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Bob Dylan 2000.03.11 in San Luis Obispo, CA


From: Jwc99tinks@aol.com (James Coffey)
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 22:56:17 EST
Subject: slo show
To: karlerik@monet.no

Hello everyone,
...
This is my first post on any of bobs shows, and id like to thank
all of you who have posted their feelings on past bob
performances, ive enjoyed them very much. I havent seen a whole
lot of shows over the years compared to some, but ive seen some
good ones, i think last night was a good one..

I didnt go to the open act, i went up to check things out at 7 pm
and the crowd was making its way toward the rec center. I went
back home and went for my evening walk back up to the campus and
on my way back i stopped at the corner by the 101, and just then
bobs bus pulled off the exit ramp and headed past me up grand
ave. Toward the campus. It was about 8 pm and i figured ok
showtime is probably about 9 or 9:15.  I  arrived at the venue at
about 9 and waited outside for about 15 minutes then the
houselights dimmed and a quick security search and ticket take
and i stood in the back of the hall.  The rec center is a
basketball gym, bleachers on the sides standing on the floor,
definitely not intimate but itll do.

Bob came out dressed in a white shirt, black coat and tie and
black pants with white piping up the sides.  He opened with "i am
the man thomas" and  he was on from the first note, the band was
tight and this was a very heartfelt and passionate delivery of
the song, very inspirational and what a way to open the show, the
show  could have ended right then and that would have been
enough, some people could spend  a career touring and never bring
a song home like that.

Then it was into 'song for woody" and 40 years melted away, sung
with a lot of feeling. And after two openers like that, i couldnt
ask for much more, i almost wanted to turn around and walk out
into the night, leave it at that, let it go, but i talked myself
out of it and i stayed, if anyone could top bob, it would be bob,
i didnt know what incarnation might take fold in the next few
minutes.

"Its allright Ma" was next and his stretching and phrasing was at
its best. On "tangled" he didnt miss a verse and the words were
very clear, he started to move around a bit and he  and larry had
some good back and forth guitar work, larry led this one off in a
high octave and they took it from there , they were having fun
here, and so was i. Next came 'this world cant stand long' and
bob sang this one in the vain of the song itself somberlike and
straightforward.. "Dignity" started the electric set and it was
uptempo guitar work from start to finish. Quick thank yous
between songs. Then onto "country pie" and this was a fast
charlie daniels like country rock, grab your partner lets dance
version, just plain fun. And a big cheer from the appreciative
crowd, and bob made his only comment of the night after when he
said "we got a lot of hungry people out there" with a thank you
and a smile.

Of the next four songs not dark yet was the standout hwy 61 was i
guess typical for hwy 61, very loud, i put the ear plugs in here.
On to the encores and we were ready for more,at least i know i
was. By the way i felt nothing but positve feedback from this
group tonight, everyone was enjoying themselves very much and the
band was too. Im going to continue to move a little quickly here
as i change gears love sick and lars were well done he slowed
down lars a bit, gave it a little more of a regretfull tone.  It
aint me babe was special ,back to acoustic and it had a mystical
feel to it , he unraveled it like a snake charmer, with beauty,
grace, warmth and mystery, this time he sang it as the lover who
almost mourned that it wouldnt be him, his voice dropped to what
almost seemed like a whisper, its moments like that when you lose
site of the artist and the stage, you just hear this picture
being painted and you get lost in the music. And the love just
comes through.

Then its time to strap the electric guitars back on and bring out
the spirit of buddy holly, and its a dance party in 1959, big
smiles on the band during this one, you cant help but feel good
with this song, and i wish i could have seen him play it last
winter on some of those cold nights in the midwest and back east,
that connection with bob and buddy holly is undeniably strong.

Then its time to close it out with the acoustics and a beautiful
rendition of timeless song, niice harmonys ,nice tempo, the song
almost sings itself, its his and its ours, and im going to add
that a lot of  people might have called it quits right there, to
write a song like that when your twenty or twenty one years old,
but of course bob dylan is not a lot people.    And that was it,
a very enjoyable night indeed.

And as i made my way out of the gym and up the stairs to the
walkway back toward the street, of to left i saw bobs bus again
heading off through the campus and into the night toward
bakersfield, i couldnt help but smile , keep movin, keep at it,
its been quite a few years since my first show it was in the 70's
when i first saw bob, and hopefully therell be quite a few more,
yeah keep at it bob, on through the hills of mystery and into the
foggy web of destiny. .   Well everyone thats it for now, see you
down the road, god bless.

james.




2000: March
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