Friday, May 25, 2018

I Spent Bob Dylan's Birthday at a "Covers Concert" at Town Hall


On April 12, 1963, I was an 8th-grade student at JHS 190 while He's So Fine by the Chiffons was the number one song.  At that time I hadn't yet heard of Bob Dylan played his first major concert at Town Hall on West 43rd Street in Manhattan.  The original concert is archived at https://archive.org/details/BobDylanLiveNYCCityHall4121963

The songs played at that concert were "re-imagined" last night at the same venue as stated by Steven Bernstein, the musical director of the performer.  Back then Dylan just played with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, but last night's show was done by an ensemble with over 12 musicians.  I always feel that when a performer covers one or many of Dylan's songs the new version should be different from the original.  This was certainly the case last night.  I do feel that a few of the songs were overdone as the words were masked by ornate music, but in most cases, the musical arrangement
enhanced the song.

Setlist

  • Ramblin’ Down Thru The World
  • Bob Dylan’s Dream
  • Talkin’ New York
  • Ballad Of Hollis Brown
  • Walls Of Red Wing
  • All Over You
  • Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
  • Boots Of Spanish Leather
  • Hero Blues
  • Blowin’ In The Wind
  • John Brown
  • Tomorrow Is A Long Time
  • A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
  • Dusty Old Fairgrounds
  • Who Killed Davey Moore?
  • Seven Curses
  • Highway 51
  • Pretty Peggy-O
  • Bob Dylan’s New Orleans Rag
  • Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
  • Hiding Too Long
  • With God On Our Side
  • Masters Of War
  • Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie

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