Bob's appearance at the Zoo's historic Amphitheatre was, for the most part, everything I've come to expect from a 21st century Dylan concert. Bob was his usual taciturn self, the band was tight as ever, and the song selection offered a few mild surprises. The set list was as follows:
1. Cat's In The Well
2. When I Paint My Masterpiece
3. Watching The River Flow
4. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
5. Lay, Lady, Lay
6. The Levee's Gonna Break
7. Floater (Too Much To Ask)
8. High Water (For Charlie Patton)
9. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
10. Spirit On The Water
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. When The Deal Goes Down
13. Summer Days
14. Like A Rolling Stone
(encore) 15. Thunder On The Mountain
16. All Along The Watchtower
George Harrison's All Things Must Pass LP playedbefore the show, foreshadowing the distinctly early-'70s vibe at the beginning of the show. Later, "Spirit on the Water" was the surprise hit of the night. Usually when a musician plays one off the new album there's a mass exodus for the restrooms.
It was great to hear the crowd getting into it. As far afield as Bob tends to go with his arrangements and phrasing these days, the potential for him to lose the "greatest hits" crowd is always a possibility. Dylan also had trouble keeping his guitar in tune at the beginning of the show. I thought rock stars had a guy whose job that was.
At any rate, great show, great weather, great venue.
