Dylan Hears A Who, among other things

Whoa, it’s been a long time since the last post. So much to do, so little time. Fortunately for me, I’ve been mostly at play. Saw Rusted Root at the Chicago House of Blues a week ago Friday, then the Who yet again last Monday. This was my first exposure to Rusted Root, and I felt a little like I crashed some sort of tribal gathering. The band has a rabid following much like Phish, only on a smaller scale. The floor of the HOB was definitely moving with the throng, to music I can best describe as a melding of 60’s west coast jam –band, reggae and world beats. I kept hearing Jefferson Airplane and Poi Dog Pondering. RR has definitely found a particular sound and honed it to perfection. In my opinion, they could use some keyboards and electric guitar just to add some variety, as the sound is energetic but one-dimensional. Interesting covers included Stevie’s Superstition, Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower and the King’s Suspicious Minds.

The Who’s Left? Tour returned to town on the 5th, and the only disappointment was the nearly identical set list from September, even though Pete led us to believe that things would be different. However, the playing was sharper, some of the extended jams more inspiring, and overall, a good time was had by all. It warmed my heart to see Pete and Roger genuinely enjoying themselves, and a few times absolutely stunned by the audience reception. As a reward we got The Naked Eye in the encore, and an unbelievable Tommy medley that was worth the price of admission alone. Townshend was on fire all night, and as chatty on stage as I’ve ever seen him, to me indicative that he’s relaxed and confident in the new Who. After the show we pondered if this was the final go around. The way Pete is playing, and the obvious enjoyment evident in his demeanor, I can’t imagine him quitting now. A recent blurb in Rolling Stone covered his recent club gigs with Lou Reed, J Mascis and the Raconteurs. Pete says he finds these types of gigs inspirational, and hinted that the next Who tour could be more intimate, acoustic affairs. Yikes. Some video is available at In The Attic. Select audio available at itunes.

Finally, Dylan Hears A Who has been snaking its way across the Internet of late. The source of this remarkable mimicry is reportedly a Houston based producer named Kevin Ryan, who has obsessed over sound and studio technology before, and has created some amazing audio here. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d swear this was a 1965 era Zimmy covering Dr. Seuss. I wonder what Bob thinks…..