Night-Hawks at the Nickelodeon 1974-01-09-10, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON | Flaggin’ Down The Double Es - RAY PADGETT

Night-Hawks at the Nickelodeon

RAY PADGETT JAN 9

Doing my Rolling Thunder series, one thing I tried to track is what Dylan did during the off hours. This was unusually easy to do, as during the pre-concert daytime he was often out and about filming scenes for Renaldo and Clara.

I figured that wouldn’t really be a part of this tour. The reputation of it is the gang being shuttled from private airport to limo to stage and back again. But, three cities in, Bob has been spotted about town in all three. In Chicago, he caught a set at then Old Town folk club. In Philadelphia, he was seen skating at a local ice rink. No cameras at either of those, so there’s still not the Rolling Thunder-level documentation, but there was for outing number three in Toronto: Bob’s late-night visit to his Band’s old boss.

After the first Toronto show, Dylan and three Band members—Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson—caught the tail end of Ronnie Hawkins’ regular set at local music venue The Nickelodeon. Rolling Stone described the venue as “an eat-drink-and-dance place, with pizza tablecloths, red flowery paper lamps, and a required coat check, just like in all the fancy restaurants in town. It feels like a hustler’s hall, a singles spot where, if you don’t score, there’s always Jingles upstairs, where you can take pictures of guaranteed naked ladies.”

Only photo I’ve found where you can see one of the Band guys—there’s Danko across from Dylan. No idea where Robertson and Helm went.

Dylan didn’t get onstage. Hawkins, perhaps sensing it was not gonna happen, made a joke out of it during his set, saying “Now hold on, Bob. I know you’re just itching to get up here and sing. But you can’t. This is myshow!” 

Dylan reportedly didn’t crack a smile at that line. In fact, both Rolling Stoneand the Toronto Star make a point of saying he looked tired or, as the Starkept saying, “gloomy.” To be fair, it was after midnight, and he’d just played a two-plus hour rock show. In the photos, he never takes off his winter coat, scarf, and hat. He’s either cold or ready to make his escape at any moment

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