Bob Dylan & Wallingford, CT: A history
Bob Dylan and his band will be coming to the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT this June the 18th, 2017. The occasion will mark Bob's third official appearance in Wallingford, however, this will be his fourth time around preforming within the borders of my hometown, Wallingford.
Officially, Bob first played in Wallingford (at the Oakdale Theater) in 1997. However, I remember hearing a story from my aunt and uncle, who were teenagers at the time, that they saw Bob Dylan and Joan Baez together at the Oakdale back in the early 1960s. My aunt recalled that she saw Bob and Joan walk together, right in front of her and her then boyfriend (now husband) and into the Oakdale, which was then some kind of tent or barn.
Since this show is not listed anywhere, at least under Bob's name, I had to do a bit of digging online to find out if my aunt's memory served her correctly. Alas, it did. Joan Baez played a show with Bob at the Oakdale on August 11, 1963, in the evening. They later went on to play a show in Pittsfield, MA a few days later (August 14th). Interestingly enough, Bob recorded, at Columbia studios in New York City, "Moonshiner" and "Only a Hobo" the very next day, August 12, 1963. Later in that same month, on August 28, 1963, Bob played at the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr.
According to the flyer below, Bob and Joan played the evening show on that Sunday, August 11, 1963. Earlier in the day, the famed Liberace played the piano.
Bob returned to a much different Oakdale on August 18, 1997. He was joined by the legendary Rick Danko, of the Band, who sadly went on to die in 1999 from years of drug addiction and hard living.
Here's the setlist from 8/18/97:
1. Absolutely Sweet Marie
2. Peggy-O
3. I'll be Your Baby Tonight
4. Tough Mama
5. Silvio
6. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
7. Tangled Up in Blue
8. Little Sadie
9. I'll Remember You
10. This Wheel's on Fire (w/Danko)
11. The Cat's in the Well
12. Like a Rolling Stone
13. I Shall be Released (w/Danko)
14. Alabama Getaway
Bob last played in Wallingford on his never ending tour on August 17, 2003. Interestingly enough, Bob and the band belted out "This Wheels on Fire", a Band cover, and "I'll be Your Baby Tonight", an average tune off Nashville Skyline, both in 1997 and 2003. "Like a Rolling Stone" is always expected, along with "All Along the Watchtower". However, it really would be shocking if Bob played "This Wheels on Fire" or "I'll be Your Baby Tonight" this time around.
I wonder if Bob played "This Wheels on Fire" in honor of Danko, knowing that he played with him at the Oakdale back in '97. It'd be surprising to me if Bob remembered Wallingford or the Oakdale at all, but who knows. He played both songs both times in Wallingford. "This Wheels on Fire" is only included in three other setlists from 2003.
Here's the setlist from 8/17/03:
1. Stuck Inside a Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
4. I'll be Your Baby Tonight
5. Things Have Changed
6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. This Wheel's on Fire
8. Watching the River Flow
9. The Wicked Messenger
10. Born in Time
11. A-Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
12. Honest With Me
13. Simple Twist of Fate
14. Summer Days
15. Like a Rolling Stone
16. All Along the Watchtower
We'll see what Bob has in store on June 18th!
Officially, Bob first played in Wallingford (at the Oakdale Theater) in 1997. However, I remember hearing a story from my aunt and uncle, who were teenagers at the time, that they saw Bob Dylan and Joan Baez together at the Oakdale back in the early 1960s. My aunt recalled that she saw Bob and Joan walk together, right in front of her and her then boyfriend (now husband) and into the Oakdale, which was then some kind of tent or barn.
Since this show is not listed anywhere, at least under Bob's name, I had to do a bit of digging online to find out if my aunt's memory served her correctly. Alas, it did. Joan Baez played a show with Bob at the Oakdale on August 11, 1963, in the evening. They later went on to play a show in Pittsfield, MA a few days later (August 14th). Interestingly enough, Bob recorded, at Columbia studios in New York City, "Moonshiner" and "Only a Hobo" the very next day, August 12, 1963. Later in that same month, on August 28, 1963, Bob played at the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr.
According to the flyer below, Bob and Joan played the evening show on that Sunday, August 11, 1963. Earlier in the day, the famed Liberace played the piano.
Bob returned to a much different Oakdale on August 18, 1997. He was joined by the legendary Rick Danko, of the Band, who sadly went on to die in 1999 from years of drug addiction and hard living.
Here's the setlist from 8/18/97:
1. Absolutely Sweet Marie
2. Peggy-O
3. I'll be Your Baby Tonight
4. Tough Mama
5. Silvio
6. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
7. Tangled Up in Blue
8. Little Sadie
9. I'll Remember You
10. This Wheel's on Fire (w/Danko)
11. The Cat's in the Well
12. Like a Rolling Stone
13. I Shall be Released (w/Danko)
14. Alabama Getaway
Bob last played in Wallingford on his never ending tour on August 17, 2003. Interestingly enough, Bob and the band belted out "This Wheels on Fire", a Band cover, and "I'll be Your Baby Tonight", an average tune off Nashville Skyline, both in 1997 and 2003. "Like a Rolling Stone" is always expected, along with "All Along the Watchtower". However, it really would be shocking if Bob played "This Wheels on Fire" or "I'll be Your Baby Tonight" this time around.
I wonder if Bob played "This Wheels on Fire" in honor of Danko, knowing that he played with him at the Oakdale back in '97. It'd be surprising to me if Bob remembered Wallingford or the Oakdale at all, but who knows. He played both songs both times in Wallingford. "This Wheels on Fire" is only included in three other setlists from 2003.
Here's the setlist from 8/17/03:
1. Stuck Inside a Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
4. I'll be Your Baby Tonight
5. Things Have Changed
6. Highway 61 Revisited
7. This Wheel's on Fire
8. Watching the River Flow
9. The Wicked Messenger
10. Born in Time
11. A-Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
12. Honest With Me
13. Simple Twist of Fate
14. Summer Days
15. Like a Rolling Stone
16. All Along the Watchtower
We'll see what Bob has in store on June 18th!
I attended the 1997 concert at the Oakdale Theater with my wife and two daughters. You may have mentioned but BR 549 was one of the opening acts on which Donnie Herron was a member. At first, I did not recognize Rick Danko until he and Dylan sang This Wheel's On Fire. Like you, I am looking forward to celebrating Father's Day with Dylan on June 18th in Wallingford.
ReplyDeleteIt must've been a great show! Danko, plus the opener-I did not know about that!
DeleteI attended that Joan Baez concert at Oakdale and 1963. And the appearance of Bob Dylan was a big surprise for most of the audience. Connecticut had been through a period of drought and in the middle of the concert it began to rain and the tent canvas was so dry that a fine mist covered the audience and the stage and knocked out the power to the amps at which point the lights went out and Joan started singing we shall overcome... very very moving.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was there it was wonderful. Here is what I just wrote to a friend about that night:
Delete"So I saw Dylan on August 11, 1963 at Oakdale Music Theatre in Connecticut. It was a Joan Baez concert in a tiny tent summerstock venue. She did her set then said "I'd like to bring out someone who you wil be hearing alot about very soon ... Bob Dylan". He came on the in-the-round stage while outside a summer thunderstorn hit the area. All of a sudden the power went off. The attendants had flashlights so they came down the isles and shined their lights on the stage. Without missing a beat Dylan and Baez sang an accoustic set together including 'It's A Hard Rain Gonna Fall'. What a night for this 19 year old folk music fan."
I was there as well and I remember well that Dylan almost stole the show.
DeleteI was at yhat 1963 baez concert as well. Dont remember the rain issue but thought, after dylan sang, well this guys not going anywhere- he cant sing. Needless to say, i did not become a music critic and stuck wiyh plain old reporting.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't remember the rain and the power going off then you weren't there.
DeleteI was there too with a date. I was 16. Dylan was introduced by Joan and stole the show.
ReplyDelete