and overpower Dylan.  I like
many others loved the Campbell/Sexton years.  Their hillbilly sound and
Dylan's song  selection.  Also I wish Bob would get rid of the keyboard.
 He is much better with guitar even though he is not known for his great
playing.  He just gooves when playing the guitar.  When he plays keyboard
I feel Im watch Barry Manilow.  The 2 songs that really stuck out tonight
were "Dont think twice" and" Nettie Moore."  For "Dont think Twice" the
band took a step back with their volume and Bob did a little hillbilly
lick on the guitar.  These are the moments that Dylan fans yearn for. 
Everyone comments that he is old now and you cant expect much.  I feel
Dylan can still knock you out of your seat if he chooses to.  Most of the
songs that he performed this night were exceptable but not the groove that
I expect from Dylan.  Part of Dylan's greatness is that he does not listen
to all of us on what he should do.  He has always did his own thing which
is part of his greatness.  But I wish he would go back to more simple
music.  Even have a small part of the concert where the band leaves and he
plays solo on guitar.  If Dylan would just go on tour with a bass player
and drummer with Bob doing all of the guitar, it would be classic.  Bob is
still great and will continue to be.  I just wish he would change up his
format some right now.