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| Starbuck |
(reprinted wholly from the pages of www.maxlugar.com)
friends, romans, couchtrymen...lend me your beers. i come to praise robert, not to bury him.
it is now half past one in the morning CST, and i am finally coming down enough off the high of seeing bob dylan to report on tonight's proceedings. and i ask you to bear with me, as the report may reach the length of my masters dissertation. lord knows anyone who saw tonight's show could easily fill 90 pages of thoughts and random musings, it was that incredible. in fact, as i was walking away from midway stadium in the "plush" confines of working class st paul, with freight trains crawling by every 15 minutes or so, i commented to my friend and compadre "lil' mick" (who, incidentally, you will have the chance to meet in chicago) that i have never seen a show so spectacular. the songs, the amazing weather, the sweet, sweet smell of maryjuwanna wafting up from the field, being able to walk the grass of the outfield, beer in hand, while simultaneously hearing the songs of my youth played before me by the legend who wrote them - need one say more?
the evening began on an inauspicious note. lil mick and i couldn't decide whether or not to catch the opening act or not, as opening acts are oftimes not worth seeing. the show started at 6:30, about the same time i arrived at his house to pick him up. we arrived and parked by 7:15, in plenty of time (so we thought) to hustle our kiesters the mile and a half to the stadium from the brueger's parking lot on raymond and energy park drive. unfortunately, as we were coming up to midway, we heard willie's distint twang eminating from centerfield, and we knew we were late. we pushed our way into the burgeoning crowd, through the gates, and down to the field in time to catch "crazy", "georgia on my mind", "on the road again", "mamma don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys", "me and bobby mcgee", "blue eyes cryin in the rain" and a host of other classics. the biggest surprise was the instrumental "down yonder" off red headed stranger. crazy! however, my worst fears came to pass when i realized we had missed "whiskey river". shazbat, indeed! anyhoo, willie did not disappoint, and his family makes up an incredible band. his son plays a mean blues guitar and took most of the solos, totally knocking me out of my socks. not since james raymond have i seen a rock star son play his instrument so technically perfect. in fact, he was so good that he came out later and played lead in "lonesome day blues" for sir bob. willie is a devout texan and, in his mid 70s, can put on a show with the best of them. he ended the set by tossing his cowboy hat into the audience. very memorable show.
lil mick and i headed to the beer garden while dylan's band was set up. we were sipping on $5 cans of miller lite (no fucking zima for this show, that's for goddam sure) when a gentle buzz began to filter through the crowd. we knew the time was close for the appearance of his bobness, so we headed back into the crowd to get as close to the stage as possible. soon, that old familiar ragged face emerged from the curtains behind the stage. i could feel the energy pulse through the crowd, sending a chill up my spine and goosebumps all down my arms. indeed, had i a vulva, it would undoubtedly have snapped, regerated itself, and snapped again.
I shall break here to post the set list, taken from bobdylan.com, and digest how to describe the show while having a popsicle:
St. Paul, Minnesota
Midway Stadium
July 12, 2005
Drifter's Escape
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Lonesome Day Blues
Shooting Star
It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Under The Red Sky
Highway 61 Revisited
John Brown
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Just Like A Woman
Bye And Bye
Summer Days
encore
Masters Of War
Like A Rolling Stone
what can i say about the show? first off, i was amazed at how tight the musicainship of dylan's band is. besides dylan on keys, he had an incredible drummer, a bassist that switched back and forth between electric and upright, two very good guitarists, and, most importantly, a utility guy that hopped back and forth between fiddle and pedal steel with the ease of jesus christ himself. in addition, he plucked a few songs on the banjo. those that don't play guitar (and even those that do) may not realize what a difficult instrument the pedal steel is to master, much less make it fit so perfectly into the sound of a rock n roll outfit. dylan's guy played it perfect. he weaved back and forth between chords and lead so nonchalantly it was amazing. in fact, i nearly wet my pants. powerful stuff.
the songs were amazing as well. i was shocked at dylan's interpretation of his older material and how natural those songs sounded with his modern day electric band. masters of war, for example, a song originally played on acoustic, was unrecognizable until he lit into the lyrics, upon which i found myself saying, "oooooh....yes! that's it!" my only criticism was that some of the songs had changed so much - including perhaps even the lyrics, which were garbled at times - that even the trained ear could barely pick them out. the best example was "its alright ma, i'm only bleeding". the only part of the entire song i recognized was the line "even the president of the united states..."
the two show stoppers, for me, would have to have been "love minus zero" and "highway 61". "love minus zero" should be on the short list of everyone's favorite dylan songs, and his live version will bring you to your knees. he worked the pedal steel in there so perfectly my jaw dropped to the ground several times. it was early in the show and, if memory serves, the first song with pedal steel in there. i was so not even expecting it! and to top it all off, he even came out from behind the keys for an extended harmonica solo, the first of several such solos throughout the night. "highway 61" just blew the top off the stadium. well, if it had a top, that is. he turned it into a blues romp complete with tempo and dynamics changes.
to make a long story even longer, i cannot even begin to tell you how important it is to get out there and see dylan this time around. i think he is coming to the end of this leg of his neverending tour (i.e., the minor league baseball stadium leg w/ willie nelson), so time may be running out. if you haven't seen him yet, by god, get the hell out there! without a doubt, i have to say that this was probably the most incredible concert i've ever seen. having grown up on a steady diet of beatles stones and dylan, i don't think any act could ever top the three. seeing your fourth parent perform live for the first time was just so memorable. and to be honest, one can enjoy a show so much more knowing it is in such a small venue and you didn't have to mortage the house and donate a kidney to pay for your ticket. i highly doubt the stones will be able to top this...but we shall see!
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| lotsajizz |
'bout time Starbuck!! Now you WILL see him again...the never-ending tour will be everywhere sooner opr later |
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| texile |
i've never seen dylan - i've been afraid to...
because i don't know if he can live up to his rolling thunder rendition of isis......
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| Factory Girl |
I think Dylan is great. He is an acquired taste, however...
PS. Hello jb, the pride of FLA bar... |
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| voodoopug |
i find Dylan's live show hardly innovative....I find it as his way of earning money. The arrangements that were changed seemed to be only to make the songs easier to get through. As a keyboard player, Bob hides in the corner of his stage. Ask members of this board what they think of the stones songs being dominated by keyboards. Although, i have gathered that Bob can do no wrong in the eyes of his loyal fans. Many people I have spoken with that have true musical knowledge (see oldkr) have noted that his shows have been very hit or miss, mostly miss. Sadly, many die hard Dylan fans would call Bob farting the riff of "Just like a woman" to be a highly innovative, clever arrangment and challenging himself and his band.
Ugh.
I shall never see Bob Dylan live again. (went to his show last sunday) Willie bailed him out in my opinion. I no longer feel legendarily connected to Bob! |
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| mac_daddy |
nice work starbuck! glad you popped your cherry!! dylan is a living american treasure, and he should be enjoyed as often as possible while he is still at it. his current band is pretty tight, too...
although i see jb and his poodle sidekick are all up on the negativity front, again, this am...
to quote bono, a certain fla fave: "dont let the bastards grind you down."
i am glad you had a fun evening - one i am sure you will remember for a long time to come...
dylan rocks! those with any taste at all will certainly enjoy an evening spent with him and his band...
willie is icing on the cake, though an american treasure in his own right, as well...
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| jb |
quote:
voodoopug wrote:
i find Dylan's live show hardly innovative....I find it as his way of earning money. The arrangements that were changed seemed to be only to make the songs easier to get through. As a keyboard player, Bob hides in the corner of his stage. Ask members of this board what they think of the stones songs being dominated by keyboards. Although, i have gathered that Bob can do no wrong in the eyes of his loyal fans. Many people I have spoken with that have true musical knowledge (see oldkr) have noted that his shows have been very hit or miss, mostly miss. Sadly, many die hard Dylan fans would call Bob farting the riff of "Just like a woman" to be a highly innovative, clever arrangment and challenging himself and his band.
Ugh.
I shall never see Bob Dylan live again. (went to his show last sunday) Willie bailed him out in my opinion. I no longer feel legendarily connected to Bob!
Great Post Pug.............I hate Dylan as he is as phony as they come.....I also will never greet Starbuck , Pdog, Mac Daddy, etc |
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| voodoopug |
so it is written and so it is. I shall still shake the hands of many while working the room at upcoming gatherings. I shall still shake hands with all you have mentioned. More details to follow. |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
mac_daddy wrote:
nice work starbuck! glad you popped your cherry!! dylan is a living american treasure, and he should be enjoyed as often as possible while he is still at it. his current band is pretty tight, too...
although i see jb and his poodle sidekick are all up on the negativity front, again, this am...
to quote bono, a certain fla fave: "dont let the bastards grind you down."
i am glad you had a fun evening - one i am sure you will remember for a long time to come...
dylan rocks! those with any taste at all will certainly enjoy an evening spent with him and his band...
willie is icing on the cake, though an american treasure in his own right, as well...
[Edited by mac_daddy]
no need to personally attack me, if anything you should thank me. Who do you think was responsible for convincing someone to make a kind donation to the charity of your choice?
I am also glad starbuck had a good time, but i have everyr right to acknowedge that i was disappointed.
If you have anger/problem with jb, keep it with him. I have said nothing deragory in your direction, and have only helped.
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| jb |
I am sorry you have been humiliated Pug.....but as you know, when you hang with a Big Dog like me, you become a target.
[Edited by jb] |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
jb wrote:
I am sorry you have been humiliated Pug.....ut as you know, when you hang with a Big Dog like me, you become a target.
Sadly, some must make it personal. I would never consider refering to MacDaddy as MacMuffin or MacDonalds....I respect his opinions and hope he enjoys my posts and breaking news. |
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| jb |
I appreciate you friendship...many have abandoned me in fear of being attacked on the various boards. I have 18-36 months to live and no one will drive me away. |
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| mac_daddy |
quote:
jb wrote:
I am sorry you have been humiliated Pug.....ut as you know, when you hang with a Big Dog like me, you become a target.
pug - you have been nothing but jb's yes man, and have done nothing to help the situation, but rather have tried to stir the pot. and this tiny flare up between me and the big man of boca raton is only the latest example...
as for jb - stfu! you keep playing the victim. you say "dont ever talk to me again." well i am writing not talking, asshat, and you brought it on yourself. for YEARS i have read your negative bs, and inane jewish history lessons. if you want to keep that sh*t on threads that nobody cares about, that's fine. but now you have come into starbuck's dylan thread, only to type (paraphrasing) "dylan sucks." and of course, puggy chimes in and says the same thing, albeit a bit more eloquently...
look, i couldnt care less whether you want to greet me or not - and i hate to burst your bubble, but most people around here (and i mean a very high %) dont give a sh*t about greeting you, either. and if you want to go around blowing you big, loud-mouthed, boca raton, lawyer, nouveaux riche persona, go ahead. between us, NOBODY is impressed with that sh*t, except maybe voodoopug, but keep it up...
but when you try to drop that crap in threads discussing music, or the stones, or any other interesting topic here at ro, i am going to call you out on it and stop it. i might be the only one saying anything right now, but believe me, lots of ro'rs feel the same way. hell at its apex, you were driving people off in droves with your idiot jew lists. fyi - i live in socal - you need to get your head checked if you dont think i know jewish folks, or what they have given to our society, or to the world at large. and to be honest, you are making a mockery of the jewish people, and their contributions, by being such a PUTZ (some yiddish for you)...
it's a free country, which means we have to live amicably with the likes of you, but keep your bulls*t out of our discussions on this board, and you and i will not have any more problems...
edited for spelling
[Edited by mac_daddy] |
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| voodoopug |
It is horribly wrong to assume that everyone should agree with each post. I also seen Dylan just before Starbuck and even made a point to say that i am glad he had a good time. I did not enjoy the show and have just as much of a right to do so.
I challenge you to find folks who have left the boards as a result of my friend rejoining Rocks Off. I only recall one "jew list" and as Gypsy had stated "the board has come alive again"
If you want to see a group of people lying around jerking each other off about how great Dylan is, there is a jb and voodopug free Dylan message board I am sure. Others share my opinion about Dylan, just as there are many others who share Starbucks....your fantasy world of utopic harmony does not exist here.
As far as me flaming the issue between you and jb, let me assure you he wasnt going to give you a dime as neither he, nor I believe that you deserved one. I suggested that jb give the money to charity and he did, when i called you out to do the same, you fell silent.
I have sat back and allowed you to make personal attacks on me, unprovoked mind you, long enough. I will allow you to remain outclassed and not resort to personal attacks on you. My posts are very easy to scroll past. If you dont like hearing the truth as I see it, scroll past and find your own yes man, and while we are on the topic of that, just because two people agree on many musically related things (we are all mutually stones fans, wouldnt you expect to see some agreement?), no one is made as a yes man.
Congrats to you, you are the first official name on my "no handshake list". It is people like you that has convinced me that sharing my information that i have obtained about the current tour/album is not in my best interests.
An apology will end my anger! |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
voodoopug wrote:
An apology will end my anger!
Sadly, this place doesn't DO apologies.
I have not seen Bob Dylan on his current tour, and although I am certain he is capable of a bad performance, I have never seen one in the twenty years I've been going to see him.
I've often stated in the past my belief that Bob Dylan is above mere entertainment - he is a national treasure and will be remembered long after all of us are dust. Kvetching about a performance is a bit like saying "that Moses is over-rated, he didn't even part the red sea the night I saw him!" or "That Abraham Lincoln ain't so hot - he didn't free ONE slave last night."
Pug, you seem to have distanced yourself from your once-proud capo - have you been scared off by the yapping of lapdogs?
Their bark is far worse than their bite.
[Edited by FPM C10] |
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| voodoopug |
I merely allow you to handle your business....you are still one of the top guys!
Good synopsis of Dylan. While I enjoy his early studio work, i do not like his live show.
We can agree to disagree and will greet during the upcoming tour!
Cheers! |
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| Left Shoe Shuffle |
quote:
voodoopug wrote:
As a keyboard player, Bob hides in the corner of his stage. Ask members of this board what they think of the stones songs being dominated by keyboards.
One major problem with that analysis.
Dylan's keyboards do not dominate his songs. In fact, they are largely inaudible.
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
Left Shoe Shuffle wrote:
One major problem with that analysis.
Dylan's keyboards do not dominate his songs. In fact, they are largely inaudible.
Agreed! And another problem with it is the idea that no one ever criticizes him. Although I am a major Dylan fan, it's my oft-stated opinion that his moving over to piano was a GREAT thing because I never cared much for his hunt & peck guitar solos, which he tended to do in EVERY song. He always has two ace guitar slingers onstage - it's about time he let them off the leash.
Many nights, Dylan's band is the best band in America, no matter WHO is playing with him. |
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| mac_daddy |
quote:
Left Shoe Shuffle wrote:
One major problem with that analysis.
Dylan's keyboards do not dominate his songs. In fact, they are largely inaudible.
we should so lucky as to have chuck's keys mixed on the upcoming tour like bob's keys are being mixed in now... |
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| FPM C10 |
quote:
voodoopug wrote:
We can agree to disagree and will greet during the upcoming tour!
Cheers!
 !!!!!!!
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| voodoopug |
quote:
Left Shoe Shuffle wrote:
One major problem with that analysis.
Dylan's keyboards do not dominate his songs. In fact, they are largely inaudible.
thank you for the correction. my enjoyment of this show was so small that I may have just assumed that was him up high. |
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| Soldatti |
I've seen Dylan when he played with the Stones here in April 1998, half of the stadium almost got asleep. At least the people didn't throw bottles or stones to the stage screaming "we want the Stones!" (poor Meredith Brooks) |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
Soldatti wrote:
I've seen Dylan when he played with the Stones here in April 1998, half of the stadium almost got asleep. At least the people didn't throw bottles or stones to the stage screaming "we want the Stones!" (poor Meredith Brooks)
didnt she end up being a one hit wonder ironically with her one hit sharing the name of a stones tune? |
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| Soldatti |
quote:
voodoopug wrote:
didnt she end up being a one hit wonder ironically with her one hit sharing the name of a stones tune?
Yep, no one here knows her. |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
Soldatti wrote:
Yep, no one here knows her.
They (her fans) were humiliated at the sales figures from her recent tour. |
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| Soldatti |
Is she touring still?
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| Starbuck |
puggy, believe it or not i agree with you about dylan. although last night was my first dylan show, i have heard from many that he does have his share of off nites. luckily for me, last night was not one of them.
dylan is not a great musician. he can't play the guitar well, he keys are indeed barely audible, and he is not a great singer. and his stage presence sucks. he is very mellow and said maybe two words into the mic beyond the band intros during the encore. the songs, though, are what makes him a legend. and to see him do them live with one of the tightest, most musically talent band i have ever seen was what made him special. and the way the songs were arranged was extremely thoughtful as well. to interpret the acoustic numbers the way he did with two electrics and a pedal steel was orgasmic. there i go again! in addition, the night was absofuckinglutely beautiful - in a ballpark on the outfield grass, and willie nelson for crying out loud.
as far as josh goes, however, macdaddy is spot on. you have to admit, he did stick his snoot into a thread where it didn't belong only to bitch about dylan, refuse to greet so and so, and announce his multiple terminal illnesses. personally, i wasn't offended by his remarks. (nothing he says really upsets me all that much; and i am willing to forgive them because of his extra chromosome - you have to do that these days, you know.) however, i can see how others would be annoyed. |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
Starbuck wrote:
puggy, believe it or not i agree with you about dylan. although last night was my first dylan show, i have heard from many that he does have his share of off nites. luckily for me, last night was not one of them.
dylan is not a great musician. he can't play the guitar well, he keys are indeed barely audible, and he is not a great singer. and his stage presence sucks. he is very mellow and said maybe two words into the mic beyond the band intros during the encore. the songs, though, are what makes him a legend. and to see him do them live with one of the tightest, most musically talent band i have ever seen was what made him special. and the way the songs were arranged was extremely thoughtful as well. to interpret the acoustic numbers the way he did with two electrics and a pedal steel was orgasmic. there i go again! in addition, the night was absofuckinglutely beautiful - in a ballpark on the outfield grass, and willie nelson for crying out loud.
as far as josh goes, however, macdaddy is spot on. you have to admit, he did stick his snoot into a thread where it didn't belong only to bitch about dylan, refuse to greet so and so, and announce his multiple terminal illnesses. personally, i wasn't offended by his remarks. (nothing he says really upsets me all that much; and i am willing to forgive them because of his extra chromosome - you have to do that these days, you know.) however, i can see how others would be annoyed.
i was upset that I posted a valid opinion after seeing the same tour you did days earlier. i even went as far as to say that I am glad you had a good time. It seems we agree on Bob's show in principal, and I applaud your response!
On a side note, josh is very passionate about who he will greet.
I look forward to shaking just about everyone's hand during the upcoming tour....but i dont think we will meet at a dylan show.
Cheers. |
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| voodoopug |
quote:
Soldatti wrote:
Is she touring still?
maybe state fairs opening for chubby checker or something similar? |
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