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With no dates in or near Philadelphia this time around, I figured I might as well hit the show closest to me. My plan was to take the train from Philly to Baltimore, then at 1, get on an MTA bus to Columbia which would arrive at 2, hang at the Columbia Mall for a bit, then walk over to the venue and listen to soundcheck. What I didn't know was that public transportation in Maryland is absolutely terrible.
I arrived in Baltimore at 12:15 PM. After getting something to eat at the train station, I walked over to the bus stop, arriving there at 12:45. Sometime around 1 PM, I looked at my watch. While I was doing that, the bus went right past the stop. Panicking, I called the MTA, and the person speaking told me to take the light rail to BWI airport, and from there, take Howard Transit's Silver bus to Columbia.
After walking back to Baltimore Penn Station, I went to the light rail station only to find out that there is no route that goes from Penn Station to BWI. Not knowing what else to do, I went on the next train that arrived and took that all the way. Fortunately, at the last stop (Camden Yards), another train destined for BWI arrived at 2:10 PM, after I was already supposed to be in Columbia.
After arriving at BWI at about 2:40, I called Howard Transit and inquired about the next bus to Columbia, which was scheduled to arrive at 3:25. Fortunately, it arrived at 3:15. Relieved, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I would get to the venue in time to hear the soundcheck. What I didn't know was that the worst was yet to come.
The route from BWI to Columbia was not direct at all. The driver made a multitude of stops, several of which were out of the way, and some of which were completely unnecessary because nobody got on or off the bus there (one of which tacked on an additional twenty-five minutes onto the trip). What's more, at about two or three of the stops, after everyone had gotten on, the driver sat idle for about five minutes before leaving. The icing on the cake was when the driver kicked us all off the bus while he went to get gas.
I finally arrived at the venue around 5 PM, three hours after I was supposed to be there, and just in time to catch the end of soundcheck. They were playing a slightly revamped "It's Alright, Ma" which, among other things, had Stu on electric guitar.
I was also able to catch a glimpse of the cue sheet, and saw the first six songs.
Now onto the actual show:
Rainy Day Women - Probably the best opener among the three that are currently being rotated in that slot. Donnie was on lap steel, completely inaudible. I don't think I've stressed enough how I wish he would solo. He would always make that lap steel scream on bluesy songs such as this one. Denny was on an Epiphone Les Paul for the entire main set. He's been doing a great job as the sole lead guitarist lately, and this show was no exception. A very strong start to a very strong show.
Senor - Not much to say, but a very strong performance. Stu was on acoustic. Dylan played a very eccentric riff on the guitar. His voice, for the record, is much more shot than when I last saw him in Hershey, but he still sings with just as much, if not more, conviction.
Tom Thumb - I was hoping to get this one since I love the new arrangement they've been playing this year, and this performance did not disappoint. Denny didn't break loose as much as he could have though.
Simple Twist of Fate - Of the six songs I saw on the cue sheet, this one was the one I was looking forward to the most. Dylan moved to his keyboard, which was hooked up to a Leslie rotary speaker. The resulting sound was very distinctive. Donnie played a little something at the beginning that brought a smile to my face. He seemed to be moving as much as he could within his limits. Denny played some very nice chordal solos. This one also had the first harp solo of the night.
Rollin' and Tumblin' - Unlike previous performances I had seen, Denny was playing slide on his Les Paul, in standard tuning as opposed to open tuning. I had never before realized some of the things one can do on a standard-tuned guitar with a slide. Instead of playing variations of the main riff for all of his solos, he occasionally threw in some new melodies. Definitely a high point of the night for him.
Workingman's Blues - Standard, but still lovely. I love the new lyric changes, especially the line "it's raining so hard you can drown."
Desolation Row - From here on out, it was all surprises. I saw this one last year in Philly, and this performance was definitely much better. I think Dylan sung every verse except "Einstein" and "Nero's Neptune." George was playing sort of a galloping snare rhythm on the drums not unlike the one he plays on "Most Likely," which I think fits the feel of the song a lot more than the rhythm with the brushes that he played last year.
Beyond the Horizon - A low point here, but not bad. I don't really like the song that much so I don't have anything to say about it.
Honest With Me - George had a completely new approach to the verse, playing the snare on every downbeat during some of the measures for a much more driving effect. The band was absolutely ablaze. There's really not much else to say about this, except...wow.
When the Deal Goes Down - For the first time as far as I know, this one ended with a harp solo. However, it seemed to be like Dylan and the band were going in entirely different directions. From what I inferred, the band was expecting Dylan to play once through the entire AABA form and then the ending, but he intended to just play the harp solo over the ending. Neither actually happened; they just played once through a single A section, and Dylan held them on the tonic chord.
Highway 61 - After almost two years, the dynamic changes are finally back, though not as pronounced as before. They only occurred at the end of the song, whereas two years ago they also occurred before the last verse. Still a smoking hot version which featured some very intense lead playing from Denny. One of the high points of the show, which I could not have said last year.
Ain't Talkin' - A very dark, eerie, subtly intense performance that perfectly put the message of the song into music, right up from the beginning chords until the gigantic picardy third at the end that symbolized how everything would once again be okay. Donnie was playing a viola whose dark timbre could have added much more depth to the song if only it had been audible.
Summer Days - Another low point. I don't know why Dylan continues to play this one each night. It does not have the energy it had five or even two years ago. Dylan also got ahead of the band at one point as he so often does on this particular song, but they caught up very quickly. Not a terrible performance, but far from earth-shattering.
Masters - Not much to say about this one. I always thought it wasn't a great main set closer, but after having had experienced it live, I can understand how it works in that slot.
Thunder - Denny, now playing his trademark white Stratocaster, started off very low-key during the introduction, but gradually caught fire throughout the progress of the song. "All the ladies in Washington are scrambling to get out of town" drew a reaction from the audience, which I didn't get right away, being a Philadelphian.
Blowin' - Absolutely wonderful. Denny played a lovely solo that he started by quoting the original melody and taking it in his own direction. Dylan sang each line with passion, drawing cheers nearly every time (most significantly after "How many deaths will it take 'till he knows that too many people have died," which is inevitable in this day and age). An absolutely gorgeous harp solo closed this one out, and the band exited to a standing ovation. Truly a memorable moment that I will never forget as long as I live.
So how was the show overall? I described the Hershey show as "not phenomenal, but still great." I think this one was on the verge of being phenomenal. I'd probably rank it third of the six shows I've been to, slightly trailing Philly II '04. It could have just as easily gotten first if the band made just a few changes to their musical approach, but as I mentioned in a previous review, it is clear to me that this is the approach that Dylan wants his band to take nowadays. Maybe one of these days he will have a change of heart and allow them to once again unleash their fullest potential, but until then, we will get what I saw in Columbia, which is still a wonderful show. Here's to more in '08!
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