Bob Dylan and his band in concert (10/31/2001)

The Halloween Show

Bob Dylan and his band Wednesday October 31, 2001 University of Wisconsin, Kohl Center Madison, Wisconsin Reviewed by Dan Bob Dylan - Guitar, vocals Charlie Sexton - lead guitarist Larry Campbell - steel guitar, multi-instrumentalist Tony Garnier - blues guitar, bass David Kemper - drummer

Bob Dylan is one of music's legends and for the second time this year he performed next door at the Kohl Center.  Not content to listen from my balcony, I decided to get some tickets and go see the man whose songs I have heard him and countless others sing since I was born.

Aside from the witches, cats, thing1's, thing2's, aliens, girls, and ghouls, the next thing to catch my eye was the amazing number of guitars 'The Band' had collected and placed on the sides of the stage.  This was going to be a guitar show with Bob, Larry, Charlie, and Tony all playing their parts.  The lights dimmed and Bob Dylan, the only man on earth who can make a white suit look good, stepped onto the stage.

Bob played to this Halloween crowd for two and a half hours.  Everyone in the Kohl center was moving from the time the first string was plucked.  I was amazed by Charlie's guitar playing!  He must have been born with a guitar in his hands because he made it sing!  Bob also had some great harmonica solo's especially during "It Ain't Me".

The crowd really got into Rainy Day Women, probably because the idea of everybody having to get stoned appealed to the many college kids in attendance.  I even saw the puffs of smoke start going up.  kids, i tell ya!  From that moment on, the whole crowd was on their feet and stayed there until the end of the show.

I was blown away by the rendition of "Like a Rolling Stone", the lights lit up the crowd and everyone sang the chorus!  How does it feel!!  The vocals of Larry and Charlie with Bob during "Blowin' in the wind" created an awesome three-part harmony and made the song sound all the better!  I was really looking forward to hearing "All Along The Watchtower" and was starting to think I wouldn't hear it, but then Bob pulled it out for the second encore!  There must be some way out of here!  Yeah, I was pumped!  Then he closed out the show with the classic "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"!  I couldn't have asked for a better lineup of songs!

At the end of the concert, the partiers threw a leopard skin hat and construction helmet onstage.  Tony picked up the leopard hat and Larry got the helmet.  I thought for a second they were going to put them on and start dancing around!

I was truly impressed by my first Bob Dylan concert!!  I did not expect to see such a rocking show from this band, but I was pleasantly surprised!  Even the acoustic songs had more rock-n-roll in them than the songs of other bands I have seen!  There was a lot of energy and emotion put into the songs that you can not hear on an album recording.  I really believe that they never play a song the same way twice!  After "Rainy Day Women", Bob introduced his band and called them "The greatest band in the world."  I think the title fits!

Set List
1. Humming Bird (acoustic)
2. It Ain't Me, Babe (acoustic) (Bob on harp)
3. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (acoustic) (Larry on bouzouki)
4. This World Can't Stand Long (acoustic) (Larry on mandolin)
5. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (Larry on acoustic guitar)
6. Just Like A Woman (Larry on pedal steel and Bob on harp)
7. Lonesome Day Blues
8. Moonlight (Bob on harp)
9. Ballad Of Hollis Brown (acoustic)
10. One Too Many Mornings (acoustic) (Larry on pedal steel and Bob on harp)
11. Visions Of Johanna (acoustic)
12. Summer Days (Tony on standup bass)
13. Mississippi
14. Cold Irons Bound
15. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Larry on steel guitar)

(1st encore)
16. Love Sick
17. Like A Rolling Stone
18. If Dogs Run Free (acoustic) (Larry and Charlie on electric guitars)
19. Honest With Me
20. Blowin' In The Wind (acoustic)

(2nd encore)
21. All Along The Watchtower
22. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (acoustic)