Bob Dylan '65- '66 An Angry Young Man

Greetings everyone. Hope you all survived the End of the world. And I’m not talking about the much too soon passing of Randy “Macho Man” Savage. I was never sweating it because there is no way the world was going to end on May 21st with such an important milestone coming up on May 24th. And what milestone is that? Nothing too big, just Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday.
     I’m not going to try to encapsulate his entire career in this blog post. For that, just check out a pretty complete entry in my sister site, wikipedia.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_dylan

No, today I’m gonna focus on one aspect of his adventure. I’m shining a spotlight on the era I like to call “Pissed Off Bob Dylan”. This is the period from the summer of 1965 until May of 1966. This is a period of intense growth for the Bard that lead to a rejection from his most fanatical of followers but fomented the creation of some of the most creative and exciting rock and roll ever produced.
     Dylan started out as a protest singer, specializing in what he termed “finger pointing” songs. These were songs that pointed out the injustices in society in lyrical terms that had never been in popular music before. By 1964, he turned his unblinking eye towards relationships. While some of his most ardent apostles were unhappy with this change in direction, they were happy that it was still acoustic based music and hoped that their own little Woody Guthrie would continue his march for a better world. But Mr. Zimmerman had other ideas.
     According to legend, four loveable lads from Liverpool rekindled his interest in loud electric rock and roll. According to “The Love You Make” by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines (an incredibly detailed and evenhanded book about the Beatle’s history), Dylan heard the line in “I Wanna Hold your Hand”, I can’t hide and thought they were singing I get high. He met them, introduced them to marijuana and saved rock and roll from 3-minute pop songs. But this tiny spark made him think wistfully of his teenage years when his ambition in life was to join Little Richard’s band and play loud in your face  rock and roll. 
     So in the spring of ’65, he released Bringing It All Back Home. The first single was the mind-blowing “Subterranean Homesick Blues”. In one stroke, Dylan unleashed an ass kicking rock song that also laid the groundwork for rap. Don’t believe me? Check this out

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J4O2-nsFBA

     Need less to say, people who were waiting for the next “Blowin’ In the Wind” were a little bit confused. They viewed rock music as simplistic music for kids. Dylan then destroyed the notions that rock could only be childish music by releasing the single “Like a Rolling Stone”. Suddenly, rock music could be about everything and anything. Never had anyone wrote a song that captures the exhilaration and spine tingling intensity that rock and roll is. Rolling Stone magazine has consistently rated this song as the greatest and most important song of the modern era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk3mAX5xdxo

   

    That summer he played the Newport Folk Festival. He had played there the previous 2 years and for the faithful it was like seeing Mohammed in Mecca. Dylan got the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to back him and unleashed four loud and electric rock and roll songs on the unsuspecting crowd. A mixture of booing and cheers can be heard on the soundboard recordings from that night. Many myths have sprung up from this performance. My favorite is that Pete Seeger was looking for an ax to cut the electric cables. He followed this electric explosion with “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”. Get the point people? So after giving this big middle finger to his faithful fans, what’s a troubadour to do? Go out on a worldwide tour.
    For whatever reason, this tour is incredibly well documented. I have a few shows from the beginning of the tour in the fall of 1965. There is also a 26-cd box set floating around on the Internet. This has every note he played plus many of his press conferences from the 1966 leg of the tour.  You can hear the evolution of his playing as well as his comments, ranging from bemusement toward his audiences’ reaction, to anger and almost condensation towards the people.
     People who were well aware of his transformation from protest folk singer to electric rock and roll heathen; yet were still angry when they would show up and he wasn’t playing protest songs.


    In another simple twist of fate, Dylan recruited rockabilly singer Ron Hawkins’ backing band known as the Hawks to join him on his world tour.  The Hawks would go on to become the Band. They continued their long journey around the world while facing more and more hostility from the audiences.
     By the time Dylan gets to England for the end of his tour, he is emotionally and physically exhausted. He was abusing speed pretty heavily so this didn’t help matters. Here is a great clip of the inspiration that he had from his chemical cocktails

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj2CPqX-tLc&feature=related

     Which brings us to my favorite live album of all time; The Bootleg series Vol. 4, The Royal Albert Hall show from May 17, 1966. It was a famous bootleg that was actually recorded in Manchester, England. Since I became enlightened, I had read about this show but had no way of getting a hold of a copy. I went to a few record conventions but had no luck in securing a copy. It was finally released officially in 1998 and it was everything I hoped for and more. The first disc is his acoustic set. It was mostly his surreal songs with a few love songs sprinkled in. The second disc is nothing but electric kick ass rock and roll. I was immediately transplanted back to when I was a teenager and discovered the raw power of this music. The Band is on fire behind him as he redefines what rock and roll can be. At the end of it you can hear an audience member yell “Judas!” Dylan was rather angry for being compared to the man who betrayed Jesus. You can hear exactly how Dylan felt about this as they launch into “Like A Rolling Stone”

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm1pLiyrGyw

Here is a complete version of the song

Following this tour, Dylan had a “motorcycle accident” that allowed him to retreat from the public eye and sit out the rest of the 60’s. But he did kick start a revolution with the simple act of plugging in and raising hell. Happy birthday Mr. Dylan and may you stay forever young.

Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
PhD in Rock and Roll

Dark Star Orchestra 8/7/08 Dewey Beach DE

 Hey everybody, hope things are good in your hood. Today's post is another entry from the series Classic Shemp. This is the series when I repost some emails I sent out from years past. The response was so good to these emails it led me to start the blog. So without further ado, I present to you a post from a DSO show in Aug of 2008




 What's up people? Just finishing out my Jerry Week Celebrations. Jerry Week runs annually from Aug. 1 (his birthday) until Aug 9 (the day he was sprung from his mortal coil). Uh Dave, that's 8 days. I know, but the Fat Man knew that hippies could use an extra day to celebrate, so why not? Anyway, it was supposed to get off to a rousing start with the SkyView Jam '08 but Mother Nature did her best to scuttle that. I must say I really had a serious case of blue balls after that weekend Not the kind of blue balls brought on by a Cindy Crawford flashback. Something more akin to a quasi musical/psychological/metaphysical type of blue balls. One of expecting to get off through musical mysticism. Alas, it was not meant to be. Where can one find bliss, total conscience, and a sweaty good time?? Look no further that the Dark Star Orchestra.
     I saw them down in Dewey Beach DE and man, what a mind blowing time. They're famous for doing Dead shows in their entirety. Most of the time, it's post hiatus ie., 1976 to 1995. But on a rare occasion, they do something from before that. This was one of those nights. They opened with US Blues, which I immediately tagged it as from summer of 73 to 74. As the first set progressed, they played Roses and To Lay Me Down, which I knew didn't debut until 74 so I was right on target. The second to last song of the first set was China>Rider. As my faithful readers know, this is my fav combo the boys do. The transition was nothing short of spectacular and they really took their time getting to Rider. They played it EXACTLY as the Dead would have performed it in 1974. By the end of the 12 song first set (I only mention this because some shows in the 90's only had 12 songs in the whole show. Yes, I'm looking at you, spring tour of 92! ), I had achieved a sweaty good time and bliss, yet still waiting on total conscience.
     The second set started and they did a great Scarlet, but no Fire 'cause this was 1974 baby! Still wasn't sure of exactly which show it was, so I wasn't sure of what the meat of the second set would consist of. Then it came like a Sasquatch on 'shrooms charging out of the woods. Truckin'>Eyes. The Truckin was steller with a peak, but not the huge drop like a '77 version. And with Eyes, total consciencness was achieved. All the jams invoked sunlight flowing over amber waves of grain in a river of bliss. Towards the end of it, they did the jam that would become King Solomon's Marbles and the jam that would become Slipknot. With that, I knew it was a summer of 74 show, cause Jerry only broke out that solo in the summer of 74 before shelving it in the fall. At the end of the show, they came out and said "Tonight’s show was 6/20/74" Booyah!! While technically still the spring, it was Summer tour and that's all that counts. People around me were scrapping their jaws off the floor and giving me high fives as I called the show rather early. When people ask me, "Do you really need 80% of all the shows from 1970 to 1974?" I tell them yes, if I want to write emails like this.
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies,
PhD in rock and roll

The FIrst 20 Tapes GD 5/26/73 Kezar Stadium, SF, CA

Public Service announcement:
My neighbor is putting on the Really Really Free Market Sat. May 14th from 7AM until 6PM at the Damaged Frieight Outlet 227 High ST., Hanover, PA  This is what is on her flyer. So check it out and involve yourself in local action

What is the Really Really Free Market? We all know that the free market is the capitalist idea that we’d all be better off worrying about ourselves and our own interests. The Really, Really Free Market ia not only an action in direct response to this ridiculous notion, but a means to disprove the capitalist myth of scarcity altogether. We don’t need the corporations, the governments, or the politicians to tell us what we need and where to get it.. All we need are the clothes and food they throw away.. All we need are talented minds and spirited hearts.. All we need is Each Other.

The Day’s events

The free exchange of goods (bring or take clothes, furniture, books, music, food, etc.) and comradery will be going on all day, but we do have a few special events planned for the day
Noon –3 PM Skill share with workshops TBA
3PM- 6PM An acoustic jam session

And now we return you to you regularly schedualed Kempepedia entry




     Greeting folks. Only a few more weeks until we show Bethel the meaning of three days of kick ass music. Yes, I am proclaiming that Phish will be better than Woodstock. So without a show to review, I present yet another installment of my highly controversial series, the First 20. Today I show a whole lotta love to 5/26/73, Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
     This is another show that had widespread penetration among the collections of tape traders back in the days before the Internet.

05-26-73 Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, Ca. (Sat)
1: Promised, Deal, Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Race Is On, Sugaree, Mexicali, Row Jimmy, L. L. Rain, TLEO, Playin
2: H. C. Sunshine, El Paso, Loser, BIODTL, You Ain't Woman Enough, Box Of Rain, China Cat> I Know You Rider, Big River, Bertha, Around
3: Half Step, Me & My Uncle, He's Gone> Truckin> Other One> Eyes> China Doll, Sugar Magnolia E: Casey Jones

You can stream it here while you read
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1973-05-26.sbd.cantor.diebert.83438.sbeok.flac16

   Kezar Stadium was where the 49ers played before they moved to Candlestick Park. Sorry I refuse to acknowledge whatever it’s new corporate name is; just like Deer Creek will always be Deer Creek. Kezar Stadium was located on the edge of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood and within the confines of Golden Gate Park. It was almost like a local concert for Heads.
    They also played 3 normal length sets instead of the monster sets that were typical of the era. Highlights of the first set include Deal, Jack Straw, and a rather spacey Playin. The second set was more like a first set as far the song selection goes. Harmonies abound on H C Sunshine and Donna takes a rare lead vocal on the Loretta Lynn classic You Ain’t Woman Enough. The third set was all about power. The classic run of He’s Gone>Truckin’ was like a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick. The Other One has some fine Phil bombs to collapse what was left of people’s skulls. The Eyes>China Doll is like the warm embrace letting you know that things will be alright, no matter how much of Owsley’s product you ingested.

Furthur
Dave Kemp
BA American Studies
Ph.D. Rock and Roll

Boxcar Social 4/30/11 Kclinger's, Hanover, PA

     When a band gets to play several days in a row, they find themselves running like a well-oiled machine. A certain telepathy forms among the members and they know what the other member is going to do before they do it. The night after coming to the rescue, they ended up playing a full show after they were only scheduled to open; Boxcar Social brought their unique blend of rock, funk, and bluegrass back home to Hanover and KClinger’s Tavern, they destroyed the place.
     They were on fire and showed they were carrying the momentum they had from the night before at the Appalachian Brewery Company in Harrisburg. They were supposed to open for the Greens but the drummer’s wife’s water broke (acceptable excuse for missing a gig). The boys stepped up to the plate and played a Boxcar first set and then a hybrid Green Social second set mashup. No more specific review than that because I wasn’t there. I go into work at 5 AM so late night activities on those nights are few and far between.
     They opened up with Funk #12, a relative new number to their repertoire. Another original simply titled D, brought out the funk featuring Brian Davis’ unique bass playing technique. The New Riders classic Glendale Train got us all in an Appalachian state of mind. 
     Wagon Wheel is another tune they have made their own and kill every time they play. Original composition 43 has the right amount of psychedelic tinge to it. They ended the first set with Get On Down followed by Frannie Mae. Once again the Col. Josh Sander’s playing was restrained enough to fill the beat without drowning out any conversation in KClinger’s bizarrely designed performance area.
     The second set was a whole ‘nother animal. The second song was their debut performance of the Allman’s In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Everyone was en fuego and Frank ( a.k.a. the F-Bomb, courtesy of Vuja Dave) was tearing it up. I’ve known Frank almost 10 years but it was only in the last 2 that I ever heard him play electric guitar. I’ve heard plenty of mandolin, banjo, and acoustic picking but he is truly a force to be reckoned with on the electric guitar. Dave’s percussion also shined through on this immediate highlight of the show. The rest of the second set raged with the highlights being Unrest, Taper’s Section and Something to Say, all strong originals.
     The encore was the classic Boxcar sandwich of Pockets>Steam Powered Aeroplane>Gin and Juice>SPAP>Pockets. Once again, creating a great blend of their own, funky soulgrass with a dash of 90’s West Coast G Funk. Paul’s vocals and storytelling always bring a smile to one’s face. The cover of Ween’s Bananas and Blow and Phish’s First Tube ended out a great 2 night run that bodes well for an upcoming summer filled with bar shows and festival appearances.

Full set List:
4/30/11 Kclinger’s Tavern, Hanover, PA

Set 1:
Funk #12>D>Glendale Train, One More Time>Pound of Gold>Wagon Wheel, 43, Get On Down, Frannie Mae

Set 2:
Caught Up in the Sound> In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Everybody’s, Mountain Blues, Coming into Los Angeles, Unrest, Taper’s Section, Something to Say, Thinking it Over

Encore:
Pockets>Steam Powered Aeroplane>Gin and Juice>SPAP>Pockets, River Song>Man Smart Women Smarter, Bananas and Blow, First Tube

Dave Kemp
BA in American Studies
Ph.D. in Rock and Roll

Tales from the Devolver Side 7/14/01 Lupita's Hanover, PA

     Hope everyone is having a great Passover/Easter/Eastre/post 420 weekend. This week’s journey will again be returning to the days of old. I’ve been having a lot of fun revisiting the hazy crazy days of the golden era of Devolver. So without further ado, let’s flash back to July 14, 2001, date of an epic show and an afterparty to end all afterparties.
     People always ask me, Dave how/why were you so into Devolver? Not an easy question to answer, but let me try. First, the music was, and is incredible. A good wide variety of covers and originals that can stand the test of time, and great group of people who became lifelong friends. All of that adds up to an incredible scene which continues today. But on this date, everything came together in an amazingly heady stew.
    This show was also important for another reason. I consider it one of the last great shows/parties before the whole world changed. It was only 6 weeks before Terry Bown died tragically and way too young on 9/9. And I’m sure I don’t have to remind anyone what happened on 9/11, just 2 days after the shocking death of one of our own. Nothing was the same after that weekend.  And so, we are inclined to look back on the summer of 2001 with a twinge of nostalgia. .
    This was one of those rare occurrences when I had to choose between two of my favorite bands. Widespread Panic with Moe opening was at Merriweather the same day as Devolver playing at Lupita’s in Hanover (Lupita’s was a Mexican restaurant that was located where the Wasabi Steakhouse is now). They had a huge downstairs banquet room where you could be up front, engulfed by Bucket’s lightshow, dancing like there was no tomorrow. Or you could be in back by the bar. It was quiet enough back there to have a conversation and just chill out. Definitely the best place in town to see the boys do their thing. So I decided to see Devolver and skip Widespread Panic. As you read, my editor is throwing up in his mouth.
     It was a typical show of the era. Sick jams and the full sound that a band gets with 2 guitarists and a killer effects board. This is another show that I don’t have the entire setlist to. Missing the first tape but what I still have is a feast for the ears.

Devolver July 14, 2001 Lupita’s, Hanover, PA

Second set
 Edge>Crosseyed and Painless>Edge Reprise>Funk II, Turn Towards the Sun, Turnaround>Star Spangled Banner>Drums>Turnaround>Bogey>Glasshawk, Bubble Speak>Dyhydration Jam
     
     A little known fact of the Devolver extended family is that some of them were under 21 at the time. We had a host of ways to get the underagers into shows, sometimes they worked the door taking the cover. They hung out there all night and never approached the bar, avoiding the awkward situation of being asked for ID. We also had laminated passes that clearly identified them as being with the band and underage. I don’t remember us using those too often but they did exist. I once even had to vouch that an underager wouldn’t drink and she had to sit at a specific table for the show.
     This night there were definitely more underagers than normal. Two girls, who I shall identify as M and K had started coming to shows through their friendship with Chad C. They were at Lupita’s that night and ready to rage. I can clearly remember M doing a pole dance (with her clothes on) during one of the songs. Wendy was watching her and commented to the effect of “I can’t believe an 18 year old is at this show and doing that.“ My reply with a huge shit eating grin on my face, “Yes it is something else”
        During the second set, a whole crew of people showed up. They were from the contingent of people that got absorbed into our family, mostly graduating from Hanover High School's mid 90’s demographic. I got a report on how the Widespread show was while being able to enjoy all that Devolver had to offer.
      Another important thing that happened that night is Stan Fidler (I know, 2 appearances in 2 weeks. That’s more than anyone has seen him in 5 years) met his future wife Charley. I have it on good inside authority that Stan gave her a ride back to Dan and Adrian’s farmhouse on the way to the afterparty. This source also informs me that at some point Charley puked and they had their first kiss shortly after that event without time for a breath mint and/or Listerine. True love indeed.
     So the show ends and we pack up all the gear. It’s 2:30, going on 3 AM. What now? AFTERPARTY! The Most Interesting Man in the World says of the 2 party system “If there are 2 parties, always go to the afterparty.” Boy did he know what he was talking about. We all headed back to Timbo’s (Kyle’s dad’s place) There had to be 30+ people there. A lot of great photos exist. I remember two fights breaking out but in true Dazed and Confused style things were worked out and the fun continued.
     I remember heading home as the sun began to rise up. While there were shows in August and a few memorable aftershow parties, nothing compared with the sheer scope and size of the shindig that occurred on July 14, 2001.

Furthur,
Dave Kemp
BA in American Studies
Ph.D. in Rock and Roll

Tales from the Devolver Side 6/8/01 New Oxford, PA

Greetings friends. Hope it is all good in your hood. No post last week as I was hanging with my brother and his family. Lots of fun but very exhausting. No shows for the next few weeks so it’s time to take a journey back to the past, when the economy was strong and the US wasn’t involved in 3 different wars. Yes, I’m talking about the Golden Age of Devolver. It’s that sweet period between Memorial Day weekend 1999 and Feb 2002, when Andy quit right before their first sustained southern tour (It was only 4 or 5 shows but still). Today we look back at June 8, 2001 at the Old Mill in New Oxford. It’s not that the show was all that memorable but a story of the best-laid plans and intentions gone awry. So please allow me to present Tales from the Devolver Side 6/8/01:
    Once again, I’m sorry if you don’t know these people but they are all part of the amazing community of music and people that we have here in the AYC (Adams York County.) You know, just like Snoop says, “With so much drama in the AYC, it’s kinda hard being S H E M P”. Adrian’s cousin George was moving to outside of Philly, where his girlfriend, Kathy, had just graduated and got a job. Adrian wanted to throw George a going away party but picked a day that Devolver was playing. Now back during this time, it was all about Devolver for me. What they were throwing down was blowing my mind on quite a regular basis. So there was no way I was going to miss a single note. (Sorry no setlist. Not sure what happened to the tapes. I do have the night after from the Glad Crab in Dallastown. The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup that night and Flick requested Ray Bourque Jam for him finally winning the Cup. But I digress…)
     So Adrian buys food and beverages. He sends out invites and gets his crib ready for a party. Except for one thing….. George doesn’t show up. Adrian throws a going away party and the guest of honor doesn’t show up. I asked George last week if he remembered where he was that night. He does not. So Adrian thinks maybe he went to the Devolver show. So everyone at the farmhouse except for Stan the Man Fidler leaves to run up to the Old Mill to see if George is there. They promise Stan they’re not going to hang out, just run up to see if he is there and then they are coming back. Ahh the best laid plans of mice and men.
     So they get up to the Old Mill and no George. Of course, Devolver is laying down some jams that would turn Jerry’s beard back to its natural color of black from his early 80’s onward gray. Christine decided to get a beer and it was all-downhill from there. Every time she finished a beer it was always “Just one more beer.” And while I love her, good luck getting her out of a show before it ends. So they ended up staying until the end of the show. As they were leaving, Troy (I think that was his name. He was friends with Mike Wright) couldn’t get his car started. So they had to give him a jumpstart. They don’t even get out of the lot until after the band had packed up. It’s probably going on 2:30 AM by now. Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice………..
      It’s just Stan and Cassidy, Dan’s dog, hanging out at Dan and Adrian’s farmhouse. Stan was told they’d be back soon so he decides to settle back with a fine beverage. Time slowly passes and soon Stan realizes they didn’t go up and come right back. As the night grows longer, Stan becomes drunker and more surly. Every time a car comes down Pumping Station road, he thinks it’s them, but it’s not. One car even pulls into the driveway, only to turn around. When they do finally get back, Stan comes out, his greeting to everyone who came back, and this is his direct quote I got from him about 5 weeks ago. “Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.” You get the point.
     Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful Sunday after the torrential rain/wind storm last night. Furthur!
Dave Kemp
BA in American Studies
PhD in Rock and Roll

Furthur 4/1/11 Hampton, VA Boxcar Social 4/2/11 Harrisburg, PA

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