I've been to a lot of characterless amphitheaters in horrible outer
suburbs lately. After all of those, Alpine Valley was a sheer delight.
It's genuinely in the middle of nowhere - farmland stretches a while from
there before you get to the town of East Troy, a tiny town that's too far
from any other town to count as a suburb.  Behind the venue is a ski slope
and rolling hills covered in lush trees as far as the eye can see. It's a
beautiful view.  An announcer on our way in warned us not to bring "any of
your neighbor's renaissance fair weapons" inside, and a sign on the lawn
warned us that "moshing may take place." They had bratwurst at the
concession stand, which was run by volunteers from the school. You can
count on Wisconsin for food.  Also, the vibes from the crowd were far more
chill than they were last night in Indiana. I know from door-knocking in
this county that there's an element in town that'll threaten to stab you
with a rake if they don't like you, but no one seemed like they were going
to stab me with anything tonight. If there was an overall vibe to the
crowd, it was "hippie who might be an English professor." Warren Payne
joined Sheryl Crow for "Strong Enough" and I didn't worry that anyone
would act up when he sang "Are you man enough to be my man?"

Crow played the same set as the other nights, but with Warren Payne on
"Strong Enough" (he had done "Every Day is a Winding Road" in
Hartford), but with slight variations in her stage patter, with some nice
words about Bob and Willie. She was enjoyable every night, and tonight
Waxahatchie joined on "Every Day is a Winding Road." No "Mississippi,"
though.  Anyway, I rode up to the show with Mike and Henry, the usual
Chicago crew, listening to last night's bootleg and trying to make out the
organ sound in the mix. Our best guess was that Matt Katz-Bohen was going
to be augmenting the band at Farm Aid and basically rehearsing onstage,
with the volume low so there wasn't much pressure.  

We camped out on a lawn spot behind the soundboard that offered only a
partial view, where no one was likely to complain that they couldn't see
Bob in his North Face Sith Lord disguise, since no one could expect to see
much anyway. The last couple of weeks have been a rash of people insisting
that it wasn't really Bob onstage at all, just an AI imposter or
something. The hiding out will only add to the legend in the long run.

Naturally, as soon as Sheryl Crow was offstage we started watching for the
keyboard, and they wheeled it out to a position notably closer in than
last night, probably even close enough to the rest of the band to be in
frame for the static shot on video screens. Matt, the mysterious player,
was seen helping to get it set up.  

After another dark, straightfoward "Masters of War" opener, Katz-Bohen
to his spot for "I Can Tell," where he was faintly audible but honestly
would have been upstaged by Bob's "no more, no more" coda.  Bob's
singing by this point was clearly on point. Moreso than some nights,
throughout the night he really seemed focused not just on interesting ways
to sing the lines, but on what the lines meant. He was really telling the
stories of the songs tonight.

Vocals were particularly great on "Forgetful Heart," calling to mind
that Hebraic cantillation of "One More Cup of Coffee," and augmenting by
a piano solo that sounded like the guitar solo in "Hotel California." It
was possibly the best "Forgetful Heart" I've heard this tour, and the
best piano solo I've ever seen Bob do on anything.  

Organ was back, faintly but there, on "To Ramona." Often this song has
just been a fun vocal playground for Bob to bounce around and experiment,
but tonight it seemed a bit more heartfelt. It flowed right into an
absolutely transcendent "Under the Red Sky," with Bob playing some of
the album guitar riff on piano at the end.   

At this point, I was just overtaken by what a lovely night it was. The sun
had set over the rolling hills, and there night was cool. The sound was
great. The static view on the video screens was tighter, and from a higher
angle, than usual, and actually showed Bob's face fairly well. I was out
with friends in a crowd of friendly strangers. It was a beautiful night.  

"All long the Watchtower" continues to be a highlight in its 2025
arrangement, with Katz-Bohen adding a bedding of organ underneath and Bob
leaning into the vocals - "The hour is getting layyyy ay ay atteeee."  

"Til I Fell in Love With You" is missing some of the sheer thunder from
a couple of weeks ago, but stripping it back give Bob a bit more room to
improvise in this "no time signature" set  up, with a particularly
biting staccato "Til! I! Fell! In! Love! With! You!" on the last chorus.
Anton Fig's drumming is perfect for this sort of "free time"
arrangement.  

A brief conference with Tony before "Desolation Row" showed that Bob had
his hoodie unzipped, with a white shirt beneath it.  With it open, he
looked less like a sith lord, and more like a normal guy who was afraid it
might rain on his shuffleboard game. "Desolation Row" dialled the Chuck
Berry vibes back slightly from previous nights, having almost more of a
surf vibe. The "Dr. Filth" verse was back. In the aisle in front of me,
a couple swing danced through the entire song. It was awesome.  

"Love Sick" included just a suble bit of echo effect on the vocals, and
this spooky take might have been the best version of the tour - a
note-perfect rendition of the song, with a shredding electric guitar solo
from Doug Lancio. It led into a lovely "Share Your Love," with Bob
doing some of the most "conventional" singing he ever does, just in case
anyone out there didn't think he could sing a straight up ballad and
basically stick to the sheet music.  

"Blind Willie Mctell," like "Love Sick," seemed tonight to be nothing
interesting or exciting, just simply perfect. Straightforward reading with
just a hint of private eye swagger; the best version I've seen this tour. 


Matt Katz-Bohen was back on organ for excellent takes on "Highway 61"
and "Don't Think Twice" to close out the set. By this point it was
generally agreed that he was probably rehearsing for Farm Aid, and that
Bob's Farm Aid set the next night would be the five songs he's played on.
I wouldn't bet twenty bucks on it, but I'd at least bet ten.  

I strolled out into the parking lot in a lovely haze, like the guy at the
end of Springsteen's "County Fair" who hopes he can remember where he
parked and wishes he never had to let this moment go. It was a perfect,
beautiful night, and a fine close to the 2025 Outlaw tour. There was
certainly no bar nearby this venue (or anything other than farmland at
all), so there weren't many options for an afterparty, but on the way back
we stopped at a Kwik Trip, where I snacked like a damn hell ass king for
less than I'd paid for last year's donuts last night in Indiana. Good old
Wisconsin. 

It'll be interesting to see now if he mixes up the "Rough and Rowdy"
setlist post Outlaw, like he did last year, and of course it's great to
wonder what in the world he'll do next (the hoodie seems to indicate to me
that he's had it with this sort of tour). I've got my busy season in
October, but I'll catch up in the UK this November. See you all down the
line! Special "Big 5-0" shout-out to Henry; it was his 50th show! 

I was fortunate to be able to attend my 42nd Bob Dylan show last night at
the legendary Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. Alpine
Valley was the site of my very first Dylan show (as a scrawny 19 year-old
punk) with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers back in 1986. I also saw him
there in 1988 (only the 7th show of the entire NET), 1990, and 2000. Who
would've thought that we'd still be playing the game nearly 40 years
later with an 83 year-old Bob and me closing in on 60. I was joined by my
amazing fiancee Marie (4th show) along with my daughter Lily Rosemary and
her friend Aspen for their very first live Dylan experience. Lily is
someone who, having lived with me until she started college, is not
unfamiliar with the wild world of Bob. She appreciates his qualities and
has gone on record as finding *Christmas In The Heart* "oddly
charming."

Alpine was packed to the gills; it had to be 30,000+ in attendance. I
expected a good crowd but was amazed by how jam-packed it was. We arrived
fairly early in the Sheryl Crow set and she was everything Dylan will
never be: engaging with the crowd, moving all over the stage, interacting
with fans, and with a clear, clean, fan-friendly light show. I don't
mean this as a slight to either; I don't need singalongs and such, but
there are times that I wish Dylan would make a little effort to be a bit
more accommodating to a typical concert-goer in this festival type of
setting. Like it or not, people are uncomfortable and uneasy with the
challenging dim light show, generic screen presentation, and an ever-shy
Bob with the hoodie behind the piano with the weird tree lights further
obscuring the view. His light presentation is such that even a video clip
from a distance is going to be blurry and visually unappealing. I have
been fortunate enough to see a more fan-friendly Bob on many occasions,
including an experience from the front row when he stared straight into my
eyes from a few feet away for a solid 10 seconds while playing a guitar
solo to "Everything Is Broken" in Madison back in 1996. That said, Bob
hasn't been a "Hello Cleveland" type of performer for a long, long
time and I have learned to accept him on his own terms, but it is a huge
turnoff to a majority of a crowd of this nature.

All the other stuff aside, Bob's singing these past several years has
been fantastic; way better than anyone could have possibly expected 10-15
years ago. Even in this giant venue, his voice and words were crystal
clear and the show picked up steam toward the second half. There were no
setlist surprises, but the performances that stood out to me were "I Can
Tell," "'Til I Fell In Love With You," "Desolation Row," "Love
Sick," "Blind Willie McTell," "Highway 61 Revisited," and
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." I particularly enjoyed the
delivery on both *Time Out Of Mind *songs and would love to see a return
of a few others from that period. I am not sure why Bob seems to have an
enthusiasm for "Early Roman Kings," which has been a staple even in
the *Rough and Rowdy Ways* shows. It's a decent enough song, but I can
think of many others in the same vein that would be enthusiastically
welcomed. I think of the "Lonesome Day Blues" from earlier in the
summer and know that I, for one, would LOVE to see something like this
versus ERK.

All in all, it was great to see an old friend playing at an old friend,
and having my daughter along for the ride this time made it more special.
This was the final Outlaw 2025 show, but Bob was added to the Farm Aid
lineup that will take place in Minneapolis tonight and be aired live on
CNN. It will be super interesting to see what approach Dylan takes. Will
it be similar to Outlaw with a condensed version of that setlist, or will
he throw a few curveballs into the mix. Tune in tonight to find out!

Jerry Spanbauer
Oshkosh, WI

Alpine Valley is probably most famous for being the last venue Stevie Ray
Vaughan played, as he was killed when the helicopter taking him out
crashed into nearby hills. I asked a few people if there was any sort of
plaque to commemorate him but no one knew of any. Alpine Valley is your
typical outdoor ampitheater, although it is about time for the seats to be
replaced. I had a seat stage right in the 200s, about halfway up that
second section of seats. I thought the crowd was pleasant and engaged,
although I did move down a couple rows halfway through the show to get
away from a couple loudmouths. Luckily my new friend Roger was ok with me
jamming into his space.

I missed Madeline Edwards while fighting the traffic to park and the merch
line. I did get to see most of Waxahatchee. I don't know their music and
their show didn't inspire me to look them up: seemed like competent but
derivative country rock. Granted, the couple behind me screamed at each
other throughout, so I didn't get an ideal listening experience.

Sheryl Crow was next and rocked a lot harder than I expected. She said
nice things about Willie (he's the reason she's doing what she's doing)
and Bob (his songwriting is a major inspiration to her). Crow talked about
how important freedom of speech was in the only explicit political point
made during the show. Sheryl also said that Lionel Ritchie told her that
artists shouldn't play their new songs "because the audience will go to
the bathroom." Waxahatchee came back out to do Winding Road with her.

Then came the main event! Dylan commanded the stage while hiding beneath
his pair of lighted trees, enabling him to be center stage and concealed
at the same time. Quite a few of the audience members could not figure out
where he was, which meant lots of their neighbors had to literally point
him out. Bob put out a great performance despite not saying anything to
the audience, not even a band introduction. While not made explicit, the
entire show felt like a comment on current events given some of the
pointed songs picked for the set list. This was the same as the night
before, which was not a problem for me as I was eagerly expecting several
songs from the Indiana show.

Dylan and the band shuffled out in near darkness before launching into a
Tempest-esque version of Masters of War. Dylan was howling the vocals,
emphasizing the venom of the lyrics. It is hard to imagine this was not
particularly chosen to comment on current events.

A hard driving and bluesy "I Can Tell" followed, which featured a
rollicking Dylan piano solo. A dirge like "Forgetful Heart" featured 2
piano solos with guitar blasts punctuating each couplet.

"Axe and the Wind" was a nice bluesy shuffle with some thunderous piano
breaks. Following that Bob stood up to say something to Tony before
playing an easy rolling version of "To Ramona." Dylan's vocals were at the
top of the mix and he utilized a very rhythmic delivery that pushed the
song along. He also played a lovely harmonica solo, his first harmonica of
the night.

"Early Roman Kings" followed (sorry Ray!) and stood out for the energy of
the performance, especially Anton's drumming and the guitars. Then "Under
the Sky" picked up the tempo, although I thought a lot of the lyrics were
rushed. It did turn into a nice showcase for his piano playing though.

The lyrical clarity returned for "I'll Make It All Up to You" which was
one of the more sedate songs of the set but only relative to the other
songs. It also featured some of the highest notes Dylan hit during the
show. The big crowd pleaser of the show, my first ever "All Along the
Watchtower", brought the tempo back up and featured some lovely Spanish
tinged guitar parts. Dylan really leaned into the "late" lyric, which
could reflect the state of the country or could reflect it being 8:35.
Dylan also strongly emphasized the "I can't get no relief" line by
spitting each word staccato. The song picked up intensity as it went
along.

After that, Dylan stood up to talk to Tony again before they played a
dynamic "Til' I Fell in Love With You." Much of the song was played
quietly, allowing Bob's crooning to come through, but the start of the
verses were punctuated by loud guitar chords that added tension to the
performance. Dylan barked the last line, before the song dissolved into an
avalanche of an outro.

Dylan came out briefly following that song and then they played a lovely
and largely acoustic version of "Desolation Row." Dylan sang this one
forcefully and played a pair of rolling piano solos before punctuating the
end with a raucous harmonica solo. Next came a dramatic and pointed "Love
Sick" that stood out as a clear highlight.

"Share Your Love with Me" was sung tenderly and provided a bit of a cool
down from the killer 1-2 punch of the prior songs. My first "Blind Willie
McTell" came next and was also sung tenderly, allowing the biting lyrics
to cut through the supportive and understated backing. This one also felt
particularly reflective of current events.

"Soon After Midnight" was also given a lovely and understated performance,
although the instrumental break featured a big crescendo. Just then a
keyboardist appeared for "Highway 61 Revisited" - I can't say I heard them
much over the song's electric guitar but I do think they were playing,
especially during the instrumental sections.

The show closed with "Don't Think Twice" which Bob sang powerfully and
clearly. He also sang the first verse with little instrumental backing
other than his piano before Anton joined in for the second verse. I don't
think the keyboardist played on this one at all. Bob ended this genial but
powerful performance with a loud and compelling harmonica solo. After
that, he shuffled over and said something to Tony, posed in the center of
the stage, and then shuffled off after the lights went down.

The crew set up for Willie Nelson with a screen obscuring the stage. His
set started with a music video of Willie singing "Promised Land." Current
day Willie then started with "Whiskey River." Willie looked a little worn
out from the beginning and his vocals often got buried as he wasn't able
to push into them. Somewhat surprisingly, his sparse guitar playing was a
lot more fluid than I expected. The band did a great job, so it was a very
enjoyable show, but Willie seems a lot older than he did even last year.
In particular, Mickey Raphael's frequent harmonica parts were a highlight
and added richness to what could have easily been relatively flat
performances. Waxahatchee, Sheryl Crow, and (I believe) Madeline Edwards
joined him on stage for 2 songs near the end of his set. There was no sign
of Bob but I think he'd left it all on the stage already.

The Outlaw Tour is not my favorite way to see Dylan but he does a great
job balancing the needs of the die hards and the newbies. I felt he was
the clear highlight of the show and it seemed like the audience was able
to connect with his music. Here's hoping Dylan is still thrilling us for
years to come, even until he is 92.

84 and going strong, Bob Dylan last night closed the 3rd and final leg of
the Outlaw Music Festival at the storied Alpine Valley Music Theater,
which just might have the best audio sonics of any open air stage, well,
anywhere (ask the Grateful Dead, who wanted to buy the place). In
addition, with the crack band behind Bob these daze and their
straightforward, modest but all well and good musical arrangements, a
healthy guy in his mid-80s could easily go on doing this for a long time
(think: obesity and type 2 diabetes didn't stop B.B. King from making cool
Super Bowl commercials at 89, and Willie Nelson, not exactly a paragon of
American Medical Association guidelines, at 92 continues to deliver the
onstage goods and add to his lengthy, legendary live performance
legend(s). Starting with Letterman-fame drummer Anton Fig, we have an
improvement over last summer's Jim Keltner, who although rightly possesses
one of the most amazing careers in rock and roll history, seemed to mail
it in if you ask me. Fig is yet another master behind the drum kit in
George Recile's wake along with Matt Chamberlain, Charlie Drayton, and
Jerry Pentecost. Then, there is bassist Tony Garnier, who since 1988 has
known not only how to both direct the band and get out of the way, but up
the ante just when needed. Guitarist duo Doug Lancio and Bob Britt allow
Bob to sing over their tasty 6 string chops without ever stepping on his
feet. Finally, we have the always whimsical piano plucking & banging,
whichever suffices, of the man we all came to see, not to mention his
clearly stronger vocals than a year ago when I saw him last. The set list
was an ideal blend of 4 cover songs and 13 originals ranging from the
early 1960s opener Masters Of War to the early 2000s Forgetful Heart. Back
on the road in Europe next month for a small theater tour, the relentless
Bob Dylan tonight in Minnesota will once again join the Farm Aid stage
prior to a well deserved break before commencing his 5th tour leg of 2025.
Blessings to you, Bob Dylan, and thanks for the inspiration to keep on
keeping on as we're not gettin' any younger - and for surviving long
enough to witness in your elder statesman years what we never got to see
from so, so many of your artistic peers who met the grim reaper long
before their time.