Review provided John Pruski:

Bob Dylan's shows this past week at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC
(Dec. 4 & 5, 97) were great, as wonderful as we've come to expect
from our hero.  Even waiting in line for an hour plus in the rain
(Thursday) or in the cold (Friday) didn't dampen or cool  our (you may
make your own puns..) ... 

The nearly 3 weeks between Saturday the 15th when tickets went on
sale at -ugh- 10am (the line was already 160 people long when I arrived
at 7:45am) and last Thusday seemed an eternity, as did the restless night
of Friday the 14th. That night I dreamed that I got tickets to a Jimi Hendrix
concert, but not to the Dylan shows at the 9:30 Club.  The wait in the
ticket line was well worth it in the end, however, albeit tickets were
available on the web for some of those who slept in that day.  Scalpers
with tickets (fake tickets we were told) were getting $150 to $200 per
ticket, whereas a precious few tickets went at face value.  Several
people were looking for tickets: one fan offering $200 for a ticket had no
takers from what I could see.  

The club opened at 7:30 on Thursday and 9:00 on Friday and security
was tight, the tightest I've seen anywhere as we were all searched...
thoroughly .. resulting in a very slow moving line.  This was ok (I guess)
since we had time to buy t-shirts and the way too cool green posters for
the shows (for $15, just as at Wolftrap in August) before taking our
places.

The shows started at 9pm on the 4th and 10pm on the 5th and lasted just
under 2 hours, and as I said before were great, fantastic, etc...  We've
all seen and studied the song lists ... for me one of many favorites was
the way slowed down version (that's way slowed down!) of I Want
You, the second song of the first night.  Each night the four new songs
were extremely well-received.  No harp was played either night, freeing
Bob to rock out on guitar.  Bob was moderately talkative (saying "thanks
everybody" here and there and introducing the band).  Bob was
obviously enjoying himself, presumably due in no small part to the intimate
setting.  So intimate was the setting that bras were hurled toward Bob
both nights (as the shows were winding down), a white one from the
audience right the first night, a black one from the left on the second
night. The audience and band were both smiling at this, but we and the
band were all smiles well before and throughout the two nights.  On the
second night a mere glance by Bob towards the left balcony brought on
instantaneous hoots, howls, and arms waving hello from this part of the
audience.  Bob seemed to be genuinely tickled at our adoration, and we
in turn at his responce.  Thank you very much Bob and band for this
wonderful experience!

Of course, Bob Dylan was in DC this past weekend not only to play the
9:30 Club, but also/really for the Kennedy Center Honors.  The
Washington Post had Dylan, Dylan, Dylan et al. from Saturday to Monday.
 Saturday's Post had a review of Thursday's show.  The Sunday Post
Arts section section highlighted the Honors and in particular Dylan.  And
the Monday Post front page had a priceless photo of "star attraction Bob
Dylan .. flanked by Charlton Heston and Lauren Bacall."   In this photo
Bob is all smiles, but then again he is sitting next to Lauren Bacall....  The
front page photo legend referred the reader to two stories (and more
photos) on page B1, B6, and B7.  An edited version of one article  using
titles of both is on the web as a single story, but what is on the web is
nice.  A photo shows the five awardees and the Clintons at the Kennedy
Center Honors  "singing" [fide the caption] the national anthem, but Bob
(front and center) must be humming as his lips are sealed.  Again, thank
you Bob for everything!   [john p, 9 dec 97]

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