Bob Dylan 971112 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Eagles Ballroom
Address: 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Capacity: 4000
Showtime: 8 PM
Subject: Milwaukee Eagles Ballroom, 11/12
From: Sandy Ramer (shramer@facstaff.wisc.edu)
Date: 13 Nov 1997 07:03:45 GMT
Wonderful show. The show in Lisle was very good. Tonight he was *really* on.
Blind Willie McTell--I can't even describe it. Drop-jaw awe inspiring.
And we were also treated to a lovely One Too Many Mornings.
Besides the TOOM songs. Same ones as the night before, but even better.
I'm tired--and probably too wired to sleep.
But there is work tomorrow, in far too few hours.
See BobLinks for the setlist.
Sandy
Subject: thoughts on milwaukee
From: Bdylan8879 (bdylan8879@aol.com)
Date: 15 Nov 1997 02:47:50 GMT
it took a few days to get the old thought machine rolling but i have yet
to see anyone say much about this show so i thought i might throw my hand into
play.
first of all, am i getting old, or are these dylan crowds getting younger?
everyone within talking distance from me was younger than i, and i ai'nt no
grandpa....yet.
nice to see the youth of america come out, in milwaukee anyway..
about the show, bob came out aroung 8:15....looked sharp, black pants,
long black coat, yellowish shirt, nice bow tie. the guy in the mil. paper
said he looked like an old west undertaker. (good one).
maggies farm....nice start to a usually slow starter in mr. dylan. to me he
usually takes a few tunes to get rolling, but tonight i thought he was on from
song one. (even thou it seemed this crowd was'nt.)
man in the long black coat...first time since or 91 since i have heard this one
live. i thought he was kicking..
cold irons bound....give me a break...this was too cool...great sound....bob
BREAKING of the words....to hell with all along the watchtower, keep this one
in the 3 hole for the next ten years.
you aint goin nowhere...hmmm this show was heatin up from a hot start. i must
tell you i go way back with this song....first kiss kinda song...first
girlfreind kinda tune....well lets not get into that, but it brought back some
rusty old memories...
can't wait....i am still tryin to listen to this record, so i am not sure how
to rate this one. on the record, bob seems most deliberate in his
delivery....but i like the line...I"M ROLLING THRU STORMY WEATHER...remember
that one....he should have called it stormy seasons.....i'm rolling thru the
graveyard.......
silvio....i like this one, as always
cocaine blues...ok, but i would rather here stone walls...
one too many mornings....this song cooked....over and out....the jam in the
middle was to cool...i think at this point during the wooden tunes, we found
out this was a rock-n-roll show.
tangled up in blue...another fantastic music interlude...the crowd finally
starts to discover were they are....
till i fell in love....is it just me or has bob already started reinventing
this one.....
blind willie mctell....yes...finally..i have been waiting for this one for i
don't know how many years...i was not disapointed....
highway 61....took me awhile, i was still taking in willie....but bob really
jamed this...the band really sticking this one hard....
like a rolling stone...bob has refound the energy of this one...he even is
acting like he wants to play it again....
don't think twice....again the band...and bob really rock the wooden
tune...like they did all night...this was the best one of the
night....maybe...blind willie...had hard boiled eggs...but this was fine...i
mean finnnnnnnne.
love sick...i'm in the middle of it....i don't know what to think of this
one....
rdw 12 35.....needs a new closer...the kids of course love this one....i think
it's rushed, bob seems ready to go....so he goes...
so thats my ten cents worth....there was of course the girl with the
roses, jumped on stage at some point, giving bob the whole damn bush of roses,
he never lookes comfortable in these situations.....
nice work bob....see ya in chicago.....
Subject: Milwaukee-Nov. 12
From: "Stans Lumber Inc." (StansLBR@TECHHEADNET.COM)
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 17:05:34 -0600
Just a few thoughts on the Nov. 12 show. I realize that it might sound
like a cliche, but I saw my first Dylan concert in 1988 and have seen
usually a couple of shows per year, and this was by far the best show I
have seen. Of course, the previous best was last year's Eagles Ballroom
show, so maybe the venue brings out the best in him.
A couple of observations about the music. I thought he did a fantastic
job with the new songs, especially Lovesick. He seems very proud of his
new stuff. I saw him back in 1989 or 1990 when he was playing his Oh
Mercy songs, but to me, his mood was always so dark back then. It seems
a lot different this time around.
I was looking up at the stage from 29 rows back, and had to remind
myself at several points (Silvio comes to mind) that this was a 56 year
old man up there. He is the same age as my dad, and I've always thought
of my dad as "Hip", but I just can't imagine him standing up there
looking so cool and emitting such woderful noise.
A couple of other points. Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist was sitting
seven rows down from us. He is a very tall man, and it was kind of
humorous because everytime he stood up (which was often), some guy
behind us would calmly yell "sit down Mr. Mayor, we can't see".
My wife spoke to the mayor after the concert, and he said that he liked
Like a Rolling Stone and Highway 61 the best because that is the only
Dylan album he has, and that his musical preference is more along the
lines of Tommy Dorsey. He also said that he met with Dylan before the
show and observed that "That man will be performing for at least 10 more
years because he is finally clean and sober". He also observed
(incorrectly I believe) that it was an older crowd, and interestingly
enough commented that it was an all white crowd. I know that none of
this has anything to do with the price of tea in China, but I found it
interesting nonetheless.
Also, did anybody see the sign that was hanging at the concession stand
in back of the ballroom. It said something to the effect of "At the
request of Bob Dylan, we ask you to refrain from smoking". I figured
that it had something to do with the illness, because I haven't noticed
a sign like that before.
Now for the customary tape grovel. If anybody has a tape of the show, I
am interested, and I do have tapes to offer in trade.
Dave Stoxen
Twin Lakes, WI
Subject: Re: Milwaukee concert
From: "Mark H. Withrow" (mwithrow@mcs.com)
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 22:13:44 GMT
...
Even better in Milwaukee.
There was no slow start at the Eagles Ballroom. The first two songs
may have been the same--Maggie's & Long Black Coat--but the vocals
were far stronger and more assured than in Lisle. The different
songs--You Ain't Going Nowhere, One Too Many Mornings and Blind Willie
McTell--were delivered with precision, passion and force. The latter
two were on my short wish list and I was knocked out by Bob's
performance of both. Most didn't recognize BWM at first, but a roar
went up at the first chorus. I love the hook used in this song. A
lot of smiling by Bob again tonight, and, as we were much closer than
in Lisle, we were treated to plenty of facial expressions by the Man.
He was having a ball. The four new songs were again marvelous. Cold
Irons Bound cooks. Is this getting radio play? I love the funky
rhythm of Can't Wait, although I'm sure a few will complain. You can
dance to it and we did. Don't Think Twice was repeated as the last
acoustic number. I was hoping for a different one in this spot.
Still, it was a rollicking version that had everybody on their feet.
Love Sick was warmly received & deservedly so. Such a night.
Do whatever it takes to catch a club date in December. It doesn't get
much better than this.
Mark Withrow
Subject: 11/12/97 Milwaukee Tape Review
From: BotchAlism (botchalism@aol.com)
Date: 13 Mar 1998 14:22:46 GMT
Hi,
Yesterday I received a wonderful sounding tape of the 11/12/97 as a
celebration of Bob's grammy win. So since this tape is awesome I thought I'd
review it.
The show opens with Maggie's Farm after the introduction. The vocals are a
little low in the mix during this but ar quickly corrected. Maggie's is a
classic opener and it is evident from the start that the band in energized and
Bob is into it. This is no 60's history show. The old songs are new and there
are quite a few songs from the last fifteen years in the set. Man in the Long
Black Coat follows. This is an excellent performance. Very well played and
sung but the show really gets cooking with an out of this world Cold Irons
Bound. The band after creating a nice little spacey intro slids into the groove
very nicely. Bob shouts and spits out the lyrics like Howlin' Wolf. They top
the great studio version by miles. The solos on this show aren't really solos.
They are wonderful group improvisations led by Bob. Larry and Bucky very much
follow Bob's lead with Kemper always right on Bob's accents and Tony really is
pumping and supportive. This is 5 guys as one big instrument and you can tell
they are having a good time doing it. You Ain't Going Nowhere is next and is
very nicely done. The harmonies are fun and the accapella section is cool.
Larry takes a little melodic solo in there. Can't Wait is next and is quite a
bit different than the TOOM version. There is a more relaxed funky almost
reggae feeling groove that isn't there on the album. Also the main guitar riff
is changed. This is superb. During the solo which is again more like a whole
group solo Bucky plays this descending horn sounding line on his pedal steel,
which is probably on toom buried in the mix somewhere, that is fantastic. Just
a very moving part from the pedal steel. "I'd like to think I could control
myself but it isn't true." Great song great version.
Silvio of course follows up. Nice and the jamming is very tight and connected.
David Kemper!
The acoustic set starts up with a sweet Cocaine Blues. I like the tradtional
spot in the show. A rare (for 97,98) One Too Many Mornings follows and is a
gem. Tangled Up In Blue ends the acoustic set. It is very energized and very
long and jammed out. The audience is really enthusiastic (i can't spell)
throughout.
Till I Fell In Love With You brings us back to electric world. This very
well done as all Toom songs are this evening. You can tell the band get off on
playing new stuff. Blind Willie McTell has to be one of the highlights of the
evening. What a great song and the performance is really grand. Too think Bob
left this and Foot of Pride off of Infidels?? Highway 61 is fun and leaves some
room for Bucky to stretch out.
Like a Rolling Stone is the first encore. This one has come alive again.
Sung strong and unique. The play around with it a lot too, and do the extended
ending Tom Petty 86 version as well. I do wish Bucky would play the chorus hook
on his pedal steel though.
It sounds like the band leaves the stage again and then comes back for a long
inspired acoustic version of Don't Think Twice. This is hot stuff with the feel
change at the end. The audience is in the palm of their hand. It sounds like
the leave the stage one last time and then come back electric for Love Sick.
This version sounds more sad and mournful than the grammy version (though
nothing is gonna top that solo!)( Hey Dylan sound guy turn Bob up that loud at
the shows !) Love Sick you can tell is really where Bob is feeling it whis
year. It's his live tune of the moment. Excellent!
Then of course what would happen if Bob didn't end every show with a nice
throwaway Rainy Day Women. Bob and his band are at or close to a peak. Bob
hasn't sounded this good to me in a long time probably since the 76 Rolling
Thunder Review tour. The band is right there which I didn't always feel about
trhe 92-96 band the seemed a little shaky at times. Anyways thanks Eric for
the tape. Anyone want to trade? Email me.
Seth
