I’ve seen Dylan in many different venues — hockey arenas, 100,000-seat stadiums, and a variety of mid-sized theaters. But one time he decided to play a small club In Philadelphia, the Trocadero, and I was fortunate enough to grab a ticket from the box office when they went on sale, since I worked nearby.
The Troc, which closed in 2020, was an old burlesque theater from the 1920s converted into a music club that featured a wide variety of performances and DJ’s. Many of the musical acts were metal or alt bands, but it was here during the early winter of 1997 that Dyan arrived for a two-night stand in Philadelphia
On the heels of the excellent Time Out of Mind release, Dylan provided a mixture of his classic hits along with some choice deep cuts and new material in a much more-intimate setting.
At this point from the live shows that I’ve seen, I am less-interested in hearing Dylan play the “classic” material, and prefer to hear either new stuff or rarities. I got both on this night.
Opening with a ragged version of “Maggie’s Farm,” he then launched into “Senõr” from the extremely underrated “Street-Legal” album. I love this song and it was a good performance of something I had never seen him do before, so I was in for a good night.
He then proceeded to mix the classics, new songs, and the more-obscure, along with an acoustic set featuring a cover of a traditional number “Roving Gambler.”
Another rarity was “This Wheel’s on Fire” from his days with The Band, and he ended the main set with the always rocking “Highway 61 Revisited.”
Encoring with “Love Sick,” which was more stunning live than the studio version, and a nice acoustic “Forever Young,” Dylan ended this club date on a high note with a rousing but somewhat cliché “Rainy Day Women.”
While the Troc can be considered intimate with a capacity of 1,200 combined on the lower level and balcony, the one downside was that it was packed, I was not as close as I would have preferred, and the bar atmosphere detracted a bit from the overall enjoyment.
Nonetheless Dylan was having a good time playing at the club, and the vibe was shared by the audience, which made for an excellent evening.
Here is a clip of “I Don’t Believe You” taken from that night.
Here is the setlist, but I can’t find my ticket stub.
Maggie’s Farm
Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)
Cold Irons Bound
I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
Can’t Wait
Silvio
Roving Gambler (traditional cover) (Acoustic)
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Acoustic)
Tangled Up in Blue (Acoustic)
Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
This Wheel’s on Fire (The Band cover)
‘Til I Fell in Love With You
Highway 61 Revisited
Forever Young (Acoustic)
Love Sick
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35