Watch the Bobfest rehearsals
Bob Dylan rehearsing with Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Booker T, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, GE Smith, Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Jim Keltner and more.
If you’ve ever wondered where the centre of the universe was on October 16, 1992, it was Madison Square Garden. That night the venue would host Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.
It’s incredible now looking back and realising that the event marked the less-than half-way mark in Dylan’s recording career and that a further 33 years has since elapsed. Who could have foreseen that this generation, just a little behind the original Rock ‘n’ Rollers and Country stars, would still be going strong nearly 40 years later, with career longevity that eclipses all the stars who came before and many of the ones who came after. Bob Dylan is still here and just coming off one of his best tours (Rough And Rowdy Ways ‘25) in many years.
Those in attendance that night speak to the seismic influence on American songwriting Dylan had. One Byrd, one Beatle, one Rolling Stone, one Velvet, 3 members of The Band, 4 country music legends (Carter, Cash, Kristofferson, Willie Nelson), one R&B Soul pioneer Stevie Wonder, heroes of Stax, The Clancy Brothers, Neil Young, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Chrissie Hynde, Sinead O’Connor, not to mention Jim Keltner, Johnny Winter, John Mellencamp, Nanci Griffiths, Carolyn Hester, Richie Havens and so many more. Even some of the musical personnel in the choir were astonishing: Cissy Houston and Sheryl Crow!
What I really thought of the 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration — Bobfest '92
I was at 30th Anniversary Concert and the concert actually started before the official pay-per-view started with John Mellencamp. Nanci Griffith & Carolyn Hester did "Boots of Spanish Leather" which is on the video release, but not the pay-per-view, and John Hammond also did "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean." I really don't remember anyone else.
This rehearsal footage has been around for a long time now, but it’s a great behind the scenes look at the rehearsals with the house band that focused primarily on the all star performance of My Back Pages. I’ve made a small enhancement and upscale to if.
It’s great seeing the individual artists interacting and performing together, everything held together with ease by the ever great SNL alumni GE Smith and it’s always good watching Dylan blues jam on acoustic to “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry.”
Wow - thanks for sharing. Great footage. I love George trying to get sorted on the verses for My Back Pages.
Was that Eddie Vedder with the long hair, chatting with Roger McGuinn and then G.E. Smith?
I so remember this day, it was a BFD...in my case, I had just divorced and felt odd, not depressed, just odd, I felt free and still had lots of game...I arranged a viewing party at my pad and an hour before the show kicked off my fekking TV crapped out so I jetted down, bought a brand new early big screen, hooked it up just in time...I remember thinking it was weird that Robbie wasn't there, I remember appreciating the several performers that normally I would never listen to...I remember Lou Reed nailed to the teleprompter reading/singing License to Kill (? not sure...Foot of Pride?) and grateful someone had done a deep cut ...