Dylan/FooFighters review

Bob Dylan came to Madison on Halloween night. I attended the show in full Hunter S Thompson costume. On the way to the Kohl Center things nearly took a turn for the tragic when a girl on a bike ignored the traffic & crosswalk lights and was nearly smooshed by an elderly blue station wagon. At the parking ramp the lady taking our money in exchange for the ticket told us that some people were parking on the side of the rode, though she didnt know if that was all legal or not. After a terrible evening in Chicago several years ago I had no problem with being seperated from $5 in exchange for a safe spot in the ramp.

Inside the Kohl doors I saw a waifish female police officer (with a haircut somewhere between Sinead O Connor & Bob Haldeman) staring at my full cigarette holder. Walking past I allowed my head to twist backwards to maintain the stare. Stumbling back I explained that it was merely tobacco and, after she took a good smell, I was allowed to wander off towards the seats.

The Foo Fighters opened things up with an acoustic set that lasted just under an hour. Dave Grohl seemed to be having a genuinely good time on stage and had his usual rapport with the audience. Highlights were Marigold (a song Grohl wrote during his Nirvana days), Everlong, and some comedy...not so good moments were the hokey 'My Hero' and the weak 'Skin & Bones'. Heres the setlist as I recall:

Times Like These
Big Me
Marigold
My Hero
Skin & Bones
Cold Day in the Sun (With drummer Tyler Hawkins playing the role of Don Henley)
Next Year
See You (w/band intros & solos including the triangle)
Everlong

After waiting about 30 minutes it was time for the icon himself, Bobby Z. Dylan is always transforming himslef...grew up in Northen Minnesota, became hipster king of NYC, found Jesus, and glued himself to the road. These days he dresses like an old saloon gambler cowboy and tonight he had on a spiffy black western suit. Dylan keeps to the keyboards now but his show still brings the fun. This was a better set tha I saw from him the first time, at Bonnaroo '04. He played a few songs off the new record as well as classics. Some of the oldies were drastically reworked, Positively 4th Street was recognizable only by its lyrics. Dylan doesnt do the whole talk-to-the audience thing but there was still plenty of energy from the musicians on stage. Rhytym guitaris Stu Kimball does a dance that looks something like a hybrid of Bullet Bob Armstrong and Glenn Quagmire. At times old Bob can get a bit boring & garbled but it only slightly intereferes with the awesome. The best songs to me were Workingman's Blues #2 (best song on the new album), Highway 61 revisted, and one of my fave songs ever, Tangled Up In Blue. Heres the Bob Dylan setlist.

1. Maggie's Farm
2. She Belongs To Me
3. Lonesome Day Blues
4. Positively 4th Street
5. Rollin' And Tumblin'
6. John Brown
7. Watching The River Flow
8. Workingman's Blues #2
9. Highway 61 Revisited
10. When The Deal Goes Down
11. Tangled Up In Blue
12. Blind Willie McTell
13. Summer Days
(encore)
14. Thunder On The Mountain
15. Like A Rolling Stone
16. All Along The Watchtower