Tribute to a Taper 7-21-89

 

An excerpt from chapter 18 of Dylan and the Grateful Dead: A Tale of Twisted Fate.

I caught six unique and satisfying shows on this leg of the tour. The best of the batch was on July 21, 1989 at the Garden State Performing Arts Center, where I saw my first show of the Never Ending Tour the year before. Dylan was showing up in the same towns and I was doing my part, spreading the news—word of mouth. I convinced Deadhead Doug to sneak his equipment in to tape the show. Doug respected Dylan, but he was a Garcia loyalist all the way. Doug was with his girlfriend taping in the fifth row, and I was shuffling on the lawn as Dylan opened the show with his first live performance of “Trouble” from Shot of Love. Dylan’s group rocked it violently, and swiftly segued to a tender version of Van Morrison’s “One Irish Rover.” Dylan’s vocals burned intensely against the casual arrangement, spurring Smith to finish the song off with a spiraling solo. The band slammed into “I Don’t Believe You” and Dylan unleashed an authoritative harmonica solo. It sounded as good as it did with The Band in 1966. It was one of those nights when Dylan pushed himself and his band, and every risk was rewarded.

I’ve enjoyed listening to this show for many years since that night, and I owe thanks to the dogged perseverance of Doug, who improbably battled off a female usher to successfully finish taping this show. During the fourth song, “Just Like a Woman,” the trouble begins. As a tribute to tapers everywhere, I’ve transcribed their conversation from the tape as Dylan played on five rows away.

Usher: Can I see what you have in there? What do you have in that bag? Why is there a red light on?

Doug: I got a flashlight.

Usher: If it’s a tape recorder, shut it off right now… I have to take the tape. I’m going to get a security guard. I have to get a security guard, then. Give me the tape, or I’ll get a security guard.

Doug: I don’t understand. What’s wrong?

Usher: Is that a tape recorder?

Doug: No, it’s a camera with a flashlight blinking.

Usher: If it’s a camera, why is the light on? Listen, if it’s a camera, let me see it, or I’ll have to call a security guard over.

Doug: The light’s not even on. Don’t worry; I’ll shut it off.

Usher: I know, but you’re not listening to me. You still have to check it with a security guard.

Doug: I’ll shut it off. Don’t worry.

Usher: Yeah, but even if you shut it off …

Doug: OK. I’ll shut it off.

Usher: I’ll call a security guard if you don’t come with me now and check it in. You’re not listening to me. (In the midst of this bickering, Dylan was twenty feet away, blowing a lyrical harp solo.)

Doug: I don’t understand what the big deal is.

Usher: There are no cameras or anything allowed in the theatre. I have to check that with a security guard.

Doug: It’s not a camera.

Usher: What is it?

Doug: It’s a flashlight. I told you already.

Usher: Can I see it then, sir? Whatever it is, I have to check it with security.

Doug: Miss, believe me. It’s nothing; it’s not worth the hassle. It’s just me and my girlfriend. I swear to God, it’s nothing. Please trust me.

Usher: I don’t care what it is. You have to check it with a security guard.

Doug: I’ll come back tomorrow.

Usher: No, you can’t come around tomorrow.

Doug: I don’t see what the big deal is.

Usher: It’s not allowed. If it’s a camera or anything, anywhere, or recording device, it must be checked in with a security guard.

The usher suddenly disappeared as if Doug wished her off to a cornfield. I would have folded under that pressure. Doug spoke to the usher in hushed tones, doing his best to protect the audio integrity of the tape. He was a master taper all the way, still interested in turning out a quality tape under serious duress. The other live Dylan debut that night was a lovely acoustic rendition of “When Did You Leave Heaven?” from Down in the Groove.
 

G. E. Smith’s solo soared during “I Shall Be Released,” setting the stage for a manic “Like a Rolling Stone.” The garbled lines gushed out of Dylan. During the extended instrumentals, Dylan stomped around the stage and occasionally stopped for a guitar hero pose. “Mr. Tambourine Man” was pleasing as the final encore. Bob’s cadence had comic texture: “I’ll come following, ah . . . you!” What a fabulous performance. And for the foreseeable future, Mr. Dylan, we’ll be following, ah you! 

Dylan and the Grateful Dead: A Tale of Twisted Fate.

Anatomy of a Pilgrimage in Hoboken

My latest  Dylan pilgrimage began in The Bronx with a trip to Woodlawn Cemetery. As I was standing beneath the shade of the  tree hovering over Duke Ellington’s grave, I stared at the resting place of Miles Davis.  Up on the hill, I saw the tombstones of two jazz legends who played with Miles in the ‘50s: Jackie Mclean, Max Roach.  On this brilliant summer afternoon, I stood there with Miles and Sir Duke while listening to In A Silent Way in its entirety.   I then jumped on the 4 Train,  and transferred to the  2 Train to meet up with my accountant and dentist at Tobacco Road in Hell’s Kitchen. After chilin’ and jokin’, we went  to see Dylan in Hoboken.
In a Hoboken parking garage, we tailgated to Tempest, prior to enjoying cocktails at an outdoor bar on Sinatra Drive. I had planned on being inside the show for Morning Jacket and Wilco, but we got caught up watching the beautiful people of Hoboken parading around on Friday night. Anyway, we could hear the bands pretty good right where we were, and we were duly impressed. At 9 PM I made my move to buy a ticket. The first person I asked about an extra ticket handed me a freebie. Ask and you shall receive.
“Love Sick” sounded hot, but the  sound system wasn’t very powerful, and lots of Yuppies were chirping and chattering. The view of Manhattan from the Pier is spectacular.  I worked my way closer to the sound system and Dylan. I bumped into some acquaintances and noticed Charlie Sexton was back on lead guitar tonight. There hasn’t been  this kind of shuffling in Dylan’s band since the G.E. Smith replacement tryouts of 1990. The Tempest songs sounded fabulous, as expected, and “Tangled Up in Blue was one of the best versions I’ve seen in a long time. Dylan had an interesting, high pitched vocal inflection on every word that rhymed with Blue---youuuuuu…shoeeeee….

Dylan’s set lists have been stagnant the last few times I’ve seen him, but, how can I not love seeing

“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna  Fall,” Blind Willie Mc Tell,” and “Simple Twist of Fate” in succession?  Bob’s harp playing was simple and tasteful throughout. His solos on Blind Willie were absolutely hypnotic. “Summer Days” featured a sophisticated jam with twists, turns, and detours. Dylan stirred the stew, but by design, he never brought it to boil. For the first time, in about my last forty or fifty shows, there was no “Thunder on the Mountain.” I missed it, that rocker had become the instrumental highlight of Bob’s sets. 

Hearing “The Weight” was quite a thrill. The Dylan handled the first verse and I sweat he did sing great, before deferring the other verses to his on stage guests. Watchtower and Thin Man  finished off another memorable night  with Dylan, a night mostly spent shuffling on the grass by the pier with the Manhattan Skyline as the backdrop. After the show , my accountant drove us to Chinatown. At 2PM there was a line to get into Wo Hop’s. We waited anxiously until we devoured our feast.  I’ve been rolling with Dylan’s Never Ending Tour for the past twenty-five years, and he always delivers the inspiration. The train keeps a-rollin’. Here’s to the next twenty-five!

http://www.tangledupintunes.com/  

Tony Garnier Joins Dylan's Band! 6-10-89

24 Years later, Dylan and Garnier are still happily married. Here's a brain-busting Like a Rolling Stone from 6-10-89 from Statenhal, Den Haag, The Netherlands. This is a favorite of mine. Dylan's vocals are urgent, and the guitar solo from, G.R. Smith smokes!

For more on the Never Ending Tour, check out Tangled Up in Tunes: Ballad of a Dylanhead

Howard Weiner's new book --Tangled Up in New York: Shakedown on the Streets 

Birth of the Never Ending Tour Revisited

Twenty five years ago on this day, June 7, Dylan launched what was to become known as the Never Ending Tour in Concord, California. I was fortunate to catch six Dylan shows in 1988. Here are my fond recollections of those performances:

6-24-88 Garden State Performing Arts Center…Dylan burst upon  the stage playing a frenetic Subterranean Homesick Blues opener followed by It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. Dylan and G.E. Smith were kicking ass and taking names.  I was stunned by the brazing versions of Drifting Too Far From Shore and Silvio, a massive improvement  over the tepid, but enjoyable album tracks.  Like a Rolling Stone was the sensational set closer—all ’88 renditions of Bob’s greatest anthem are sure to please. This was the first time I had ever seen Dylan without Petty or the Grateful Dead backing him—Dylan unfettered. This performance was exhilarating and brisk. I knew I’d be back for more, but I could never have imagined that it would be 119 shows over the course of the next twenty-five years.

7-3-88 Old Orchard Beach Ballpark, Maine…Gratefully blame this one on a simple twist of fate.  I’d seen the Grateful Dead at the Oxford Raceway the night before and was planning on returning for night two. Skimming through a local tabloid, my friend noticed that Dylan was playing at a ballpark in Old Orchard Beach--a hop skip and jump on down the road. With one of the most persuasive speeches of my life,  I convinced him to leave the Dead behind. Adios hippies, Howdy Bob.

Dylan played a batch of songs that I hadn’t heard at GSPAC, including: Tangled Up in Blue, The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, To Ramona, Trail of the Buffalo, and All Along the Watchtower. I waltzed right up to the front of the stage and savored every tune. This intimate experience was the antithesis to what was going on in Oxford in the land of the Dead--100,000 freaks.

9-2-88 Orange County Fair…Tour ’88 steamrolled into Middletown, New York. Dylan raged and G.E. continued to extend his jams confidently as Dylan's repertoire grew and the concerts became longer. On this night, Absolutely Sweet Marie and Seeing the Real You at Last soared. Dylan crooned like a Celtic balladeer on Barbra Allen, and his emphatic cadence on It Ain’t Me Babe brought pleasure to the ladies at the fair. I was hooked. The Grateful Dead’s influence on Dylan was undeniable. Every night Dylan was painting a fresh masterpiece.

10-19-88 Radio City Music Hall…The tour closed out with four nights at Radio City Music Hall. There was a  buzz surrounding these shows due to Dylan’s  momentous tour and the recent release of the Traveling Wilbury’s Volume 1. I attended three of these Radio City Shows. The final night was one for the ages.  The surprise of the opening seven-song electric set was Bob Dylan’s 115^th Dream. Bob’s voice was a little cranky at times, but The Dylan is at his best when he’s fighting through hiccups.

Dylan added the Neville Brothers Vietnam verse to a captivating With God on Our Side, to the delight of the audience. The four-song acoustic set was chased by an explosive trifecta: Silvio > In the Garden > Like a Rolling Stone.  In the Garden was mindboggling, transformed from a pleasing gospel number into a venue rattling rocker.

Dylan reached back to Harry Smith’s Folk Anthology for a stunning version of Wagoner’s Lad to launch the five-song encore.  The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll followed, yes it was a perfect night. During Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Dylan and G.E. traded their acoustics for electrics as the band crashed in. A searing All Along the Watchtower and Maggie’s Farm ended the premier concert from one of the most pivotal years of Dylan’s career. I was there.

He not busy being born is busy dying.

For more on the Never Ending Tour, check out Tangled Up in Tunes: Ballad of a Dylanhead

Howard Weiner's new book --Tangled Up in New York: Shakedown on the Streets