Review provided by Joe Corey


Paul "The Man Without Soul" Simon started the show with the most pedestrian
set of music these ears have ever witnessed.  My friend and I tried to
recall a more lackluster set by any artist but failed!  Not even Rachel
Sweet's opening act for the Garcia Band could surpass the lounge band
delivery of what once were some good songs.  His band can't be blamed
because they actually sounded fine with Dylan on Sounds of Silence, etc.  It
was good to hear Dylan's voice ring out louder than Simon's on this number.
And kudos to Bob for some uncommonly well played fills on his acoustic.  The
splendid reggae version of Heaven's Door was well supported by the horn
section.  Simon sang a verse and chimed in well with Bob on the refrain.  It
shouldn't go unsaid that the crowd, unlike yours truly, lapped up Simon's
set like a sumo wrestler after a three day fast.
As for Dylan, he and his intrepid band offered a welcomed dose of artful
music.  Opening with a spiffy version of Somebody Touched Me, Dylan and crew
established a high bar for precision singing and playing. It seems playing
co-host with Simon has forced Dylan to polish the sound of his act by
letting Larry Campbell and Charlie Sexton play more of the solos. Fear not,
his three note Tangled Up solo lives on! He even added a closing harp jam to
great applause.  I can't say the band sounds better or worse with Charlie
than with Baxter. However, the absence of Baxter's once ever present lap
steel did alter the sound.  To wit, Larry seemed more relaxed to spunkify
his fills, and Charlie's steady acoustic work and rare electric leads fit
each song quite well.  As always, Kemper and Garnier were rock solid!
Regarding the songs, Not Dark Yet was by far the most affecting song of the
show and Not Fade would've been  a powerhouse closer even without Dylan's
spry dance moves. It must have been the boots!  By the time the last drum
roll finished, the band had passed the curfew by 15 minutes, and all any
lover of inspired music could do was say I'm glad I got a free ticket
because $115 a pop should be illegal! But that's a story for another day.

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