Bob Dylan 2000.11.05 in Ann Arbor, MI

Subject: Re: November 5, 2000 - Ann Arbor, Michigan - Setlist
From: Matthew B Young  youngmb@galaga.gpcc.itd.umich.edu 
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 04:06:43 GMT

Bill Pagel  wrote:

>    November 5, 2000
>    Ann Arbor, Michigan
>    University of Michigan
>    Hill Auditorium

>    1.   Duncan And Brady (acoustic) 
>    2.   To Ramona (acoustic) (Larry on mandolin) 
>    3.   Desolation Row (acoustic) 
>    4.   Mama, You Been On My Mind (acoustic) (Bob on harp) 
>    5.   Tangled Up In Blue (acoustic) 
>    6.   Searching For A Soldier's Grave (acoustic) (Larry on mandolin)
>      	(song by Johnnie Wright, Jim Anglin and Jack Anglin) 
>    7.   Country Pie 
>    8.   Standing In The Doorway 
>    9.   Tombstone Blues 
>   10.  Simple Twist Of Fate 
>   11.  Cold Irons Bound 
>   12.  Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (G.E. Smith on electric guitar) 

>      (encore) 
>   13.  Things Have Changed 
>   14.  Like A Rolling Stone 
>   15.  If Dogs Run Free (acoustic) 
> 	(Larry and Charlie on electric guitar) 
>   16.  All Along The Watchtower (G.E. Smith on electric guitar) 
>   17.  I Shall Be Released (acoustic) 
>   18.  Highway 61 Revisited (G.E. Smith on electric guitar) 
>   19.  Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic) 
> 	

G.E. Smith also played electric guitar on "Blowin' in the Wind"
AND stood in the "formation" both times!  What an amazing show. 
I know a lot of people here don't care for G.E., as it's easy to
grow tired of his egotistical posing and theatrics, but I must
say that having him drop in like this was great.  The band seemed
to really enjoy it as well - except for Charlie, who I don't
think smiled once the whole night.  Larry was grinning like a
duddy the whole time G.E. was out there.  And try as he might,
Bob couldn't quite conceal his enjoyment either.  Does anyone
else ever notice how sometimes Bob will apparently be really
struck by something funny or some feeling of great joy and will
break out into a very genuine smile or laugh only to catch
himself a second later and wipe the smile off of his face faster
than he can go to the next note in his 3-note solo?  I always get
a kick out of that.

Another observation from this show:  our hero seemed to be
practicing his theatrics all night...I mean, he was really going
over the top like I've never seen him do before in his delivery
of some of the lyrics - sometimes doing almost a spoken-word
thing for a line, and then following that with a dramatic
stutter.  For instance  "sh-sheeee was born in spring..." in
"Simple Twist of Fate" was classic.

One more thing:  Have I missed some major discussion of the new
arrangement of "Cold Irons Bound" or what?  Because I was NOT
prepared for what I heard tonight.  It started off sounding like
they were going to play a Sonic Youth cover or
something...Charlie's guitar feeding back like mad, chaos
building...and then - everything dropped out, and that amazing
arrangement began.  Hell, I can't come close to describing it. 
It's so far from the TOOM version that he might as well give it
another title!  I mean, Tony's telling bass riff didn't even
enter the song until about three minutes into it!  I was quite
impressed, and get quite a kick out of thinking about how he said
that those arrangements on the album were how they would stay.

Okay, I feel I'm just babbling now.  Thank you for enduring my
tired-minded ramble.  What a great way to cap a weekend.

G'night.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"If dogs run free, then what must be
 Must be, and that is all."

Bob Dylan


Subject: Re: November 5, 2000 - My Observations
From: Grimace  grimace1@hotmail.com 
Date: 06 Nov 2000 06:00:24 GMT

I think this was by far the most animated I've ever seen Bob. Not
only were the knee bends, goofy looks, smiles, and poses there,
but he also laughed a couple of times, and once stuck his tongue
out! What the hell was that about?

From my location (5th row far left side (basically directly under
the guitar tech's position)) I couldn't see Larry very well, so
I'll have to take your word for his smiling, but everyone else
seemed like they were having a ball. Really makes you wonder what
kind of "in-jokes" are happening up on stage.

And just for the record, Tombstone Blues was SMOKIN', and
Pill-Box Hat's 4 man guitar assault was stunning.



G'nite,


Grimace



Subject: Re: November 5, 2000 - Ann Arbor, Michigan - Setlist
From:  bagist@my-deja.com 
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 07:18:02 GMT

It was a terrific show... I came all the way from Kingsville
Ontario to see it... I didn't find the place until 7 35, 5
minutes after the show had started and it was already sold out
(duh).  I had to buy some tickets off this scapler guy (he wanted
$60, I got him down to $45 when I told him that I wouldn't have
any money left over to get me and my friends home, and I couldn't
do that to my friends... not some social elitist that would screw
my 'nobody' friends over just to see Bob Dylan for a few... so he
buckled, plus while I was talking with him I had my hands in my
pockets and slipped off a ten from the roll of bills in my
pocket, so I screwed him out of an extra ten bucks... instant
karma, buddy!).  I finally got in there while he was finishing up
"Country Pie"... amazing show.  I do/have noticed how Dylan
breaks out into a smile then quickly tries to pretend he didn't
just do that.  The band was great.

I also liked the different vocals on the songs, it was very
interesting.  I also like overall how he alters a classic's sound
and structure, as a sort of nod to his hardcore fans... when he
starts into something, the BIIIIIIIIG fans cheer (they already
know what it is, they've been to all the shows), then the big
fans with only enough money to see him when he appears locally
(me, for instance) cheer when they recognize the first line of
the lyric, and then the casual fans cheer when they hear
something that finally gets them to realize what song he's
playing ("oooooh.... Highway 61!!"). As a side question, does Bob
always have the fans exit to the musical stylings of the Beatles?
 And is it always "All Together Now"?  I dug that, as I like the
Beatles more than I do Bob, acutally (the only artist that I can
say that about).  Thought that was interesting.  You think a
different Beatles song other than that would get played... like
Yer Blues, which contains reference to Dylan and the "suicidal"
Mr Jones.

Great show though, I was very impressed (my first Dylan concert,
actually).  Will definitly go see him again.  He's a genius of
the mind and spirit.  Shine on you crazy diamond.

Tim



Subject: Re: review of Ann Arbor November 5, 2000
From: Matthew B Young  youngmb@centipede.gpcc.itd.umich.edu 
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 19:16:16 GMT

G.E. absolutely played his electric guitar during Blowin' in the Wind.
I'm 100% sure about this, as I was there and I saw it with mine eyes and
heard it with mine ears.  Yes, it was minimal...basically a quick, sharp
and quiet strum with every chord change, but playing none the less.



Subject: Re: review of Ann Arbor November 5, 2000
From: Dan Krass  gser@earth.execpc.com 
Date: 06 Nov 2000 20:48:49 GMT


Allow me to clarify my opinions on this
GE was of course physically on stage and minimally playing his
guitar.  However, his guitar was either turned off or turned
extremely low in the mix during the entire song. This same thing
happened to Ray Benson while he attempted to play electric guitar
on Forever Young in Denver 4/6/00.

-- 
--Dan Krass
Trade List: http://www.execpc.com/~gser/boots/
Bob Dylan Bootleg CD Artwork Archive:
http://covers.desolationrow.com/



Subject: Re: review of Ann Arbor November 5, 2000
From: Matthew B Young  youngmb@pacman.gpcc.itd.umich.edu 
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 22:45:56 GMT

His guitar was not turned off, as I heard it.  The reason that he
was hard to hear was because he was playing rather softly and he
adjusted the volume on his guitar itself.  But when I watched him
strum the strings I heard a corresponding sound in the mix that
illustrated to me that he was either A) playing the guitar or B)
miming to a prerecorded electric guitar part being played very
quietly in sync to the band.

I have my doubts about B.



Subject: Re: review of Ann Arbor November 5, 2000
From: Grimace grimace1@hotmail.com
Date: 07 Nov 2000 00:05:59 GMT

From my position (5th row far left side) I could see
(occasionally) and hear G.E.'s guitar work on BITW.

He was playing short staccato-type chords to accent the down
beat.

I would strongly suggest the problem was in the mix (I doubt G.E.
was there for soundcheck).

From my location I could hear Larry's guitars strongly, Bob's a
bit less, and Charlie's barely at all. But again, when you are
right beneath the speakers on one side of the stage it's hard to
pick out every nuance in a song.

I swear I was hearing the snare drum echoing all over hell and
back, all I'm sure because of the acoustics of the place from my
spot on the floor.

But yes. G.E. was certainly playing on BITW. Let's wait for the
tapes and see if it was picked up. I know the guy taping near me
should have it clearly...



Grimace



Subject: Re: review of Ann Arbor November 5, 2000
From: John  xxxx@xxxx.com 
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2000 20:03:29 -0500

In article <8u7h17$a1r@dispatch.concentric.net>, "Grimace"  wrote:
>
> But yes. G.E. was certainly playing on BITW. Let's wait for the tapes
> and see if it was picked up. I know the guy taping near me should have
> it clearly...

Jeez, how many people taped this show? Including the person you mentioned,
myself, 2 people sitting near me and at least one other person who I know
was taping makes 5.

John



Subject: GE Smith at hill
From: david  dwb@AMERITECH.NET 
Date: 8 Nov 2000 22:03:54 -0800

i caught several of the 88 shows with ge smith, and as i recall,
there was a great deal of tension between the dylan and smith, as
smith seemed to push his ego too far into the songs as though he
saw himself as the star of the show.

joining dylan at hill the other night, smith was drooling with
gratitude, grinning from ear to ear and never taking his eyes off
dylan. smith was slinging that big ol' red electric of his, and
was clearly elated to be back in the band. his contributions to
leopard-skin pill-box hat and watchtower were incendiary, and
everyone, including a reassuring dylan, seemed pleased to have
smith playing. smith didn't monopolize the guitar parts, though
everyone gave him room (dylan seemed to leave smith open for a
second solo on lspbh, which smith didn't take). four guitars, and
the energy sparked between the boys.

after the song, smith put his hands together at his lips and gave
dylan a bow.

the tape will tell more, but i wanted to register just how cool
the moment was.

dwb


Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2000 18:48:45 -0500 (EST)
From: "S.L. PULVER" slpulver@julian.uwo.ca
To: webmaster@expectingrain.com

Well I figured I would post a few random thoughts on the three shows
I saw this week.  First,Ann Arbor.  A very nice venue, known for its
acoustics.  From in front of the stage, however, the sound was very
distorted, so I had moved back a few rows.   I had walked by G.E in town
before the show, and for some stupid reason didn't say anything to him.
I noticed him at the side of the stage, and wasn't surprised when Bobby
welcomed him up.  Highlites included Standing and Simple Twist, which
featured Larry on steel and a few new lyrics (maybe made up on the
spot).  Everything with G.E seemed was very well done, and he seemed to
energize Bob as well.  Despite what some have said, his electric was,
without question, turned on during Blowin. As I was impressed with how
it fit in well with the arrangment.  Kind of just little notes thrown in
every couple of seconds.  All in all, a very nice show, in a great
venue.