Montreal, 4th of July

Thanks to Lawrence Kirsch:

“Bob and the band walk onto the stage to the theme of Fanfare for the Common Man. A voice off stage tells of several of Dylan's accomplishments thru the decades.

“For the first time in I don't know how many years I could understand an actual word here and there and could sort of tell what the heck he was singing.

“Great variety of material: classics, a few from Blood on the Tracks.
And Lo and Behold, Bob is playing the "Geetar" again, Halafuckinleuah.

“The band rocks, and Bob is fun when he plays that stringed instrument, but God help us when he tortures that organ. He sounds like an organ grinder at an amusement park.

“He seemed to be having a great time on stage, smiling and surfing while he played keyboards.

“Daniel Lanois was hanging out in the lobby during the support act, chatting to anyone and everyone that approached him. No, he did not play with Bob.

“My highlights were Highway 61, Chimes of Freedom and All Along the
Watchtower.

“Bob Dylan was honored by the Montreal Jazz Fest. He received the Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award, created last year, to underline the quality and innovation of work as well as the determining influence of the body of work an author-composer has on international popular music.

“The Montreal Jazz Festival Spirit Award is a bronze sculpture inspired by a self-portrait that Miles Davis had donated to the Festival in 1988. I think Dylan was genuinely pleased to receive this award and it was reflected in his energetic performance.”