8/17/11 Mann Music Center, Philadelphia

Bob Dylan returned to the Mann Music Center for the first time in 14 years for his third show at the venue in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, the largest city park in the world. When Dylan played there in ’97, earlier in the tour he added a few songs to the set list he had rarely performed such as “One Of Us Must Know” and “Seven Days,” and one he had never performed, “Blind Willie McTell.” But for whatever reason, Philadelphia got none of those songs that night, though he did do “Tears of Rage.” I had to see “Blind Willie McTell,” so four days later I found myself driving to Wolf Trap where I finally saw it.

Foregoing the outrageous 15 bucks parking charge – my motto is real Philadelphians do not pay to park when you can park for free - we arrived at the venue while Leon Russell's set was already in progress. The line to get a drink was so outrageously long, we entered the theater just as he finished. No big deal.

Dylan started with “Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat” in a version that was a bit…