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Wetlands Preserve, New York May 24, 2001 By C. Bottomley It's a long way from Gerde's Folk City to the cellar-like confines of Wetlands Preserve. But if you wanted to raise a glass of red wine to one of America's greatest songwriters on his 60th birthday, then you were going to have to put up with the pot fumes, "dumpster diving" invitations, and jazzy noodling that are among the hallmarks of New York's premier jam band venue. The tribute's organizers promised "a 60-song marathon musical salute," which meant a hell of a lot of noodles. So make that one more glass of vino before I go and promise to dive in to save me if anybody plays "Lenny Bruce." The fete got off to an incongruous start during the open-mike portion. Before a crowd of five people, a heavyset gentleman played homage to the jokerman the only way he knew how, with a Robbie Robertson song performed a cappella. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" was long enough to drive Dixie under three or four more times, but the singer's air of humble supplication turned out to be one of the evening's virtues. The venue soon filled with a diverse crowd packed with older hippies, middle-aged hippies-gone-legit, and a younger generation who had either bought into Peaceloveandbonghits.com or simply enjoyed the feel of hemp. One guitar-carrying youth took the mike for two of Bob's more obscure songs, essaying Another Side's "I Don't Believe You" and Shot of Love's, er, "Lenny Bruce." But folks began clapping along only when a kid with the ears of Franz Kafka and the ukulele of Tiny Tim performed a rousing solo "The Mighty Quinn." Some professionalism arrived with singer Alexis Thommason and guitarist Chris Hanson, who gave "Masters of War" the precious Baez treatment, but sang "I Want You" as if they still buzzed with an early-morning shag. Other singers showed how Dylan's craft lent itself to different genres. How else could "Emotionally Yours" survive J.J. Appleton's impersonation of BTO's Randy Bachman? Not every tilt at the songbook raised a smile. Even Bob wouldn't recognize whatever song a tank-topped Chris Whitley swallowed before running from the stage as if Mr. Jones had just wandered in. Granian singer Garen just about got away with turning "Jokerman" into an acoustic anthem, but his treatment of "Like a Rolling Stone" verged on the barbarous, turning the slam into a Bic-waver complete with scatting and hiccups. After such sacrilege, it was even more painful to witness the Patti Rothberg Group - led by a pirate queen whose coyly arranged locks obscured one eye a la the Human League - daub "Lay Lady Lay" with the slick MOR gruesomeness of Alannah Myles. Um, Dylan's still alive, right? A tribute wouldn't be complete without at least a few fugitives from Highway 61. Self-appointed Wetlands poet Frank Messina versified, "He was always electric, buzzing with the power of planet Earth." Baba Israel, representing for the hip-hop posse, demanded we give it up for Dylan, the musicians, and while we were at it, poetry itself. But the holiest of these fools was Dancin' Dan, a hobo who somehow scraped together the $14 for a ticket and kept threatening in a Lionel Stander croak to tell the crowd about the time he partied with Dylan - who he was convinced had passed away. Sadly, security was notified before he could warm to his theme. As the evening drew on, the Wetlands regulars - hard-gigging groups dedicated to an elastic groove and showing off - took over, occasionally augmented by gum-snapping pedal steel player Buddy Cage - the only musician to have actually played with Zimmy (on Blood on the Tracks no less). Aaron and Lo of God Street Wine played an excellent set comprising a reverent "Forever Young," a funky "Gotta Serve Somebody," and even "To Be Alone With You" bellowed effectively by a backing singer with a Janis Joplin leer. Martin's Folly charged the crowd with an accelerated run-through of "Blind Willie McTell." Then it was the Zen Tricksters' turn. "Now here's one Bob wrote with Robert Hunter," grinned their grizzled leader. Fortunately, it was now past midnight, and there was no more need for me to celebrate 60 years and a day of a man who has inspired some great music. And "Lenny Bruce." |
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