Like a Rolling Stone ....

[Chmee]

Yee-hah, a buddy just called me last night to offer me his ticket to see Bob Dylan on Monday night ... opening act is Merle Haggard ..... psyched.

One clue as to the concert repertoire is his tour band. For years he's been backed by young rockers, most notably Charlie Sexton on guitar, who seemed to give Dylan an extra kick of energy. But for this tour, according to several Web sites, he's hired musicians associated with folk and country music, including Don Herron of the lively, fun and slightly goofy country/folk/rockabilly band BR549. He plays banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle.

Also in the band are a trio of Texas musicians, fiddler Elana Fremerman and guitarists Carolyn Wonderland and Denny Freeman. Apparently still remaining in the band from previous tours are Tony Garnier on bass, George Receli on drums and guitarist Stuart Kimball, making for the biggest band Dylan has toured with in more than 20 years.

The lineup suggests that the shows will have more of a folk and country feel than rock. And with two fiddlers, Dylan may revisit his '70s "Desire" album and Rolling Thunder tour, which both featured violinist Scarlet Rivera.

Dylan reportedly has written new tunes for an upcoming album, and he may feature some of them in his shows. That will get the Dylanologists excited.

Also notable about this tour are Dylan's choices for opening acts. The great country star Merle Haggard is ordinarily a headliner but says Dylan is one of few artists he would open for. "I'm honored to do it for Bob," he told Rolling Stone. His most recent album is "Unforgettable," a collection of standards such as "Cry Me a River" and "As Times Goes By."

Seattle Times article