Reviews

 

Hello, fellow ‘Bobcats’, here’s a little review of tonight’s show,
(11/29), at The Beacon Theater. First off, I must report that I got to The
Beacon at approximately 1PM and proceeded to walk to West 75th Street to
where the tour bus was parked to see if I could catch a glimpse of him.
Long story short, he ended up not being on the bus but eventually turned
the corner with Baron the bodyguard from Amsterdam Ave. and walked five
feet away from me. Yup, I was dazed for a bit but I’ll take that kind of
daze anyday.

As good a musician as Matt Chamberlain is, I miss George Receli on drums,
as he had such a special sound which went beyond the basic ‘drums’
role. He almost melded with the rest of the band seamlessly with
Chamberlain having a more heavy-handed sound but hey, let’s give Matt a
shot, it’s only been one tour. Bob Britt played well, a good foil for
Charlie Sexton, especially when trading/weaving solos. I must admit, I was
a true believer of the Campbell/Sexton duo but as the man has informed us,
‘Things Have Changed’. Tony and Donnie remain solid as stone, always a
pleasure. With regard to our hero, at first, I must admit that he seemed a
bit sluggish, (too much turkey, Zimmy? I even saw him blow his nose after
the first song, thinking that he might have caught a cold, thanks to the
onset of the NYC winter), but keeping in mind his age, overall, he put in
the effort that I could only hope to employ when I’m 78 years old, (if
I’m even still here, that is).

Overall, the voice was strong and improved as the evening went on. The
standouts for me were ‘Girl Of The North Country’, (delivered quite
tenderly in an endearing voice), ‘When I Paint My Masterpiece’,
(shrouded in reverie, even though the narrative speaks of the best being
yet to come...we pray), ‘Soon After Midnight’, (performed mostly true
to form with regard to the original- I’ve always loved this song), and
‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’, (punchy and cool). Solid harp playing
throughout. It was good to hear him introducing the band once again and
the stage lighting retains a sort of 1940’s vintage movie set feel,
still quite appropriate.

Last year’s Beacon show will stick with me for a long, Long time, as
that one was something special but as always, Bob always leaves you with
hints of magic which stick with you.

I’ll be here next year, (God willing), Bob, I pray you will be too.
Happy holidays, fellow ‘Bobcats’, good health in the new year.

Tonight was the halfway point for Bob's 10 show Beacon Theatre run and
it was a good one. I would rate it the third best of the six shows I have 
seen so far this tour (Philly and Wed. 27 Beacon were the best so far).

On a whim I decided to check out if there were any tickets for the show,
and sure enough there were a handful, so I grabbed one more ticket for my
girlfriend, Jacqueline. So we got to enjoy her 7th and my 57th Bob show
together. Well, sort of together... we did not sit with each other.. but
we were in together, so that was all that mattered.

Bob was in fine, powerful voice all evening and the Band was pure delight.
And to keep it fresh Bob did reinterpretations of songs tonight from ones
of the previous few nights. He did a sing-song portion in the middle of
EARLY ROMAN KINGS which felt like a slightly different tempo. He let
Charlie take a bit of an extra lead on THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN. He sped up
some lines and slowed down others during some songs. There was just enough
variation in the static set to give it life. 

Some of the magic moments for me were MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE (I think this
was Bob's best take of the six I've seen. He sung with passion and
purpose). LENNY BRUCE (absolutely spectacular delivery by Bob). Same goes
for GIRL OF THE NORTH COUNTRY with the added brilliance of Donnie's violin
and Tony's standup bass. NOT DARK was rich, with a foreboding atmosphere,
Bob growling and Tony/Donnie combining for a rumble and a wave.
Incredible. SOON AFTER MIDNIGHT was top notch. Bob leaned into this one
vocally and laid down some nice piano playing. 

The final three songs of the night were the top highlights. The set closer
GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY feels like a revival. With Charlie delivering small
blistering leads and Bob in piano rocker mode preaching about the choices
we all face in the end... felt like a sermon from the stage. Fabulous
ending. The crowd up and cheering for more. The first encore, and
penultimate song of the evening, was a scorching version of BALLAD OF A
THIN MAN. Bob, Charlie and Bob on guitars with Matt and Tony driving the
pulse... this song rocked a bit extra tonight. Finishing the night was a
marvelous blues version of IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO
CRY. Bob on piano, drawing out the last syllable of each line — some of
them for several bars — was exquisite. I love that he replaced BITW with
this song to end the show. The Band burns this one down. The guitars weep,
the bass/drums drive and the pedal steel rounds it out brilliantly. Bravo
once again, Bob!

Great to see the Bobcats tonight. Ian and Hadley (correct spelling?) from
Britain. Barry and Dylan... hope we get to see each other on another tour
next year. Bearded Beacon Bar Mike... loves his Bob whiskey. Katherine...
I thought Friday was a dance night? Mangala is in town... always nice to
see her. And thank you to Laurette for the Bob print... that was so nice
of you. Hope you get in to all of the shows (I'm sure you will). 

Special thanks to my love Jacqueline for another fabulous night together
seeing Bob.

Beacon 5 but only Beacon 3 for me as I missed 2 previous shows. But I had
some excited moments "bumping" into Bobby in the street and looking
straight in his clear cyan blue eyes. An electric stroke made my heart bit
fast. Bob Dylan certainly has a charismatic aura. Not a word was said as
the respect was mutual. I also started to be quite popular selling my
little paintings out. So I spend my show mornings and my days off painting
in the dinner room of the Youth Hostel in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Friday
brought joy and happiness. After the Thanksgiving break the Band is back
and all the BD "family". I spend some time chatting with Fans , here and
there. Still wonder why some Fans are still waiting to get an autograph or
insist for taking photos when Bobby steps inside the venue for soundcheck
or for the show. But this is not my problem. I now present my paintings to
the crowd coming in , expecting to exchange a painting for a ticket.
Tonight it works. A gentleman from Washington DC will take me in with two
tickets on his telephone. He likes my blue portrait of Bob. The seat is
way up on the balcony. The view is clear. A fan behind me reads my reviews
and buys a painting from me. Thank you. He also hands me his binoculars.
Yes Bobby's face looks tired and pale. Bob is wearing a flashy black shirt
and a white/cream jacket with flashy silver embroidery. The same
pants(again?) and the flat white shoes. THC is not the best. The sound is
muffled.  IAMB is just alright. H61 will get better. Bob starts to wake
up on PIB remarkable with the Bob Britt guitar solo. But the highlight is
ERK. He is putting his guts out..." I ain't dead yet. My bell still rings"
will bring a stir from the Fans behind me. Lenny Bruce is definitively not
my cup of tea. Thunder moves the audience up, when "Girl from the North
country" brings tears in my eyes. NDY is sepulchral when CW was jumpy. SAM
as sweet as possible. My favorite on this setlist being, of course....When
I paint my masterpiece....everything will be diiiiiiferENt. Everything
will be beaueautiful! MYFML is from me to Bob. I indeed went to the ends
for the earth to make him feel my Love.  My Good Samaritan from DC is in
awe and the Lady next to me asks how she could get a ticket for tomorrow
show. The public on the floor is up for the encore. Ballad totally on
guitar. And the Train to cry. Bob did introduce his Band again before 
SS. A great show with great Fans around me.  The Beacon attracts the
right kind of public:attentive and reactive. Young and older. I move out
in the cold. Wish good night to Security Bob (we are "friends" now) and
catch my underground trains back to Williamsburg. Good night Bobby and the
Band and the "family". See you all tomorrow.  

It was a long 36 hours commute from Sydney, Australia to get to
tonight’s concert. I arrived in NYC in the morning, slept a bit and
found the venue - which had a sold out sign but I managed to get a second
row ticket on the right. It was actually a great spot especially on the
songs he stood at the piano. Also saw him between songs sipping on some
elixir, going for the tissues and joking with Donnie. I’d last seen Bob
on his 2018 Australian tour including a night at Sydney’s intimate
Enmore Theatre. The Beacon reminded me more of the grandeur of the State
Theatre in Sydney - where Bob has also played in the past. No need to
discuss the set list - stand outs tonight for me were a superb Honest with
me, heartfelt Lenny Bruce, rollicking Early Roman Kings and haunting Girl
from the North Country. Not that the other songs also weren’t fantastic!
Nice to hear the band introductions again and enjoyed Bob’s pointing
every now and then. He seems in fine voice and form - can’t wait to
seeing more concerts in this run at the Beacon - roll on Bob! Certainly
worth the effort! Also Charlie must the coolest person on the planet
(apart from Bob) and great chatting with Bob fans before at the Beacon Bar
and also in the Theatre before the show. Thanks everyone for a great
night.

Nick Miller

Aller guten Dinge sind Drei. Last Saturday, Tuesday and now tonight. Each
time it went from excellent to even more excellent :) . Next to me were 3
couples from Germany and they were very excited to see Dylan in New York
City, the place where all started. 

Dylan played the same set every evening, but each time I heard something
different and was able to listen to nuances. The crowd was very
enthusiastic and Dylan enjoyed it. It must be a great feeling to play in
front of full houses night after night. The concerts at the moment are so
great. I don’t think you can ask for more. Dylan on guitar with some
great solos, Dylan on harp, Dylan on piano and Dylan speaking. Well he
introduced the band and added some extra sentences which I didn’t really
understand. Last Saturday I complained about the sound. Tuesday and today
the sound was perfect. The way he performs “When I Paint My Masterpiece
is in my opinion a masterpiece. But the whole evening, song after song
were so well performed. 

At the end of the concert I looked at the German couples. They were
thrilled and smiled. They said it was “ ein Ohrenschmaus”. True,  it
was. On the way out I only saw happy faces and discussions continued on
the 2-subway to Penn Station. Young and old talked about the great
concert. Living in New York you can get spoiled with Dylan concerts. What
the hell will I do when I move away from New York next year and live in
another State?  I guess I have to come back to NYC every Thanksgiving when
Dylan celebrates Thanksgiving as well, who knows where. I am going to have
my own “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” - “I am going back to New
York City, I do believe I’ve had enough.” If you can go and see Dylan
- go now!

Roland Pabst