Seems odd to call any week a banner week for Bob Dylan, but the current seven day span just may qualify. The legendary singer-songwriter not only celebrated his 71st birthday, but also was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama at the White House. If that wasn’t enough, the life and music of the iconic and influential bard was celebrated over the course of two nights at New York’s Irving Plaza with the annual Dylan Fest organized by Rolling Stone scribe Austin Scaggs.
Now in its tenth year, the concerts, which are billed as “a night to get drunk and celebrate,” feature Scaggs and his Cabin Down Below band (which this year featured Austin’s dad Boz Scaggs on guitar and Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen on keyboard) expertly backing a rotating cast of musicians. This year’s bill featured a mix of first time performers such as Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith (Dawes) and Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) as well as returning favorites Regina Spektor, Nicole Atkins, Jesse Malin and a smattering of celebrities including Will Forte, Jason Sudekis, Kristen Wiig and Justin Long.
Dylan Fest – 2012-05-25 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream / Ballad Of A Thin Man / Love Minus Zero / Where Are You Tonight / Highway 61 / I Want You / Tangled Up In Blue / Sara / Odds & Ends / Standing In The Doorway / Tom Thumb Blues / Just Like A Woman / Man In Me / Maggie’s Farm / Hurricane / I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight / You Ain’t Going Nowhere / It’s All Over Now Baby Blue / ??? / Subterranean Home Sick Blues / From A Buick 6 / Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright / Idiot Wind / The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down / Isis / Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door / I Shall Be Released
The nearly three-hour show on Friday night showcased a mix of Dylan tunes from throughout his 50+ year career, mixing the classics (Tangled Up In Blue, Maggie’s Farm, Just Like A Woman) with some deeper cuts (Where Are You Tonight, Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight). Thanks to YouTube user coneyislandgirl930, we can check out a bunch of the performances from Friday night.
Let’s check ’em out…
Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) – Idiot Wind
Nicole Atkins – Standing In The Doorway
Griffin & Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) – Sara
Regina Spektor – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue
Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) – Subterranean Home Sick Blues
Steve Schiltz (Longwave and Hurricane Bells) – Love Minus Zero
Jesse Malin – From A Buick 6
3 Responses
I believe the song you’re missing from the set list was “To Ramona.” What a great show, the highlights for me were “Idiot Wind” and “I Shall Be Released.”
This was an outstanding evening of music! All the performances were great and the highlights for me were those by the Goldsmith bros of Dawes: “Idiot Wind” and “Sara.” ps Glad you found my videos!
I didn’t get to go, but I have listened to the video of Griffin singing “Sara” more times than I can recall. What a brilliant tribute. Thanks for the post!