October 13, 2018
Review by Barry McCollom
A Hard Rain was a fallin' on North Texas during the morning of the show.
Win Star Casino is about an hour an a half north just over the Northern
border of Texas (where I crossed the line as the night came falling from
the sky) the land begins to roll gently covered in low scrub trees. You
can imagine the cattle drives moving through here back in the day of the
Chisholm Trail with cowboy songs around the campfires at night. Now the
land is dotted with dairy cattle and quarter horses grazing while an old
train siding pulls along a giant old grain mill. Two swollen rivers are
crossed (High water everywhere) passing over the churning Red River I
glance to the left in time to see a locomotive pulling a long train across
an old metal trestle heading south. Perfect atmosphere to be heading to
"the carnival tonight". The casino is on Choctaw Nation land. Proudly
claiming to be the unconquered and unconquerable Choctaw people! Giant
faux Roman columns, fake Empire State building, fake Big Ben clock tower
all adorn the fun house where tucked away in a little 3000 seat venue the
traveling medicine show will appear. Lights dim. Tonight I can make out
the overture to How The West Was Won or something grandiose along those
lines. Dylan's piano is positioned slightly to the front so he comes
around into view slightly before the lights come up. This is the second
show I have seen in a week so I am not expecting any surprises but tonight
my seat is right in the middle of section A so I am getting a good look at
Bob's face as his eyes raise slightly or brow furrows as he leans into the
mic. When Bob moves to center stage for Scarlet Town the crowd oohs and
aahs at his every subtle crooner move. No need for Jumpin' Jack Flash
here. I also noticed how both Masterpiece and Don't Think Twice begin with
Bob's vocal and a little piano and gradually the different instruments are
layered in. Tony Garnier's bow on the bass, George Recile's brushes on the
cymbals all are subtle touches that bring fresh nuances to these classic
songs. After Serve Somebody Bob walked to center stage with his sprightly
jaunt raised his hands to the side as if to say Ta da... that's all folks.
No harp tonight at the end of Thin Man but still a final swell with Bob
standing triumphant over the keyboard.During the final line up a whimsical
little smile played over his face as he and the band did a little head
bow, Bob Dylan was happy! I was happy! Like the man said "we always could
feel the same we just saw it from a different point of view!'
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