Baltimore, MD (08-Nov-99)

Don’t think I’ve ever seen Bob as upbeat and animated as he is for this show – he does an awful lot of that crazy twisty dancing that he does. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the good vibes, which seem only to increase after the arrival onstage of the Dead’s bassist Phil Lesh for the last two numbers.
Not all the songs are delivered to the highest standard, but there are definitely some standouts, which for me were Ring Them Bells, and a top-notch, beautifully modulated Man in the Long Black Coat.
Also, Down Along the Cove and Tombstone Blues really rock; and there’s a fiery, uplifting performance of Not Fade Away to finish with.

Mustn’t forget to mention the good work of those who provided the sound and vision, and yassou for putting it together. Thanks fellas.

PS – Larry looks like he plays a 5 string Tele (no bottom E tuning peg) on a couple of numbers, hadn’t noticed that before.

4 - 4.5 stars.

One look at the setlist should convince you that this show was special. Dylan seemed to feel the vibe of "Charm City," quoting long-time Baltimore resident Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" after a rollicking "I Am The Man, Thomas." Then, after a moving "Ring My Bells," he noted that Baltimore is a city "filled with bells." He blew through a powerhouse set graced with such songs as "Visions Of Johanna," "Big River," and "Joey," ending with a "Friend Of The Devil"/"Not Fade Away" finale accompanied by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. Bob was in great spirits by the end of the show, smiling, dancing, backslapping Phil and even giving him some skin before departing (See the sixth screenshot). It's a wonder that Edgar Allan didn't rise from his grave, only a 7-minute love sick walk away from the Baltimore Arena, to join in the festivities. (Perhaps he did visit Bob, considering Dylan's future Vincent Price look.)

The primary video used for this show is yet another contribution by our friends, Tom P. and raygun. The Hi8 tape is off the master tape, and is in very good shape except for a few missing parts and brief glitches as noted in the technical details. Fortunately, another camera angle was available (D130), which, while of less than average quality, enabled the disk author to fill missing parts of the main video with movie clips as opposed to stills. In addition, the disk author was able to mix two audio recordings which produced an audio track with full sound and up-front Dylan vocals.

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