May 1, 1980 concert review: Bob Dylan in Kleinhans Music Hall



Bob Dylan at the height of his born-again Christian phase.

May 1, 1980
The Gospel According to Bob Dylan
Verily, Bob Dylan entered unto Kleinhans Music Hall Wednesday night with his traveling gospel show and the crowd therein rendered unto him tidings that Christian missionaries have been greeted with for generations, yea, unto two millennia. At nightfall this evening, he comes again to Kleinhans.
After the townspeople, 2,000 or more, claimed their places, he sent forth one ebony maiden clad in red spangles and close-fitting jeans and she did recite the parable of Jesus and the woman without a train ticket. And the people did marvel.
Truly, the faithless soon grew restive in their $12.50 and $15 seats and they shouted and clapped and they made their exit to the restrooms, where they blew vainly on harmonicas, or descended unto the basement lounge, where they were suffered to stand four-deep at the bar while the jukebox emitted Jackson Browne.
But the true believers held fast and they were rewarded as the one ebony maiden became a glorious five-woman choir, of exquisite proportion, belting out songs of faith in joyous and angelic harmony. Not one, not two, but seven songs, yea, over storefront church piano. Hallelujah!
And at the balcony, a sign: "Jesus Loves You And So Do We Bob Dylan Welcome to Bflo."
At last did Dylan stride forth to the center of the stage, and his Muscle Shoals disciples were with him, and so together with the ebony maidens they did deliver the new songs of Dylan rejoicing in the Lord.
"It may be the Devil, it may be the Lord, but you know you've got to serve somebody," he sang with beloved nasal intonation. "Serve somebody," the angelic voices replied.
Though more and more turned faithless and abandoned their seats, Dylan was not dismayed. Verily, he stopped the music to give testament to the depth of his faith.
"Sin," he said, "keeps the power of God in bondage. So ... sometimes I go on and on. They say, 'Bob, don't preach so much.' Anyway, Jesus did say blessed are the poor, for they shall be comforted and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness ..."
Dylan's preachings disquieted some and drew cheers from others.
Nor did Dylan waver from his faith and yield to his old songs. The new teachings were with him and he was full of them as the desert is with sand.
He sang only praises to the Lord in songs from "Slow Train Coming" and in new songs which were unfamiliar to the ear but rang with phrases like "I've been saved" and "Are you ready to meet Jesus" and "I'm Pressing On."
"I never told you to vote for nobody," he said. "I never told you what to wear or how to catch a fare. Some of you may not get it. Some of you might. But I know if I die this minute, I shall have eternal life."
So ultimately did the lights of the might of his faith prevail and those who remained summoned him back and his bearded face shone upon two encores. And the faithful were glad. And the doubters gave their applause and shook their heads and agreed that, verily, Dylan had done it again. And they went home confounded.
* * * * *
IN THE PHOTO: Undated concert photo of Bob Dylan with the backup singers.
* * * * *
FOOTNOTE: Wikipedia tells us that Dylan was nudged toward Jesus by actress Mary Alice Artes, his African American born-again Christian girlfriend in late 1978, who led him into Bible study with Vineyard Christian Fellowship, which included producer T-Bone Burnette.
Dylan came to Buffalo in the middle of the third leg of his Gospel Tour, which had begun the previous November in San Francisco. On this leg, the backup singers included the fabulous Clydie King, who sang on Dylan's "Saved" album, which was recorded in Muscle Shoals between the second and third legs of the tour. Dylan was rumored to have romanced all of his backing women vocalists.
Here's what got played that night, according to the set list at bobdylan.com:
Gotta Serve Somebody
I Believe in You
When You Gonna Wake Up?
Ain't Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody
Cover Down, Break Through
Precious Angel
Man Gave Names to All the Animals
Slow Train
Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
Solid Rock
Saving Grace
Saved
What Can I Do for You?
In the Garden
Are You Ready?
Pressing On
Dylan had 18 different setlists for the tour, according to Wikipedia. This is Setlist 11. The following night in Kleinhans he did Setlist 13, which was two songs shorter (he didn't do "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "I Believe in You") and in different order

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