It's been a few years since I have submitted a review/personal thoughts on a Bob show. I've still been attending a few each year, but it became tiresome to put down my thoughts after arriving home late, and then before I knew it, a week or more had gone by and it soon became "whats the point, now?" Well Thursday night at the Met in Philly gave me more than enough energy, enthusiasm...whatever you want to call it...to get back in the ring. I had been to Baltimore a week earlier, and a fine show that was as well. But Bob found the extra gear in Philly. Maybe it was the beautiful venue (I was lucky enough to see him re-open it Dec 3, 2018 as well). Maybe it was that extremely energetic Philly crowd pushing him further (for all the heat they take about being lousy sports fans, they sure know their music!). Maybe it was a push from above (I feel Peter Stone Brown would have given a strong nod of approval to this hometown performance).
Our hero is definitely slowing, and the "dance" in this song and dance man is gradually slipping away. But the "song" was probably the strongest I have seen in 10 years, maybe more. The voice was on from the words "worried man with a worried MIND!" and at times he felt the need to lash out at us (Pay in Blood, Early Roman Kings, Highway 61, Thin Man), often pointing/stabbing towards the crowd to emphasize his words, as if to say "listen to me!". Then he would take it back 180 degrees and deliver the finest singing you've ever heard. North Country was beautiful, and the interplay between our hero on the ivories and Donnie Heron on violin for this song was unbelievable, poignant. Simple Twist of Fate & It Ain't Me Babe also had strong but measured vocals, and the latter is an arrangement that has developed over the years into a show highlight. But the 5 minutes that stop the show, same as in Baltimore, continues to be Lenny Bruce. Whether he really "rooohhhhde with him, in a taxi once" is folklore to which we may be better off never knowing the truth. But its clear that Bob feels a connection. There's something autobiographical about the way he delivers this one in 2019. Its stunning and were I a wealthy, unemployed man with zero responsibilities, I would spend the next 2 weeks (and a Thanksgiving) in NYC gladly watching it 10 times over. Might be the best thing I have ever seen him do, and the Philly crowd was respectfully quiet, followed by a thunderous roar, recognizing the rare gem that had been so perfectly delivered.
Let's not forget the machine that helps our hero deliver night after night. The addition of Bob Britt and replacement of George Recile by Matt Chamberlain adds something that the band has needed. I do miss George, the 2nd longest tenured band member ever I believe? But man, Matt Chamberlain is there for a reason. His fills, snare work and and just basic tempo work really gives these songs new life. Bob Britt has a lot of leads on this tour, deservedly so. Donnie has become the multi-instrumentalist that almost has me saying "Larry/Bucky who?" I say "almost" because I still miss the vocal harmonies. But Donnie seems to have become more of Bob's "go to" for cues, possibly due to where Bob is positioned most of the time, but also because Donnie's seat gives him full view of the other 4 band members. Charlie and Tony are just so in line with these songs, with our hero, that there's really no reason to fret as long as they both walk out there with him each night. The last time I saw Charlie in Philly, it was in early summer, in a bar that held about 30 people, playing with Michael Ramos & the great Austin musician (and chef!) Michael Fracasso. Charlie looks just as comfortable in his little corner on the stage at the Met as he did that night. And Bob made us all feel like we were the only ones in the room.
10 nights in NYC and 1 in DC. Don't you Dare Miss it!
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