Forest National - Bob Dylan - No Cans

I arrived early. The billboard alternately flashed "Forest National" - "Bob Dylan" - "No Cans". I got a good seat: right behind the sound board with a clear view of the entire stage. In a heavy West-Flemish drawl, the guy to my left was telling his friend that he "first saw Bobby back in '84" and that he should watch carefully "he does this thing with his knee".

At exactly 20:06, accompanied by a tremendous roar, the band strutted onto stage. "Bobby", wearing a white, broad-rimmed Stetson, slung his Strat over his shoulder. Without any further ado, "Bob Dylan and his Band" delivered a red-hot country version of Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum. "There he goes! The knee! The knee!" the guy to my left yelled. Yee-HAW! There was blood all over the tracks!

About eight songs into his nearly two hour set, the guy on my right asked whether I had ever seen him perform live before. He continued that he hadn't and that he was a bit disappointed.

It was my first time too, but it was pretty much what I had expected. I know that his voice is completely shot. Still, it is impressive how great songs and an excellent band compensates for this to some extend. His new songs and their arrangements also suit his voice well. I agree that I had my doubts about the way that some of the classics were brought. But, whenever the band fell into that wicked back-beat, with Mr Dylan barking into the microphone, shaking his knee, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end from sheer pleasure.