The Joan Osborne “Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan” concert in the Mary Seaton Room of Kleinhans Music Hall attracted about 300 fans. Osborne alternated between banging on a drum and strumming an acoustic guitar. She was backed by a guitarist and a keyboard player who alternated between a Nord Stage Three synthesizer and a grand piano.
My favorite songs from this performance were Osborne’s version of “Tangled Up in Blue”–also a song on her Joan Osborne Songs of Bob Dylan CD and “Man in the Long Black Coat.” Osborne gravitates towards some of Dylan’s more obscure songs.
Joan Osborne and her backup musicians came out for a three-song Encore. Osborne sang her biggest hit, “One of Us,” from her Relish album (1995). I was hoping Osborne would sing my favorite Joan Osborne song, “What’s Become of the Broken Hearted”–the Jimmy Ruffin Soul Classic from The 2002 movie Standing In The Shadows Of Motown–but no dice.
Are you a fan of Joan Osborne? GRADE: B
CONCERT SET LIST:
- She Belongs to Me(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Highway 61 Revisited(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Man in the Long Black Coat(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Shooting Star(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Tryin’ to Get to Heaven(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Rainy Day Women #12 & 35(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Tangled Up in Blue(Bob Dylan cover)Play Video
- Encore:
- Saint TeresaPlay Video
- One of Us(Eric Bazilian cover)Play Video
- Lifeline
TRACK LIST for JOAN OSBORNE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN:
| Tangled Up In Blue | 5:43 | ||
| Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 | 4:05 | ||
| Buckets Of Rain | 3:55 | ||
| Highway 61 Revisited | 4:19 | ||
| Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) | 4:20 | ||
| Tryin’ To Get To Heaven | 4:26 | ||
| Spanish Harlem Incident | 2:56 | ||
| Dark Eyes | 4:02 | ||
| High Water (For Charley Patton) | 3:53 | ||
| You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go | 4:12 | ||
| Masters Of War | 4:23 | ||
| You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere | 3:15 | ||
| Ring Them Bells | 3:13 |
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted is my fab fave by her, too!
Bob, I wish Joan Osborne would put out a CD called JOAN OSBORNE SINGS SOUL. Think of all the Motown hits she could cover!
Yes, big fan. We’ve seen her backing up other people like in Steve Earle’s benefits, but never solo. We do have her Bring It On Home and How Sweet It Is CDs, as well as Standing In the Shadows Of Motown. The former has I Don’t Need No Doctor. The second has covers like I’ll Be Around, Smiling Faces Sometimes, Only You Know And I Know, and The Weight.
Jeff, Joan Osborne told the audience at this event that her new Dylan cover CD would be released on April 25. It’s titled DYLANOLOGY.
Of course, “What Becomes Of the Broken Hearted” is one of Jackie’s favorite songs anyway.
Jeff, with the minimal backup from the guitarist and the keyboardist, Osborne didn’t have the instruments to perform “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.” Jackie has great taste in music!
She CAN perform “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” without a full band. We’ve seen her do it. She won’t try her other song from the movie, “Heat Wave,” though.
Jeff, I wish I could have heard Joan Osborne perform “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” even without a full band. I like this version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG5FGjnp_yU
Completely out of the loop. Don’t think I’ve heard Joan Osborne. As for Dylan, thumbs up for the early stuff, and a scratch on the head for the unintelligible later stuff.
Jerry, same here. Love early Dylan–HIGHWAY 61, BLONDE ON BLONDE, NASHVILLE SKYLINE, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS–but the late stuff is iffy.
So many years since Ive heard her. Is 300 in that venue good or not enough?
Patti, the venue was about 80% full. And the crowd that showed up was very enthusiastic! Plenty of standing ovations for Joan Osborne! And, plenty Joan Osborne fans were buying at lot of her merchandise in the Lobby: CDs, vinyl albums, posters, sweatshirts, hats, etc.
I like her work, but haven’t picked up her albums yet.
Todd, you’ll like Joan Osborne’s albums. I liked her since her RELISH CD from the mid-1990s.
Working in Tower Records in my relative youth when she broke big gave me a regular earful.
Memory betrays me today. I did my couple of months of Tower Records gig some years before RELISH. I note she’s about my age, at 62. Was also reminded that Janeane Garofalo is a month my junior…somehow, slightly cheering.
Todd, Joan Osborne and Janeane Garofalo are both on my FAVORITES list.
Word has reached us that Damien Broderick has just died, after some years of cheerfully coping with vascular dementia. Barry Malzberg’s funeral is imminent. And our indoor cat Whiskers slipped outdoors on Tuesday and we haven’t seen her since.
Then there is the slight stirrings of the rest of the world, including finally the rest of the US gov, demonstrating they are finally willing to obstruct Drumpf’s tantrums. Well past time.
Todd, a number of Name SF writers will probably exit this existence in the next five years. Mortality can’t be escaped…
It’s better to have had a correspondence with them along with enjoying their work, and even trading small helpful favors, than not…but I have reached the age where this kind of thing happens more often. More the loss of corresponding friends than of, though neither is too pleasant.
Than of cats, that is.
George, thanks for mentioning Joan Osborne whixh I never heard/don’t remember. As a Dylan fan I’ll have to look for her performances right now!
Wolf, Joan Osborne has a lot of range. She’s sung Motown songs along with Bob Dylan songs!
Oh Yes, Joan Osborne …. It’s been many years now but I saw her play a few times in small venues in the D.C. area in the mid-90s. She was fabulous and had a terrific voice! I have not kept up with her since the early 2000s …. but I loved her r&b album How Sweet It Is from 2002 …. some great covers on it. I am glad you have shared this concert and will watch some of the videos. thx.
Susan, I need to find my copy of Joan Osborne’s HOW SWEET IT IS. You’re right: there are some great covers on it!