Providence, RI (17-Apr-97)

Great show from the highly praised spring tour of 1997. Bob and the band are in good mood and the performances are loose and inspired. One of the best audience filmed shows I've watched so far. There are close-ups of Bob but we also get to see the band members and total views of the stage. The sound is pretty nice with the instruments separated well. This DVD is an extraordinary document of the late 90s NET and therefore highly recommended.

As far as audience recordings go, this one ranks with some of the better ones I've seen in terms of the camera operators handling of the camera. It is almost certain that he used a tripod or monopod to steady the camera, and he didn't go crazy with the zoom either, which is a good thing!

The setlist, though fairly typical for that period, was excellent and I always enjoy Silvio and Friend Of The Devil. Bob seemed to be into it and enjoying himself, and the band was fine as usual.

I only gave the DVD 3 stars because there were a few points where the DVD hung and I had to fiddle with it to get it going again. If it had been problem free, I would have given it a 4 star rating. As a point of reference, I have yet to see the audience recorded video that I would consider "must have". My threshold of tolerance for camera movement, excessive use of zoom, etcetera is pretty low, though.

This was a great show. While this dvd does not have the best sound or video quality, the performance and setlist are 5 star+ and the quality is very watchable. Larry was the new guy in the band and Bob plays lead guitar throughout! He is obviously having a great time in this smaller-sized venue and all the songs are jammed out to the max. Highlights include You're a Big Gril Now, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, Everything is Broken and the best version of Never Gonna Be the Same Again that I've ever seen or heard. The mid-to-late 90s shows were very special. Bob was pretty much of a well kept secret prior to the release of Time Out of Mind and the shows had a different vibe, more intimate with a lot of interaction between Bob and the audience. Most anyone who is a member of this site and enjoys watching Dylan bootlegs will certainly enjoy this show. Those of you who live to complain about every little flaw or mistake may want to skip this one, though.