BOB DYLAN
Friday August 22, 2003
New York State Fair Grandstand, Syracuse, New York, USA

2003 SUMMER US TOUR (July 12 - Aug 23)

Showtime: 7:30 p.m.

DISC I
01. Introduction 0:58
02. Tombstone Blues 6:25
03. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power) 5:31
04. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum 5:10
05. It Ain't Me, Babe 7:03
06. Dignity 5:26
07. Highway 61 Revisited 6:08
08. This Wheel's On Fire 6:45
09. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) 7:08
10. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 7:21
11. High Water (For Charley Patton) 6:49
12. Moonlight 4:49


DISC II
01. Honest With Me 7:04
02 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right 8:38
03. Summer Days 7:03
04. Like A Rolling Stone 6:48
05. All Along The Watchtower 5:21
06. Tangled Up In Blue 8:56

Total running time: 1:53:23


SOURCE
Excellent Audience recording - remastered
Unknown source. Very Good sound

"Due to unbearable level of bass and almost equally low high of the original recording,
remastering concentrated on these aspects without any distortions or overrides in the result." Buda

Opening act: The Waifs


REVIEWS taken from Bill Pagel's site at www.boblinks.com


Review by Barb Henry

"Took a road trip to Syracuse with my 19 year old daughter for her first Dylan concert. Bob put on a classic performance with lots of essential Bob Dylan. This is the first concert i've heard him tell a story. He said that Larry won a pig at the State fair. He asked him where he'd keep the pig and he said in the bed nextto him. He asked how would he stand the smell, he said the pig would get used to it. After the laughing bob said, "wooowww!," then continued to introduce the band.
The band seemed a little tired but bob was hot tonight. He danced and smiled, we swear he looked right at my daughter who was wearing a light blue bandana headband. State fair venue was awesome with the ultimate drop ride in the background and fireworks after. The crowd was cool but mellow. Lots of smoke in the air in the lower sections where we were, but everybody must get stoned. We loved hearing senor-my first time. It Ain't Me Babe was awesome as usual. The Love & Theft songs were good as i've seen them before. Don't Think Twice was a huge highlight and then the most rockin' version of Summer Days i've heard in my five concert history. Gave me goose bumps.
My daughter was thrilled to hear like a rolling stone and watchtower seemed better than i've heard it before. The ultimate closer was a never to be heard again version of Tangled Up In Blue.
Bob took lots of long bows and looks into the audience. He looked fab in his black cowboy shirt with white glitter trim to match the white piping in his black pants. Always stylish and cool, best way to describe him at this show. The Waifs were a great warm up with outstanding harmonica by one of the sister singers, from Australia.
We totally wanted to see bob at niagra falls, the canadian border guard urged us to go, but only 3,000 tickets sold out very fast unfortunately. We enjoyed the falls and the beautiful weather today and yesterday. Syracuse was rockin, great road trip and initiation of margo to the 'best friends tour.' see you next time bob, come back to cincinnati. Thanks Again."



Review by Tim Wrona

"I was lucky enough to see 2 of the 3 upstate New York shows - at Darien opening & playing with the Dead on August 8th and at the New York State Fair in Syracuse on August 22nd. 2 shows, 2 weeks apart, and both shows on Fridays. Both of these shows delivered above and beyond even last Fall's cover song bonanza in Elmira, NY. I walked out again thinking that he must really likes playing in upstate NY, or of course, maybe he just
like playing everywhere.

Opening for anyone in a shed, especially the Dead, isn't an enviable task. Half the crowd is still filing in, it's light out, etc., etc. Dylan responded at Darien by turning up the volume during his set and having Bob Weir sit in on half the songs. At times it was reminiscent of the Outlaws 4-guitar army (with the Tommy sitting in) and it rocked. When Bob came out for his part of the Dead set, you could tell he was totally into it and having a great time playing with these guys. He played the first Tangled of the summer tour and then the only Takes A Lot To Laugh, both in near Jerry Garcia Band style. The 4-song set was extremely well played and everything the Dylan-Dead shows should have been in 1987, with the notable absence of one guitar player.

Fast forward 2 weeks. It was his first time playing the Fair in 10 years. The Syracuse Post Standard had printed the 2002 Newport Folk Festival photo (with the wig and beard) in color on the cover of the weekend section. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he wear that get-up so that people wouldn't use that photo? Anyways, after the predictable comments from those who saw the picture and don't get it like "you're going to see that?", we hit a couple beer stands at the Fair and then headed to the grandstand. The familiar introduction came on and when he walked out, he was the headliner, and he owned the place. Sweat poured off his chin just a few songs in, and then off his beak. Totally focused, great songs, and a very appreciative crowd. He was literally hopping up and down in between songs, and attacking the piano during them. After Watchtower, George was waving his arm over his head encouraging the crowd to get him to play one more and he did, the last Tangled of the tour. I've seen Tangled countless times, but seeing it in the spot that so often has been occupied by Rainy Day Women, it was the finishing touch. This Fair version was all Dylan, and the Post Standard the following morning; 4 out of 4 stars."