Philgrim’s Blogress

Since so many of my readers (namely Marc and Dan) have asked for a report on the Bob Dylan concert that I previously mentioned I’d be going to, here goes …

In a nutshell, it was a great concert if little things like not being able to make out any of the words don’t bother you. That and the fact that our seats were to the side of the stage that Dylan was facing away from.  And that he didn’t do any songs from Blood On The Tracks or his Christian albums.

With those complaints out of the way, it was a great concert.  And a great road trip generally.  The decision to have all eight of us pack into Marv’s Suburban worked out really well.  It wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without all of us being able to interact.

Here is a photo I took when we stopped at Davidson on the way to Regina.

(Ray, Luke, Abraham, Charlotte, Rachel, Derek, Marv, Phil – cleverly inserted in from another photo taken by Abraham)

Dylan was looking gaunt and decrepit, but I thought that he and his band rocked out really well, apart from the unintelligible lyrics.   Since I haven’t followed Dylan’s career really closely I didn’t recognize all the songs.  In fact even with familiar songs sometimes he’d be halfway through before I recognized it.

So was I disappointed?  No way.  This was Dylan, and he didn’t need to pander to me or anyone else.

A review in the Regina Leader-Post gives a complete set list.  Read it here.  It’s interesting that a lot of the people commenting have only negative things to say about the concert.  Unlike my nephew Derek who described the experience as “almost spiritual”.

Apart from the concert, we had a nice visit with Carmen and Jared and their children Dylann and Kade.  Jared cooked us a full turkey supper, just like a second Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately I’d packed my camera away and didn’t take any pictures.

Of course having Ray along provided a lot of laughs.

It was just a really fun trip.  Thanks to Derek and Charlotte for suggesting it.

We spent so many years living on a single income that when I hear of big-name artists performing at venues within a reasonable driving distance of our little city the thought of attending just doesn’t cross my mind.  It doesn’t fit our family budget – end of discussion.

So when Charlotte casually announced that she had been chatting with her cousin Derek on Facebook and he had suggested that bringing the Ancient Uncle to the upcoming Bob Dylan concert in Regina would be fun, and that Uncle Marv and I should go too, my paradigm was shaken.

The upshot is that the tickets have been purchased and on November 1st two generations of Dylan fans will drive from P.A. and Shell Lake to Regina to enjoy a music icon.

I’m looking forward to our road trip.  I just hope he’ll perform a song or two from Blood on the Tracks, and a couple from his born-again Christian period.

Every time I listen to Nanci Griffith singing that cowboy song “Night Rider’s Lament” I get goosebumps when the yodeller kicks in following the lyrics

They’ve never seen the northern lights

Never seen a hawk on the wing

Never seen the spring hit the Great Divide

Oh, they’ve never heard old Camp Cookie sing

<brief yodelling sequence>

….

Why doesn’t the radio have more yodelling?

I’m waiting for yodelling to experience a resurgence in popularity.

Meanwhile here is a YouTube clip with Johnny Cash and Louis Armstrong yodelling the blues.