I'm sure you're well aware of your brother-in-law's lineage: Oh, yeah-you can't get away from it!
Dylan's performances have been all over the map. I recorded some of live shows in the 1970's. A few were good, some were abysmal. I saw him a few years ago here in Chicago. Unfortunately, the venue wasn't very good (Tweeter Center).
--Scott
http://www.funisgood.net/?page=bio
Bill Veech's legacy of oddball marketing and cooked up events lives on in minor league parks all over. I have been a long-time fan of the minor league experience (even though it's gotten a tad too commercial as it's gotten more popular, dammit). The Dylan/Nelson tour was a great idea but your ideas would have helped. I look at it this way -- I can say I saw Bob Dylan (briefly) once. Willie I've seen several time, and thoroughly enjoyed each one. Time has been kinder to Willie's voice and brain than Dylan's.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott D. Smith" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 7:38 PM Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Mellencamp
My brother-in-law Mike Veeck helped produce the Nelson/Dylan tour (he owns some minor league teams in partnership with some other investors). I tried to convice him to get a sound company that could "ride herd" on the show (especially the Dylan portion), but he was kind of at the mercy of some of the local PA companies. It was a great idea, though, and we have had discussions about doing something similar again next year.
Regarding live sound in general, my frustration is such that I have avoided many shows that I would normally love to go see. It just isn't worth the pain. (although I did see a fine performance of Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris recently at the Northerly Pavilion in Chicago. The PA level was a little hot for where we were sitting in relation to the stage, but to be fair, the main cluster PA had to reach back another 25 rows).
On the other hand, I have attended many fime jazz and classical performances for which I have little complaint (except for some rude audience members).
(Hey, wasn't it Dylan who was just complaining about the poor quality of current recording technology in curent issue Rolling Stone too? Maybe it's time to get the 'ol ears checked...)
--Scott D. Smith
Tom Fine wrote:
My wife and I went to the Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan minor league ballpark tour two summers ago. Willie's show actually sounded great. We were seated down the 3rd base side toward the outfield. The stage was set up in the outfield with a self-contained sound system, not using the stadium PA system. Like I said, Willie was great. Dylan was so loud, so distorted and so unintelligable that we opted to save our ears and walked out.
-- Tom Fine