For the week of July 23 - 29, 2003

Like a Rolling Stone

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By DANA DUGAN
with GREG FOLEY
Express Staff Writers

Waiting out in the 100 degree weather in a dirt parking lot wasn’t so bad, really. After all, it’d be worse to be in the Moab desert where it’s been brutally hot, remarked the hearty souls who were ensconced in the front of the line.

The gates finally opened at 6:30 p.m. for the long awaited Bob Dylan concert in the Sun Valley Concert Pavilion, better known as the Park & Ride lot.

Approximately 4,000 people were in attendance. A huge expanse of the rocky dirt lot was covered in AstroTurf, bringing to mind a David Lynch movie or something equally incongruous. But it worked. When people walked across others’ blankets, no dirt was left to besmirch the area.

The stage, which faced east, was large and high. Security was tight and the rules—no high backed chairs, no picnics, no coolers—were strictly enforced.

Also in attendance were "followers"—fans who’ve been following Dylan on this tour since it began two weeks ago—who looked like extras from that same David Lynch movie. The roofs of the adjacent buildings on the west side of Lewis Street were covered with fans having their own parties a lã Wrigley Field.

Food vendors Smoky Mountain Pizza and Apple’s did a bang up job of feeding the crowd in the concert pavilion.

One disappointment: alt-country singer Kathleen Edwards did not appear as advertised. Instead, Boise band Marcus Eaton & the Lobby did a quick set as the opening act.

Dylan, in an all black cowboy outfit with a sparkly shirt, opened with a rousing "Tombstone Blues" and continued pounding out songs—old and new—with his excellent backup group that includes new lead guitarist Freddie Koella, who just recently stepped in to replace Charlie Sexton.

Dylan joked he didn’t really know him, and it showed throughout the concert. However, Koella was up to the task and played superbly, in some cases dueling with the legend and cutting loose at other times to rock at the front of the stage.

Dylan played keyboards and blew harp the whole night. Between songs he walked over to his band—Larry Campbell on guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel and cittern, Tony Garnier on bass, George Recile on drums—giving them direction.

Among other highlights were "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum," "Highway 61 Revisited," "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again," "Visions of Johanna," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," "Summer Days" and the two encore numbers "Like A Rolling Stone" and "All Along The Watchtower."

According to the Ketchum Police there were no complaints made during the show regarding noise or trouble. Dave & The Badges Blues Band entertained the line of concertgoers before the show.

"Overall, I think it went very well," Ketchum Mayor, Ed Simon said. "Everybody I saw seemed to be having a very good time."

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.