SADIE SEES BOB LIGHT UP AT THE HARBOR

950616 reviews
950618 reviews
Date:    Tue, 20 Jun 1995 17:55:35 -0400
From:    SadieJane (sadiejane@AOL.COM)
Subject: SADIE SEES BOB LIGHT UP AT THE HARBOR

I thought I had posted this yesterday - but I guess I hit the passenger
eject
button instead.  Luckily noone was sitting in the passenger seat at the
time...I don't think.

HARBORLIGHTS, Boston June 16 1995

general sadie disclaimer:  anything you read about me on r.m.d. may or may
not be true.  I guess y'all will just have to see me for yourselves.......

Bob Dylan played to a NOT sold out crowd of uptight newenglanders (all
r.m.d.'ers exempt from this blaring generalization) on Fan Pier in Boston.
According to the Globe only 3,250 of 4,800 seats were filled - I was in
the
BEST seats I could beg borrow or steal (18th Row of the front, center
section) and saw at least 20 empty seats scattered throughout the section
in
front of me.  It is a crime.  Scalpers and tic agents (and of course
Ticketmaster) should be drawn and quartered.  I do eat my words about this
large venue - I was expecting bad acoustics and airplanes overhead - and
was
pleasantly surprised by the overall feeling of intimacy despite the size.
Still, I'm jealous of the lucky folk in Philadelphia who will get to see
him
in a smaller venue.

Crash on the Levee
I Want You
Watchtower
Just Like a Woman
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Silvio
Mr. Tambourine Man
Masters of War
Don't Think Twice
Seeing the Real You at Last
I Believe in You
Obviously 5 Believers

Like a Rolling Stone
My Back Pages
Rainy Day Women #12 and 35

----------------------------------------

Bob was wearing a large pale blue silk satin shirt (tails out) and his
standard black tuxedo pants with the stripe down the side.  Sunglasses (to
protect his eyes from the *glare* of the dusk sky) until he took them off
while putting his guitar down for Mr. T man (someone else pls confirm this
-
they could have come off earlier...).

Crash on the Levee and the new, lyrical I Want You were played while
audience
was still filing in - Bob himself didn't warm up until Watchtower - which
R -
O - C - K - E - D.  The audience sat quietly throughout and applauded
politely after.  I stood up and danced uncontrollably a few times and
started
screaming "Bravissimo" at the top of my lungs.

The next standout number was Silvio, which was truly wild mercury (or
should
I say silver and gold) and featured JJ and Bob on the dueling guitars.
Bring
on the Hammond, I say.  Again, audience reaction in the center front 20
rows:
mildly interested.  I tried to stay seated but failed.  During shows like
this I sometimes wish I could just stand up and say "could everone here
NOT
into the show just move to the rear of the theater, please?" R.M.D. really
should be able to buy a block of seats down front for every show.  Ok, Ok,
back to the review.....

He did his Tony Bennett again during the acoustic set,  with almost
ordinary
harmonica playing until he finally fell into a groove with it during the
Masters of War solo.  In general I have noticed that Bob seems less
interested in playing the harmonica this year and I have yet to hear a
harmonica solo as stirring as Hattie Carroll's from last year's Orpheum
show.
But he is certainly more than making up for it with his incredibly
focussed
singing.  Nary a word out of place.

Another of my favorites of the evening was Seeing the Real You At Last
(his
years Pos. 4th Street) - a lot of the credit goes to Winston  Watson who
drives the band with a relentless vigour.

What struck me most about this show in particular was the ensemble's
ability
to stay loose enough to be spontaneous.  The G.H. Smith band was one of
those
bands wound so tight that there was never room for anything to really
happen.
Either it works and sounds good, if you like that sort of garage band
sound -
or it stinks.  JJ and the guys have this way (like a really good jazz
ensemble) of letting things get looser and looser....until it *almost*
falls
apart...then using the space to make a rhythmic or harmonic transition
before
the pulling the gaps together again.  This happened in particular during
one
song which went briefly from 6/8 to 3/4 (I think) and then back again -
maybe
this was Masters of War....if anyone else noticed it please email me.
ANYWAY
this looseness can bring a band into rock'n'roll pergatory or BRAVE NEW
WORLD
and with bob and his boys it is the latter all the way.   WORLD GONE
RIGHT. There
is nothing more exciting then not knowing what is going to happen next -
and
there was alot of this on Friday night.

I ran down to the front of the stage during Don't think twice and stood
there, basking in Bob's glow til the end.  The guy right in front of me
got a
high five.  The guy right next to me got the Harmonica (which Bob tossed
down
as an afterthought after My Back Pages) and stood there mutely clasping it
in
both hands like a prayer.  Some neanderthol townie tried to crash to the
front, suddenly pressing all of us against the stage shouting at the top
of
his lungs "Hattie Carroll" with an heavy Boston accent (never thought I'd
live to see anything so incongruous as this - given Boston's history for
racial intolerance) and almost caused a riot until one gentleman reminded
him
that this was a Dylan concert not Greenday Mosh pit and that there were
delicate females present that could get hurt by his flailing limbs.  He
actually calmed down and shutup.  The song of choice down front was "Two
Soldiers" but bob never came back after Rainy Day gals.

After the show we walked across the street the the Barking Crab for an
r.m.d.
gathering.   The place was pretty crowded so I just walked into the center
and shouted "Howard" at the top of my lungs.  This shameless display was
rewarded when I heard calls of "Sadie" ringing from a far corner.  I soon
found myself being lifted in a bear hug by Howard himself and was quickly
introduced to Josh, Nate, Maureen and Mitch.  Nate had taken extensive
notes
during the show (something I never do - If only I could see every show
twice!) and you should all expect a wonderful review from him...

The only one missing was Patrick - Patrick who had publically posted that
he
was going to be bringing the Brixton tapes for us all....I guess he
couldn't
tear himself away from his tape deck?  I had brought him one of my
favorite
shows (Tel Aviv) as a thankyou but gave it to Howard instead.
Patrick...let
us know what happened to you...we were kinda worried that your plane may
have
crashed on the levee or somethin'.

Now, one thing that I thought I had to mention.  I have one of those
generic,
new england no accent accents, but Howard says he has trouble
understanding
me....

Howard, on the other hand, has a Newfoundland brogue so thick you could
cut
it with a knife.  I mean the guy might as well be off the boat from the
Highlands of Scotland.  And he has the nerve to say *he* can't understand
*me* talkin'?  Then again, my aussie guest said he had trouble with
Maureen
and me, but no trouble at all with Howard.  I guess next time we could all
bring laptops and log into the Dylan IRC  Channel....just a thought.

final word:
If Steven Morse of the Boston Globe makes one more backhanded complement
I'm
going to send him some serious hate mail.  He writes in his *glowing*
review:
"Bob Dylan in the summer of '95?  It's a little like seeing Elivis rise
from
the dead.  let's face it, Dylan has been counted out so often that it
seems
as if he's on ths 33,000th comeback.  He's been a critic's punching bag,
even
a laughingstock.  But now, amazingly, HE'S getting the last laugh - and
not a
moment too soon to salvage his reputation."  Get a life Steve.  Dylan has
been on the "comback" trail since since since .... who cares.  The man has

had good shows and bad shows and boring shows and mediocre shows and
totally amazing shows.  That is just the way it goes.  Sorry if you caught
one of
the bad ones, but it's time to move on - I'm tired of hearing you whine.
If I had
 my way, I'd give the expression "critic punching bag" a whole new
meaning......

final final word:
If any one wants to send me a boot of this show (have stuff/will trade) I
will make copies and mail to EVERYONE who attended the CRABFEST 95.

final final word word:
Craig, we all missed you at our little r.m.d. roundtable (*especially*
Maureen and I).....maybe next time, eh?

xx
sadiej


Delia ain't dead, she just fell off her new pony
Dates 1995
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