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Dylan live

Greetings.

I am just home from a Dylan concert (going again tomorrow).  Having been to his shows more times than I can count (many dozens, over several decades) I feel he is in a place that few ever get to.  Magical is a word that comes to mind.  A great band backing him, has been the same players for a long time, they play as a unit and as individuals, and he, the man, is either at a baby grand or standing between Tony and Charlie with a stand microphone doing 5 of his more recent "Sinatra" cover, with September of My Years bringing chills and tears.  He plays mostly songs from recent discs, but also did Tangled, Highway 61, Desolation Row, and blowing/thin man as encores.  

He/his shows/his recent discs seem to polarize.

Me, I feel so fortunate to be alive while he is, and to experience the transcendence.

Richard
rpeluso
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,846 posts
 

Oops, when I said Larry (Campbell) could be seen and heard in recordings made "there", I was speaking of the videos made at The Midnight Ramble shows filmed at Levon Helm's barn in Woodstock. I never made it to one, though a friend and I had talked about making the trip from California to upstate New York to do so. Levon passed away before we got the chance.

I've been listening to Levon and the rest of The Band backing Dylan (and doing their own set) on the recordings made during their '74 tour together, and released as the Before The Flood double album. Fantastic.

rpeluso OP
1,063 posts
 
I had the chance to get to Levon's barn just twice, once with my son who was probably 15 at the time (he is a drummer, and he loved being there, has an appreciation for great talent) and once a few years later with a (now-ex) girlfriend.  Both times were the best, Levon was very frail the last, but talked to the people there, shook my and many other's hands, and of course Larry was there leading the band both times.  
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,846 posts
 
Damn rpeluso, I’m green with envy! The friend I planned on making the pilgrimage with saw The Hawks with Dylan in ’65, of which I am also envious. My last remaining trip to make in this life is to Big Pink. The current owner is a musician, and allows select visitors to the see the hallowed ground.
rpeluso OP
1,063 posts
 
bdp24, that's a goal worth fulfilling.  When you make the trip please let me know and, if ok with you, I would meet you there to experience where magic happened.  Wow.  
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,846 posts
 
That would be great! By the way, there is a You Tube video of Garth Hudson returning to BP for the first time since ’68. The current owner leads him through the house and down into the basement, and Garth points out where everyone was set up, also talking about the acoustics of the room. Garth had set up the recorder and mics that were used to make the Basement Tapes, engineering them all throughout 1967. The Holy Grail of Americana music, people!
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