We saw Bob Dylan at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb last night. It was very cool to be in the same room with a guy who influenced people like John Lennon.
Here’s the setlist (from Bill Pagel’s Bob Dylan site):
Down Along The Cove
God Knows
Positively 4th Street
Things Have Changed
Forever Young
Lonesome Day Blues
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Blind Willie McTell
Highway 61 Revisited
Not Dark Yet
High Water (For Charley Patton)
Honest With Me
It Ain’t Me, Babe (acoustic)
Summer Days
—
(encore)
Like A Rolling Stone
All Along The Watchtower
We arrived about 20 minutes late and Bob was already well into his set. The ads weren’t kidding when they said “8:00 pm Sharp.”
The staging was very simple, with a curtain behind the band that had colored lights and the latest tour logo projected on it. Bob spent most of his time behind a keyboard (which was very low in the mix) singing. Most of the songs were played with a similar arrangement, but we could still sing along with tunes like “Like A Rolling Stone.” It was also interesting to hear Bob play “All Along The Watchtower” in the style of Jimi Hendrix. And while he couldn’t hit the notes of the old days, he gave a great show.
The crowd seemed to be mostly in their 40s and 50s, although after the show we noticed a lot of college-aged people. It’s good to see he still appeals to a wide audience.