u/michaelgloversmith

I've seen six shows live this year (four in the spring and two in the summer), and I've heard the tapes of quite a few more. The Thackerville, OK show is the best I've heard so far. Just a masterpiece of a performance. Unlike a lot of shows in recent years, where the first song or two are mere warm-ups, Bob is on fire from the very first line of "To Be Alone with You." Joel Paterson's guitar playing is so confident, it's unbelievable: It seems clear to me that he's lit a fire in Bob's belly! Although Joel's style of playing is different from Charlie Sexton, he's very similar to Charlie in that he knows how to step up and rip a short solo, then pull back. It seems as though, in the first four shows he's played with Bob, he's soloed more than Britt and Lancio did in the past five years combined! Just listen to Joel's tasty solos on "Soon After Midnight," "Under the Red Sky," "Goodbye Jimmy Reed," "I Shall Be Released," etc. (the latter of which is also the only version this year to feature a harp solo).

I also love the way that having a single guitarist in the band creates more space between the instruments; you can really hear Dylan's newer piano playing style more clearly (where he's blocking out chords almost exclusively on the low end of the keyboard). The instrumental interplay between Bob and Joel sounds really special right away. Kind of like the way the interplay was between Bob and Donnie Herron. Anyway, I really hope Joel sticks around for the Chicago show. It's my next show, and it should be a hell of a homecoming for him.

You can listen to Thackerville in its entirety on YouTube here (huge thanks to Sbalde for recording and Bennyboy for remastering): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOoj75Vd1as&list=RDDOoj75Vd1as&start_radio=1

I'll be at Spectacle Theatre in Brooklyn (aka the greatest microcinema in the world) to introduce the NYC premiere of my film, HEKLA, a comedy about a chaotic day in the life of a Chicago actress, on Mon, 6/8 at 7:30 pm. The film, a love letter to actors, had its world premiere in March and has won awards at four festivals so far. It stars the phenomenal Elizabeth Stam and is narrated by the great Wendy Robie (Nadine in TWIN PEAKS). Elizabeth and I will be doing a post-screening Q&A moderated by filmmaker Paula Gonzalez-Nasser (THE SCOUT). Check the theater's website for a synopsis, trailer, and ticket info! https://www.spectacletheater.com/hekla/

Hello Los Angeles film community! My new feature, HEKLA, a comedy about a chaotic day in the life of a Chicago actress, screens at Dances With Films on Tues, 6/23. It stars the phenomenal Elizabeth Stam, is narrated by the great Wendy Robie (TWIN PEAKS), and has gone over exceptionally well with artists of all stripes at all of our screenings so far! This is our West Coast Premiere, and I'd love to meet and network with some LA film folks there (we'll be doing a Q&A after). You can watch the trailer and find ticket info at our film's DWF page. Check it out: https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-hekla/