bob dylan show Oct. 31
Halloween Night, Bob Dylan played the third of three shows at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
I bought tickets to this show in September and kept going back and forth on whether I’d go for reasons which don’t bear going into. I did a charity event for cancer children the previous night in St. Louis, a “Night of 1,000 Laughs” themed show with amazing food. I was responsible for laughs 334-666, but my work was easier because Rahn had exceeded his quota by about 150 laughs. Then he got a standing ovation. When someone going before me gets a standing ovation, as far as I’m concerned everyone there can go suck it. What am I going to do after that? Get a jumping up and down ovation?
This Dylan show was my 6th, and definitely the closest I’ve been to the stage. It was general admission and I was standing about 8 rows back, right in the center. Pretty cool.
I always hope for plenty of new stuff when I see Dylan which might put me in the minority. I don’t get too excited about hearing “Blowin’ in the Wind” again, but I definitely want to hear him play stuff off the last four records, which I regard to be among his best work. Here’s what he played:
1. “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking” Truth be told, I’ve got some blind spots in my Dylan fandom. This is off of “Slow Train Coming” which is a Christian era album that I don’t own and haven’t heard very much. I listened to it this morning. I will say this, the way they played it that night, it was a worthy opening tune, and it has a powerful message, or really several powerful messages, you know the man.
2. “Lay Lady Lay” was the second song. The thing I like about this song is how ridiculous he sounds singing it on the “Nashville Skyline” album, which has him changing his vocal style. Plus, there’s some kind of percussion thing happening which makes it sound like there’s a horse riding through the whole thing. And the steel guitar, yeah, country music from the late 60’s early 70’s. It seems like I wasn’t around, but I imagine it all being about working hard and then fucking somebody even though you didn’t change your jeans. And beer was 25¢. And every jukebox was all Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette and shit. And life was so simple.
Like that movie “Every Which Way But Loose” and the Cohen brothers first movie “Blood Simple” everything looked dusty like that. And like motels were just these dim green rooms for fucking, and country music really was sad. The standard for beauty was a lot lower then, you might definitely fall in love with that snaggle-toothed waitress, hell everyone did. She had an ass on her.
All that is probably a world that never existed, or maybe it did, but I doubt either way I’d fit into it. But it’s the world of this song. Lay lady, on my brass bed. Lay on it, and I’m gonna love you. Jesus, can you imagine that?
3. “Beyond Here Lies Nothing” I really like this song, and I have to admit that missed the accordion player who wasn’t on stage that night. If you haven’t seen the violent slapstick video that goes along with this song, you’re missing out. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4WT5GMNSSc) This is one of the five songs he played off “Together Through Life” which, I’ve changed my mind, is a fucking great record.
4. “To Ramona” a great song, short and sweet and kind of a surprise, I’ve never heard him play it before.
5. “It’s All Good” Someone told me they thought Dylan’s use of the phrase made him sound anachronistic. So I looked that word up before boldly disagreeing. Dylan is of all times, and he’s cooler than you even if you’re a lot younger than him. He’s a touring musician, he keeps up with this shit. He’s not living in a bubble. It’s all good, trust me. Not that “it’s all good” is such a fresh kind of thing to say to begin with.
As his says in the song: Talk about me babe, if you must
Throw on the dust, pile on the dust
I’d do the same thing if I could
Anyway, it was one of the best songs of the show.
6. “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” enough said.
7. “Cold Irons Bound” New arrangement. The guy standing next to me was telling me about it. I really, really liked the old way he played it and I like this one too but not as much.
8. “This Dream of You” Sweet song off the new record. After this song, Dylan says “I’ve got a special guest here to sing a song for you. Mr. Tom Waits.” I freak out. The guitar player steps up the mic, and for a second it’s like Tom Waits is there. They play a tune fragment off “Bone Machine” and have a good laugh. Happy Halloween. But for a moment, I thought it was happening. Someday I’ll tell the story and it’ll actually be Tom Waits, but for now I got punked. Then they ripped into a killer, killer, killer version of:
9. “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum” The “Love and Theft” album was my non-stop musical accompaniment to the fall of 2001 and Winter 2002 and Spring 2002. And Summer 2002. People who don’t get this album, well. You’re just not getting it.
10. “Forgetful Heart” Oh, no big deal, just another amazing Dylan song.
11. “Highway 61 Revisited” God said to Abraham ‘Kill me a son.’ Abe said ‘Man, you must be puttin’ me on.’ Those two lines are worth more than the entire Bruce Springsteen catalogue.
12. “Workingman’s Blues” His voice was way off on singing this song, but what’s new, it happens. Still a great moment, as you’ve noticed I’m a pretty forgiving fan.
13. “Thunder on the Mountain” lead off song for the fucking, goddamned incredible “Modern Times” album.
14. “Ballad of Thin Man” Jeez, thanks Bob. Sincerely.
15. “Like a Rolling Stone” Nailed it.
Encore
16. “Jolene” off the new one.
17. “All Along the Watchtower.”
After the show, we went to Old Town and got pizza at Orso’s which I really can’t recommend highly enough. Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. I don’t understand why there’s a debate New York Pizza or Chicago pizza. As a resident of New York and occasional visitor to Chicago, it’s easy for me to see that Chicago pizza is just undeniably better. There’s more on it, it tastes better, it’s more reasonably priced and it’s served without the fucking attitude. Altogether, a much more rich and satisfying flavor and experience. Not even close.
New York pizza is great, but truth be told, it’s mostly just plentiful. Don’t get me started on the hotdogs.
Halloween Night, Bob Dylan played the third of three shows at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
I bought tickets to this show in September and kept going back and forth on whether I’d go for reasons which don’t bear going into. I did a charity event for cancer children the previous night in St. Louis, a “Night of 1,000 Laughs” themed show with amazing food. I was responsible for laughs 334-666, but my work was easier because Rahn had exceeded his quota by about 150 laughs. Then he got a standing ovation. When someone going before me gets a standing ovation, as far as I’m concerned everyone there can go suck it. What am I going to do after that? Get a jumping up and down ovation?
This Dylan show was my 6th, and definitely the closest I’ve been to the stage. It was general admission and I was standing about 8 rows back, right in the center. Pretty cool.
I always hope for plenty of new stuff when I see Dylan which might put me in the minority. I don’t get too excited about hearing “Blowin’ in the Wind” again, but I definitely want to hear him play stuff off the last four records, which I regard to be among his best work. Here’s what he played:
1. “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking” Truth be told, I’ve got some blind spots in my Dylan fandom. This is off of “Slow Train Coming” which is a Christian era album that I don’t own and haven’t heard very much. I listened to it this morning. I will say this, the way they played it that night, it was a worthy opening tune, and it has a powerful message, or really several powerful messages, you know the man.
2. “Lay Lady Lay” was the second song. The thing I like about this song is how ridiculous he sounds singing it on the “Nashville Skyline” album, which has him changing his vocal style. Plus, there’s some kind of percussion thing happening which makes it sound like there’s a horse riding through the whole thing. And the steel guitar, yeah, country music from the late 60’s early 70’s. It seems like I wasn’t around, but I imagine it all being about working hard and then fucking somebody even though you didn’t change your jeans. And beer was 25¢. And every jukebox was all Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette and shit. And life was so simple.
Like that movie “Every Which Way But Loose” and the Cohen brothers first movie “Blood Simple” everything looked dusty like that. And like motels were just these dim green rooms for fucking, and country music really was sad. The standard for beauty was a lot lower then, you might definitely fall in love with that snaggle-toothed waitress, hell everyone did. She had an ass on her.
All that is probably a world that never existed, or maybe it did, but I doubt either way I’d fit into it. But it’s the world of this song. Lay lady, on my brass bed. Lay on it, and I’m gonna love you. Jesus, can you imagine that?
3. “Beyond Here Lies Nothing” I really like this song, and I have to admit that missed the accordion player who wasn’t on stage that night. If you haven’t seen the violent slapstick video that goes along with this song, you’re missing out. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4WT5GMNSSc) This is one of the five songs he played off “Together Through Life” which, I’ve changed my mind, is a fucking great record.
4. “To Ramona” a great song, short and sweet and kind of a surprise, I’ve never heard him play it before.
5. “It’s All Good” Someone told me they thought Dylan’s use of the phrase made him sound anachronistic. So I looked that word up before boldly disagreeing. Dylan is of all times, and he’s cooler than you even if you’re a lot younger than him. He’s a touring musician, he keeps up with this shit. He’s not living in a bubble. It’s all good, trust me. Not that “it’s all good” is such a fresh kind of thing to say to begin with.
As his says in the song: Talk about me babe, if you must
Throw on the dust, pile on the dust
I’d do the same thing if I could
Anyway, it was one of the best songs of the show.
6. “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” enough said.
7. “Cold Irons Bound” New arrangement. The guy standing next to me was telling me about it. I really, really liked the old way he played it and I like this one too but not as much.
8. “This Dream of You” Sweet song off the new record. After this song, Dylan says “I’ve got a special guest here to sing a song for you. Mr. Tom Waits.” I freak out. The guitar player steps up the mic, and for a second it’s like Tom Waits is there. They play a tune fragment off “Bone Machine” and have a good laugh. Happy Halloween. But for a moment, I thought it was happening. Someday I’ll tell the story and it’ll actually be Tom Waits, but for now I got punked. Then they ripped into a killer, killer, killer version of:
9. “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum” The “Love and Theft” album was my non-stop musical accompaniment to the fall of 2001 and Winter 2002 and Spring 2002. And Summer 2002. People who don’t get this album, well. You’re just not getting it.
10. “Forgetful Heart” Oh, no big deal, just another amazing Dylan song.
11. “Highway 61 Revisited” God said to Abraham ‘Kill me a son.’ Abe said ‘Man, you must be puttin’ me on.’ Those two lines are worth more than the entire Bruce Springsteen catalogue.
12. “Workingman’s Blues” His voice was way off on singing this song, but what’s new, it happens. Still a great moment, as you’ve noticed I’m a pretty forgiving fan.
13. “Thunder on the Mountain” lead off song for the fucking, goddamned incredible “Modern Times” album.
14. “Ballad of Thin Man” Jeez, thanks Bob. Sincerely.
15. “Like a Rolling Stone” Nailed it.
Encore
16. “Jolene” off the new one.
17. “All Along the Watchtower.”
After the show, we went to Old Town and got pizza at Orso’s which I really can’t recommend highly enough. Some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. I don’t understand why there’s a debate New York Pizza or Chicago pizza. As a resident of New York and occasional visitor to Chicago, it’s easy for me to see that Chicago pizza is just undeniably better. There’s more on it, it tastes better, it’s more reasonably priced and it’s served without the fucking attitude. Altogether, a much more rich and satisfying flavor and experience. Not even close.
New York pizza is great, but truth be told, it’s mostly just plentiful. Don’t get me started on the hotdogs.
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