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Bob Dylan concert 4/21/01 
Reviewer: sydburnz | See all reviews by sydburnz
Section: Reviews | Category: Event | Area: Kansas
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Dylan Groovin in the Kansas Capital
I had an interesting night at the Bob Dylan concert that I want to share with you all. This concert is one of the more memorable experiences at a venue during a rock concert. I have seen Dylan previously, last summer at Sandstone Amphitheatre in Bonner Springs, Kansas. This performance seemed so much better to me than the one last summer he did with Phil Lesh's group co-headlining. I dont know if it was the small, homey atmosphere, or the fact that it was an indoor concert, or the closeness of my seats(4th row!), or just an all around better performance by Dylan and his band. These guys pulled out on all cylinders from the very beginning of the show and didn't stop with the tight (I mean tight!!) jamming until the final song of the set. Here is my review for all that want to enjoy it with me.
First off, I must make a remark on what they all were wearing. The band was wearing expensive suits (all but the drummer, who was wearing just a polo shirt and dress pants) which probably made them really uncomfortable with the heated lights. Bobby was sweating profusely, but that didnt slow down his performance at all. I guess 40 years of touring really pays off. This guy is now pushing 60 years of age, and I really didn't see any signs of fatigue at all. Of course he had to take a breather in between sets. I was also surprised that the show pushed about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Bob and his band started the set with 3 acoustic numbers. We all know it wasn't straight acoustic, because the guitars were plugged in. Nevertheless, it's still considered acoustic by the type of guitars used. Anyways, the bassist was using a large stand up bass popularized by jazz and big band musicians. The first number I didn't know at all, which I later found out was a tune called "Duncan and Brady". The second tune I didn't recognize either, but looking thru the set list, it was "Song to Woody". I have heard this song before, but I haven't really listened to it all that much to really recognize it in concert. Sometimes it is hard to understand the lyrics he is singing right at the moment (go figure!!). The third number was a very good version of "Desolation Row". This song still seems to amaze me, even after I have seen this performed once before at the Sandstone concert. One thing though, when he performs Desolation Row, is that it seems to loose its Spanish sound. I kinda miss that. Nevertheless, it was performed very well.
The band then switched guitars to go on with the electrified numbers starting off with "Watching the River Flow". One of Bob's guitarists played the steel guitar on this track, and I must say they rocked on this one!! Dylan provided some excellent solos while his band tightly jammed behind him! Man, I didnt know what my ears were being subjected to, or what would follow this rockin number!!! Then Bob played a few more numbers from the Time out of Mind album, which I have never heard before. Next song was a revamped version of "Maggies Farm". Goodness gracious another well performed track which was so different from the album version, I couldn't hardly recognize it within the first two verses. If it wasn't for the lyrics, I probably wouldnt have! Bob and the boys owned me after this point in the concert. I was fully attentative to the music from this point on.
"Love Minus Zero/No Limit" from Bringin it All Back Home was performed to a crowd which really did not recognize this tune. I have heard it before, but wasn't all that familiar with it at the time. It is a rather obscure track from the classic 1965 album, and was performed beautifully. The next number was a tune from Blonde on Blonde called "4th Time Around". I instantly recognized this tune, and I turned to my brother to tell him it was from Blonde on Blonde, but for some reason I couldnt come up with the title. Again I must say another well performed tune, and very touching! Someone else who was at the show said that Dylan made a reference to the Beatles at the end of the song by inserting some of the lyrics from Norweigan Wood during the last few bars. That totally flew right over my head. I didn't recognize Bobby's joke at all, or I didn't even recognize that classic Beatle tune from Rubber Soul. I wasn't expecting "4th Time Around" to be played which was a nice musical treat for me, a more obscure track from the classic Blonde on Blonde.
The song to follow "4th Time Around" was the classic, FM radio staple, "Tangled Up in Blue". This is the second time I heard this song performed live and it still one of the highlights of the set for me. Again, this is a really touching song for me. These guys were jamming tight and Bobby pulled out his harp for a nice little solo. I get shivers up my spine whenever he plays this song, there is no better way to explain the emotion I feel from it. Another thing about the way Dylan performed this song, was the way he sang it. My brother, who knows the words to this song by heart, found it very hard to understand what lyrics he was saying during the third verse. I turned around to Dave when Bob seemed like he either forgot the lyrics or just to make us all have a good laugh. He mumbled that whole verse, which was a very funny moment for me, the rest of the show he was pretty understandable for the most part.
Later on in the 1st set, there was a strange occurrence (at least it was for me). They started this number with alot of experimental noise. I thought "Woah am I at a Floyd or maybe Rage concert??" One of the guitarists was messing around with his wammy bar and the volume controls on his stratocaster. Then they just totally started this whole funky tune that rocked my socks off! The bassist was playing these riffs that I could feel rising up through my legs all the way up my body! This was almost a heavy metal number!! The riffing was excellent!! I thought, this can't be Bob! Bob doing heavy metal/funk?? Again I didnt know this number and to later find out that it was a tune from Time Out of Mind called "Cold Irons Bound". Another highlight for me!
If this song wasnt enough, Dylan concluded the first set with "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat". He went from a funky tune straight to the blues. This is the second performance I had seen of LSPBH, and again no complaints from me.
Dylan took a break and then started the next set with "Love Sick" which Im not too familiar with and then went straight into his classic tune, "Like A Rolling Stone". I tried to sing along to it, but I find it really tough to sing along to him when he seems to slow down the songs with his singing style. Good tune, not the highlight of the show though. I guess partly due to the fact that I had heard it played enough for me to burn out on it.
The next song was a jazzy tune where the bass player opted to go with the stand up bass. The rest of the guitar players went electric with their fender products, stratocaster and telecaster. The song is a tune called "If Dogs Run Free' which is the first time I ever heard that jazzy tune.
Next, one of the guitarists started playing this riff which I knew and just really sent me buzzin from the start! "All Along the Watchtower" was a shock for me, since I have never heard him play this song live. I must say it almost rocked as much as Jimi Hendrix's version, even though that version is hard to touch. The studio version of Bobby's original is pale in comparison to the way he does it live. Another of my highlights of the set!! My brother remarked, "Its not as good as Jimi's". I replied, "I really dont care, he OWNS this song!! Even though Jimi's cover is hard to beat."
After the rockin, heavy metal version of "All Along the Watchtower" concluded, Bob started a more mellow song, which I have heard only once before, "Forever Young". This is also one my brother's favourite tune from Greatest Hits Volume III. I must say this was an excellent song that really touched me deep inside. These guys jammed during the middle of this tune and I must admit I actually had tears in my eyes whenever he performed this. Then, even if it seemed like I already had enough, Bobby whipped out his harp and played a long solo that probably knocked the wind outta him!! I gotta say this guy is brilliant, he has touched me so much, especially during this song!
The title track of "Highway 61 Revisited" followed shortly. This is another rockin version that sounds so much better live than the album version. Second time I heard this song performed live. The final song of the second set was "Blowin in the Wind" which is a really good version that you dont notice unless you listen closely to the lyrics. Again, I wasnt too happy with hearing this song since I have heard it performed enough times already. It was still a nice way to end the second set.
The encore was "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" which was a good way to end out the show since everyone there was definitely puffing on the magic dragon anyways. Also, it was only one day after 4/20 which made it almost appropriate. Great way to end out the entire show!!! Everyone was joining in the singing of the chorus "Everybody must get stoned" bit, which was really cool!
To review, I must say this a really excellent concert. This performance was the best I have seen of him, even though I have only seen one other one. I must admit though that it was one of the more memorable performances of any rock performer I have witnessed. There were only little visual effects with stationary lights, but I didnt care. It was all about the music. I don't need that much visual effects when seeing a musician of this caliber! The only complaints I had of this show was that it seemed to short. There were many songs I wish he had performed for us such as "You Aint Goin Nowhere", "Hurricane","A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall", "Positively 4th Street", etc etc. I do realize that it would be very hard for Dylan to satisfy everyone in a 2 to 2 and a half hour set. His back catalogue consists of 40 years of lyrical and musical mastery. I wouldn't have minded, though, if he dropped a couple numbers like Blowin in the Wind, Rainy Day Women, or Highway 61 Revisited for more of his lesser known songs from the period in between 64-67. I would have been a happy camper!! But still I must say Dylan and his band totally rocked me musically. Even my brother was surprised. He envisioned Bob Dylan just sitting on the stage with his acoustic guitar and his harp, playing an all acoustic set. He was shocked that Dylan really rocked electrically! I wasnt as shocked, because I had seen him previously.
The tunes from Time Out of Mind that I didnt mention in my review were "Standing in the Doorway" and "Make You Feel My Love". Anyways here is the full setlist to the 4/21 show for all that is interested.
Duncan And Brady (acoustic)
Song To Woody (acoustic)
Desolation Row (acoustic)
Watching The River Flow (Larry on steel guitar)
Standing In The Doorway
Maggie's Farm
Love Minus Zero/No Limit (acoustic) (Larry on pedal steel)
Fourth Time Around (acoustic) (Charlie on electric guitar and Larry on bouzouki)
Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic) (Bob on harp)
Make You Feel My Love
Cold Irons Bound
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
(1st encore)
Love Sick
Like A Rolling Stone
If Dogs Run Free (acoustic) (Larry and Charlie on electric guitars)
All Along The Watchtower (Larry on steel guitar)
Forever Young (acoustic) (Bob on harp)
Highway 61 Revisited
Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic)
(2nd encore)
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Larry on steel guitar)
Bob Dylan touches almost everyone. Look at how many countless musicians he has influenced alone, not only the large numbers of fans whos lives he has touched over the years. What I don't understand about people who go to shows and expect musicians to play songs like they appear on the album. There is no way would I want to go to a concert and listen to an artist basically sounding like he or she does in the studio. That's really dumb! I can sit at home and listen to my cd and pay less money to hear studio versions of songs. That is what I love about the live experience!! If a group is unpredictable on the stage with complete reworkings of songs, I'm all for it! I love improvisation and rockin' jam work within songs. I guess being the huge music fan that I am, Id rather listen to less obscure tracks (preferably that isnt on greatest hits compilations)and different versions of songs that give them new life. It would be a very boring show if you get what you expected to hear. I thought it was an excellent show all around!! People that expected Dylan's Greatest Hits did get Like a Rollin Stone and Rainy Day Women. People that wanted less obscure songs got 4th Time Around, Forever Young, and Love Minus Zero. I also noticed that Dylan didnt say a word to the audience. I wish he had at least introduced the members of his group. I had no clue who they were, I guess I should have bought a program. Ohh Well. The Dylan show I saw last summer at Sandstone, Dylan introduced everyone in his band, and even joked about his keyboardist who had to get a new shirt while playing golf, because he got a HOLE in ONE!! hahaha. I thought that was the funniest thing all night. All of you people should try the live Dylan experience at least once, you should not be dissappointed at all. It better be soon, or else he may soon call it quits, he isnt getting any younger you know!! Even though on stage he seems like he has found the fountain of youth.......
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Visitor Comments about Bob Dylan concert 4/21/01
Posted by on 2003-11-21 00:36:21
My Score:
Comment: IS IT DYLAN ?????? WEMBLEY
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Posted by on 2003-11-21 00:34:35
My Score:
Comment: IS BOB DYLAN ALIVE ,OR IS IT AN IMPOSTER ?????,WHY DOESNT HE ADDRESS HIS AUDIENCE OR SING TO THEM ANY MORE ,IT COULD BE ANYONE UP THERE
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Posted by bob shaw on 2003-11-17 06:09:13
My Score:
Comment: SAW BOB DYLAN AT WEMBLEY ARENA 15TH NOV, IT WAS TERRIBLE,HE NEVER PLAYED GUITAR ,JUST LENT ON A KEYBOARD ALL NIGHT ,NEVER ONCE FACED THE AUDIENCE ONLY BACK VIEW OR SIDE VIEW OF HIM ALL NIGHT,SINGING WAS AWFULL ,HARP PLAYING OUT OF KEY, WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT BEEN WAITING YEARS TO SEE HIM,WOULD LIKE MY MONEY BACK, THE BAND WERE TOO LOUD HEAVY ROCK ,DRUMS TOO LOUD, ONE NUMBER WITH DOUBLE BASS OK, WE FEEL SO LET DOWN.SUCH A SHAME HE CANT EVEN SING TO THE AUDIENCE, WE MIGHT AS WELL HAD NOT BEEN THERE ,ABOUT TIME TO CALL IT A DAY IF THATS THE BEST YOU CAN DO,FEEL TOALLY RIPPED OFF AT £40 A TICKET.WONT BE BACK.OR SHOILD I SAY DONT LOOK BACK ..
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Posted by on 2003-10-13 10:21:26
My Score: 
Comment: It would appear that your knowledge of Dylan is "limited" to say the least.Your review was littered with references to not having heard certain tracks before, strange, as the ones you mentioned are amongst his more famous/popular.Did you mean that the band were playing semi-acoustic instruments? Perhaps this is the term you were looking for @ the start of your review?
Glad you seemed to like the show but your lack of knowledge about the subject shone through.
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Posted by Lil-Hippy on 2002-02-24 00:42:50
My Score:
Comment: Hey,I''m 17 ad Bob Dylaniswithout a doubt my all time favorite singer. Ive only had the privelage to see him once in concert. Soon again I hope, im all for it. It wil be a sad day indeed when this man calls it quits. I know it will be a cold day in my life.
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Posted by liz on 2002-02-23 19:35:17
My Score:
Comment: i would like to say that i agreed on everything you said because i loce Bob Dylan. Not very many teens my age listen to him and i sometimes believe i am the only one. It is great to hear that someone else out therer is a Dylan fan such as I!! keep rockin with the reviews!!! get a review on Led Zeppelin( even if they dont have any tours due)!!
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