I have now seen Bob Dylan seven times since 1987. This was Sarah's first time, although, she doesn't remember but we both saw Bob's guitarist Charlie Sexton for free at the Rialto in Tucson back in September. Dylan has been performing non stop since the early 90s to show he's not a museum piece, that he is a working rocker despite his almost 70 years of age. The crowd Saturday night was psyched and they got a great show. It started right on time. Although Dylan began with an obscure blues song he did in 1990 "Cat's In the Well" the crowd loved the power of George Receli's drums and Charlie Sexton's lead guitar. At this point Dylan's voice is hanging by a thread- but he makes up for it with stretching and screaming and growling out the notes and famous words with all he's got. The familiar chord's of "Lay Lady Lay" introduced a version that is faithful to the 1969 original while being reborn as a shrieking plea. "Stuck Inside of Mobile..." was not only rockin' but Bob sang it like he had just recorded it back in Columbia's Nashville studios as in 1965. He newer songs from his CD TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE were on target as they match his new voice. "Jolene" (no not Dolly Parton's song) was a fresh Texas two step where Dylan convinces a girl "I am the king/you are the queen". I got a new appreciation for his new tune "If You Ever Go To Houston", which most folk purists will know is based on a line in the famous Lead Belly song "Midnight Special". But in the best songwriting tradition, Dylan focuses on this warning and has us head his call "if you ever go to Dallas" and to" Boston" Building a line from a folk song or other song and including a line or using it was the basis for a song is a trick he really has been doing since 1961 - we just didn't know it then. The show had few surprises, especially if you follow tour set lists at bobkinks.com but he never sings a song the same way twice and his closer, "All Along the Watchtower" must be in it;s 15th incarnation. These days Dylan punches each word as they slink down the minor chord forest. The light show too was tasteful, dramatic and not overly done. His band mates were dressed in shiny black, Dylan had a gaucho hat. During two songs he sang alone with only a harmonica, gesturing to the crowd like a crooner, a preacher or a song and dance man. Mostly he played a keyboard which though silent except for a few familiar notes during "LIke A Rolling Stone" suited him as if one knows Dylan, this was his first instrument when he tried to copy Little Richard in high school. We also had a good time at the Arizona State Fair, in downtown Phoenix, in a beat up old section of town that probably was the outskirts of town only a few decades ago. We had a nice trip on the sky tram which took us down the midway and saw huge cows and goats. After a late night dinner at IHOP we got back to Tucson at a minute past midnight.