Alpine Valley Hosts the Outlaw Tour: Dylan, Willie, Sheryl and Gang

Friday evening, Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wisconsin hosted the final stop on the Outlaw Tour before Saturday's Minneapolis Farm Aid show. The Alpine Valley event featured sets by Madeline Edwards, Waxahatchee, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. It seems that the best way to begin is to describe the venue, and I doubt I can improve on the description provided by Adam Selzer from Bill Pagel's BobLinks.com:

I've been to a lot of characterless amphitheaters in horrible outer
suburbs lately. After all of those, Alpine Valley was a sheer delight.
It's genuinely in the middle of nowhere - farmland stretches a while from
there before you get to the town of East Troy, a tiny town that's too far
from any other town to count as a suburb.  Behind the venue is a ski slope
and rolling hills covered in lush trees as far as the eye can see. It's a
beautiful view.

Madeline Edwards

The concert opened at 4:00 p.m. with Madeline Edwards singing "Amazing Grace." It was easy to see why the 29-year-old singer songwriter is considered a rising star of the country scene. She showed noteworthy vulnerability as she shared her personal story about losing her brother to suicide afer a battle with schizophrenia. Months later, she was dropped by her label, management, and most of her team. What followed was FRUIT—a record born from grief but rooted in hope.

Of Waxahatchee, Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson there is more to say but here I am going to drill down into a few thoughts and observations about the Dylan set. First, I wanted to draw attention to a small detail about the next stop for Willie and Bob. On Saturday the two were heading to Minneapolis for the 40th Anniversary of Farm Aid. What interesting is the surprising role Dylan played in the birth of Farm Aid. According to Ray Padgett, Bob performed at the "famously chaotic" Live Aid concert in the summer of 1985. It was a concert for Africa, and we all remember the stars there singing "We Are the World," which was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie.

Well, when Dylan was onstage, he made an offhand remark that Willie Nelson caught and couldn't let go of. Dylan asked, "Wouldn't it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?" Willie thought, "Yeah, it would be great."

* * * 
As David Kinney detailed in his book The Dylanologists, there are many categories of Dylan fans. The Pilgrims, those who make the pilgrimage Dylan's home town and other touchstones of his career. There are Dylan Scholars, Collectors, Lyrics Dissectors, Tapers (collect bootleg recordings of all his concerts), Religious/"Saved," Crazies (who sift his garbage) and the "Front Rowers." And there has to be the wide net of fans who fit no category other than that they have been touched in some deep way by his songs.

Many of the die-hard front rowers have attended not just dozens but hundreds of concerts. They notice every detail of every concert, especially when Bob deviates from expectations.

Friday night was my first concert since his fabulous show in Mankato back in 2019. We had seats in the first section behind the VIP seats.  

There were some significant contrasts between Bob's set and the others. It was daylight when the first two acts performed. During Sheryl Crow's set dusk yielded to darkness outside the amphitheater. Her performance was brightly lit throughout. The lights went out and one could see indistinct movement taking place as gear was removed and pianos rolled into place, along with other elements. The large backdrop became a deep red, but the darkness onstage remained. There was a pause as stillness came over everything, then silhouettes of musicians taking their places could be seen. 

No spotlights popped on. The only lights appeared to be the vases with white "nightlight-like" displays on the two ends of Bob's piano and four lanterns. It was just enough to give a glow to the faces of the band, and Bob, who sat center stage behind his piano wearing a block hoodie and what appeared to be a white T-shirt. 

One had to wonder how much to read into the red and yellow backdrop. I wondered if there were apocalyptic intentions here. Nuclear wasteland? (Naturally quite incongruous against the fisherman in nature setting.) "Not Dark Yet" came to mind... "but it's getting there." Which fits with the set's opening salvo, "Masters of War."

Was there an intentional link, then, to this background and "Under the Red Sky" as well? "All Along the Watchtower" is likewise associated with apocalyptic themes. 

As for the concert itself, I'll confess that I did not come with high expectations. I watched YouTube videos of this year's concerts and was there to pay tribute to a legend. I will happily say I was more than satisfied, toward the end I was wearing a smile from "Blind Willie McTell" through to the end. 

Here a few highlights. (I'm not going to detail the setlist, which you can find here at BobLinks.)

Dylan gets criticized for his lack of audience engagement, but it is what it is. His songs have something to say and he's certainly not striving to become a Vegas entertainer like Elvis, Sinatra or Wayne Newton. Opening with "Masters of War" is more than a song. It's a statement. I can't imagine it being an arbitrary inservtion.

"To Ramona" (from Another Side of Bob Dylan) has a special place for me in the Dylan catalog. "Everything passes, everything changes..." He's played this song more than 400 times in concert, and still seems to convey something heartfelt in his delivery. This was the fifth song of this set, punching out the lyrics in a memorable manner that sticks with you. He finished with a few flourishes on his harp, which his fans always seem to get a rise from.

"Early Roman Kings" followed with that slow da-dum-de-dump progression that carries everything forward. In Mankato Bob stood center stage with his arm outstretched, a hanky in hand, if memory serves me well. Even sitting behind he piano shrouded it darkness, he still seems to enjoy delivering that line, "My bell still rings."

"Under the Red Sky" was another that included some harmonica riffs in previous shows but not tonight. It's a song he's played over 200 times, from the album of the same name.  I've always enjoyed it, light-hearted fare when compared to his more sharp-edged songs.    Someday little girl, everything for you is gonna be new / Someday little girl, you’ll have a diamond as big as your shoe

"All Along the Watchtower" and "Desolation Row"are iconic, and both were performed with a measured energy. The lyrics to Watchtower are woven in a circular construction like a Mobius strip, which has no beginning or end, so it was not surprising to hear Dylan repeat the first verse again as if it flowed out of the last.  

Though Bob remained hidden behind the piano much of the night, he did stand a couple times and on another song shuffled over to Tony Garnier, perhaps to suggest something about the tempo. Between songs you could see Bob's hand flipping pages to the next song and I was curious what was there, chords or lyrics, or something else. 

A solid rendition of "Blind Willie McTell" foreshadowed the last songs of the set. "Soon After Midnight" followed, from his Tempest album, which many (incorrectly) thought would be his last. Over the last dozen years he's played this song over 450 times, which ends with this appeal, which is pure Bob: It’s now or never, more than ever / When I met you I didn’t think you would do / It’s soon after midnight and I don’t want nobody but you

"Highway 61 Revisited" and "Don't Think Twice" were showstoppers and a fitting climax for a set like this. 

* * * 

Related Links

Willie's Setlist

Bob's Setlist

Reviews from others who were there 

Willie and Bob: A Little History

Great performance by Sheryl Crow and her band

Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee

The inimitable Willie Nelson

Throwback Thursday: Add Martin Guitar Factory to Your Bucket List

In the lobby of the Martin Guitar Factory.

Tonight Jorma Kaukonen will be in Duluth at the West Theater. Jorma is a Martin Guitar enthusiast and the company now makes a Jorma Kaukonen Signature Model M-30 acoustic guitar that you might fall in love with. 

The following was published in April 2019 after my visit to the Martin Guitar Factory, an impressive experience.

 

* * * 

I live in Minnesota, my family in Pennsylvania. Over the years I've spent a lot of time flying home from the ABE airport, a.k.a Allentown-Bethlehem-Emmaus. Like airports everywhere, ABE has a number of displays showcasing sites to see in the area. One of the sites advertised here is the Martin Guitar Factory in nearby Nazareth. Though I always expected it to be special, I had no idea how special their factory tour and museum would be.

Every business has a story, a starting point and a history. Martin Guitars just happens to have a story that leaves none of us untouched. That is, anyone for whom music or pop culture has been a part of their lives.

It began in Germany where a young man named Christian Frederick Martin, born to a long line of cabinet makers, left his home to go to Vienna to become an apprentice making guitars. Unfortunately, upon returning to Germany he found himself wedged between his dream and the realities of the guild system there. C.F. Martin left his homeland and came to America.

Martins have been in the center of music history for a long, long time.

New York was bustling, but business there had its challenges. Someone told him that there was land in Pennsylvania and an abundance of Germans there. In 1838, after five years in the big city, he bought a tract of land on the outskirts of Nazareth. Eventually it became a factory for hand-crafted guitars. By the time he passed away in 1873 he'd already created a legacy for fine guitars.

Two decades later an influx of Italian immigrants led to the introduction of mandolins to the product line. Distribution, however, was an issue for many years and things weren't always coming up roses.

Templates and tools of the trade.

In the 1920's there was a ukulele crazeand the third generation Martin was on it. Their initial entry into the uke market was lackluster due to the over-braced design. This was soon corrected and Martin eventually became the dominant ukulele in this arena. As the Roaring 20's roared, so did Martin Guitars. As with all market cycles, the 30's challenged everyone, including the Martins.

There's more than one way to respond to hard times. Some companies fold, others, innovate. The Martin Guitar Company chose the latter path. To their credit, they survived. Fans of all forms of American music have been beneficiaries.

Guitars with personality are part of the Martin tradition.

One of the innovations of this period was the Dreadnought, so named after a large class of World War I battleships. (In case you were wondering where that name came from.) It had a large body, booming bass and seemed a perfect accompaniment for vocals. In eventually proved to be the perfect instrument for the folk music scene that would soon evolve.

In the post-WW2 boom, the big challenge for Martin Guitars became keeping up with demand. In 1955 a decision was made to build a larger plant and really get serious about the business. The one constant throughout their history has been an adherence to high standards.

* * * *
This is a brief introduction only. If you play guitar at any level, you'll want to add "a visit to the Martin Guitar Factory" to your bucket list. You'll discover things about guitars that you'd never considered before. That sheen you love, for example, is the result of a process that includes nine coats of lacquer. The selection of woods, adhesives and strings are all part of the equation. You'll discover how they authenticate their guitars so that you know you have the real deal when you pay for your guitar. It's all there, not only the what but also the why.

The museum, too, is killer. You'll see the history expressed in the form of those who love the products they produced.

The who's who of Martin guitar players includes some of our most legendary names. Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan, who played a Martin D-28 at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963, and a Martin 00-42 there in 1964. Dylan, a fan of Martins in the Sixties famously played a 1963 Martin D-28 at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971. That Martin, which Dylan purchased for $500 sold for near $400K 46 years later.

Stringed instruments are their thing. 

Here are a few quotes that give you a sense of the value here.

I was in a parade with this singing cowboy
back when I was a boy circa 1960.

"I still play that guitar. It's a Martin D-18 with a clear pick guard. I've played that guitar on and off my TV shows for nearly 50 years. "
--Andy Griffith

"My favorite guitar now is my Martin HD-7 because it's got everything. It's got the jingle-jangle thing from the twelve string, it's got the flexibility of the six string, and the bass notes where you can do bass runs and that sort of thing."
--Roger McGuinn

"I only had time for one trip back in [to my burning house]. I grabbed my two prized possessions, a pound of marijuana and my Martin guitar."
--Willie Nelson

* * * *
There is a Martin Guitar Museum just off to your left, where most of these photos were taken. It gives you a sense of the history. Then there's the factory tour, and you see the great care with which the guitars are made. Both the museum and the tour are free. My iPhone battery was out of juice, to my dismay, by the time we got to the factory tour. It was exceedingly rewarding and I will likely return.

"Come gather 'round people wherever you roam..."

The Man in Black.

The Martin Guitar Factory Museum is a model for other companies
on how to market their brand. Don't compromise quality and
show others why people love their product.

Guitar pickers of all stripes drift through this lobby. Here's one I saw while I was there.

Birds-eye view of a table in the lobby.

For more information:
Visit https://www.martinguitar.com/about/visit-us/

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude... it's like magic.

Yesterday I was reading a book in which at the end of one chapter the authors gave readers an assignment to make a list of 25 things they were grateful for. I decided to do this and found out something. Nearly the entire list was people, people who have enriched my life in a multitude of ways, family, friends, relatives, and eventually a few things like our home, Susie's garden, a career in which I could use my gifts, etc.

While writing this, other people keep coming to mind, people who helped me or cared about me or encouraged me, including teachers, coaches, and even a few strangers.  I'm also grateful that  I'm not dead yet. And overarching the whole is a sense of gratitude to God for this gift of life.

These thoughts prompted me to find quotes on gratitude to inspire you as well. Many of the names are familiar and some surprising. May you find something here to lift your heart and your spirit in these turbulent, unsettling times.

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others."
--Cicero

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
--John F. Kennedy

"When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."
--G.K. Chesterton

"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness - it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude."
--Brene Brown

"Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty."
--Doris Day

Cape May, NJ --1999

"Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's hand and squeeze it, while there's time."
--Dale Dauten

"Thankfulness is the tune of angels."
--Edmund Spenser

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
--Robert Brault

"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around."
--Willie Nelson

"Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices."
--Robert Braathe

"Gratitude... It can change everything, almost like magic."
--Kat Senn

"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."
--Frank A. Clark

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
--William Arthur Ward

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily."
--Gerald Good

And finally, this verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything give thanks." Words that we especially need today as much as ever.

Thank you for reading.