When it comes to music, no one is more closely linked to the town of Woodstock than Bob Dylan. As his fame and the religious fervor of fans chasing him through Greenwich Village grew, he headed straight for this quiet hamlet under the guidance of his manager, Albert Goldman. After a few visits starting in 1963, Dylan eventually made a permanent move in 1965 to his first home in the area at Byrdcliffe, America’s oldest art colony. For nearly five years, Woodstock was home to Dylan, his expanding family, and his musical collaborators, The Band. It was also where he penned many of his most famous songs – at his own home, in the second-floor apartment above the Café Espresso at 59 Tinker Street, and at Big Pink, The Band’s legendary musical laboratory/clubhouse.
Today, Dylan’s music is being kept alive by The Bob Cats. The mission of this Woodstock-based band is to channel the collective fun and spirit of the Rolling Thunder Revue, the ad hoc, all-star collective put together by Dylan for his intimate 1974-75 tour. A fiery, rock ’n’ roll celebration of his legendary catalog, this powerhouse ensemble features renowned drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Paul McCartney) and a stellar lineup of Woodstock veterans. Formed in 2021 after years of impromptu local collaborations, The Bob Cats quickly became a crowd favorite, packing venues across New York with soulful renditions of Dylan classics and deep cuts alike. With guitarists Doug Yoel and Kyle Esposito interpreting Dylan’s lyrics with heart, Rob Stein’s evocative slide work, Bruce Milner’s expressive keys, and Chuck Cornelis’ steady bass groove, the band delivers a thrilling mix of authenticity, musicality, and reinterpretation that captivates audiences and honors the legacy of the Bard of the Hudson.
To hear more about the project and their upcoming plans, we spoke with Jerry Marotta and Doug Yoel.
Marotta is not only the legendary drummer who got his start early with Hudson Valley favorites Orleans, but the man who runs what may be Woodstock’s most legendary recording studio, Dreamland. Yoel may also be familiar to Hudson Valley music fans as the long-running host of Radio Woodstock’s weekly Blues Break. Every Sunday evening, from 9 – 11 pm, Yoel and his listeners traverse all shades of the blues, from early pioneers like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson to modern stars like Shemekia Copeland and Fantastic Negrito.
Doug, tell us about the band’s history—who was the catalyst, when did you first start performing live, and why did you decide to focus on Dylan?
Doug: I started performing as a teenager on Long Island in the ‘90s. At the same time, I worked at the local rock station, WBAB. They had a shock jock, Opie, and I became his producer. He had me make song parodies, and we did a recurring bit called “Bob Dylan Weather.” It was the typical tacky Dylan impression, but it was kind of funny, with Bob reading the weather report.
The bit caught on, and it helped my band get better gigs. I only stayed with Opie for a year, but I always loved Dylan’s music and kept on performing it. Bob’s songs were always a part of my performing life.
I moved to Woodstock in 2007, and by some stroke of luck, I became involved with the annual Dylan birthday tributes. The first event happened in 2009, and it really seemed to click. It was pretty exciting for me to be in Woodstock, playing Dylan’s music with the likes of Happy Traum. Those Dylan birthdays started as folkie shows, but within a few years, they turned into rock shows. In 2012, they had this insane house band of Jerry Marotta, Dylan’s own musical director, Larry Campbell, and Dave Dreiwitz. Donald Fagen played keys for much of the night. Somehow, I got to do a few Dylan tunes with those cats, and it fully and completely blew my mind! Dylan’s Rolling Thunder band was a high-water mark for rock ‘n’ roll, and this band had the same spirit. It was out of this world.
For me, the seeds of The Bob Cats were planted that night, but it took almost a decade to come to fruition. We had a few one-offs, usually around “Bob Day,” but it was a few shows right after the COVID pandemic that really launched it. There was an opportunity to do a live band show in the new Beer Garden at Colony Woodstock in May 2021 – after we all had had enough of lonely solo shows on livestream! It seemed natural to make that a Dylan rock show. That was the first time I got to do a full-on show of Dylan’s music, untethered to Bob Day. It worked, and we just kept doing it. The line-up developed over the next year, and it’s turned into a real band! Certainly, the best band I’ve ever been in.
Who are the band members, and what are their backgrounds?
Doug: Jerry Marotta is our resident rock hero. He’s one of the best drummers in rock and has been a part of so many important bands and records, from Peter Gabriel to Paul Simon and Hall and Oates to Paul McCartney, and so many more. He also runs the legendary Dreamland Studios, where everyone from B-52s to Joe Jackson to The Pixies cut classics. Jerry has this incredible creative sensibility with arrangements and production. His input is the special sauce of this band. What to add in, what to leave out. How to make it special. And his groove is simply massive. You can’t help but move your body! We’re very lucky to have him involved.
Kyle Esposito and Chuck Cornelis were two of the first musicians I met in Woodstock. We’ve been playing together for a long time now, in various projects. Kyle plays lead guitar and sings. He’s one of those guys who raises the bar in every project he’s in, so he gets called for lots of things. In this band, he goes right to the edge of the cliff, with both guitar and vocals, keeping things really exciting. And Chuck is a natural-born rocker. He’s always pushing the band towards the upbeat, rockin’ material. He has a solid groove and great taste. And he’s the best dancer in the band!
Jerry brought Bruce Milner and Rob Stein into the fold, really solidifying the group’s personality.
Bruce was in a pop band in the ‘60s, Every Mother’s Son, which had a top 40 song still played on the radio today, “Come On Down to My Boat, Baby.” He brings that pop, melodic sensibility to the Cats. He’s got a great ear and comes up with terrific keyboard and vocal parts. And he has so much energy. I’m pretty sure Bruce has the fountain of youth in his dressing room!
Rob Stein is also a very special musician. He has a singular voice on the pedal steel. And he’s a really great slide guitarist. He’s always going to come up with special sounds for the tunes, and killer parts and solos. And if I bring anything, it’s inspiration from the material, and the different live versions that came before. I try to boil all that down, channel it, and maybe take it somewhere new.
Dylan has written so many incredible songs. How many of them are part of your repertoire, and do you ever do shows that highlight a specific era, album, or song theme?
Doug: We have around 60 tunes in the regular rotation, and we work to expand that all the time. There are so many great songs that it’s hard to whittle them down. I think we all have our leanings. I lean into the later ‘60s songs and the Rolling Thunder Review arrangements. Kyle goes a little further into the ‘70s and ‘80s catalog. Bruce loves the ballads. And Jerry often surprises us with songs he wants to do, coming from all different angles. We talk about doing themed shows from time to time, like performing a whole album or one aspect of Bob’s songs. This will happen; we have many ideas. And lord knows, there’s so much great material to choose from.
Jerry, you’re famous for recording and touring with legends like Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, and Paul McCartney, to name a few. So why and how did you end up in a tribute band? Do you approach it the same way as one of these A-list gigs?
Jerry: I approach everything I do as an A-list gig as I’m pretty serious about music. It’s what I’ve done professionally since I was 17 years old, and I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some very successful artists, many of them who live here in Woodstock. I had played some gigs with Kyle and was blown away by his talent, so when I was asked to do a gig with The Bob Cats, I was all in. I don’t really see this as a tribute band per se, and although I didn’t own any Dylan records growing up, I certainly had heard the music. I had previously done The Security Project, which highlighted the music of Peter Gabriel from the era I worked with him, and I am also involved with Reelin’ In the Years, which plays the music of Steely Dan. They are all done with great players. Call it what you will, but we perform some amazing music.
I understand you often have special guests join the band during shows. What are some of your most memorable moments?
Doug: Two recent guests have been Cindy Cashdollar and Brian Mitchell. Both upped the ante quite a bit! A few weeks back, Cindy and Brian joined us at The Falcon in Marlboro. Wow! That was a lot of firepower on one stage. You can add many talents to the stew, and it’s just going to add more flavor and excitement. I’ve enjoyed every guest we’ve had so far.
Doug, what are some of your favorite songs to perform? Are there any that you or the band wouldn’t touch?
Doug: I can honestly say that all the ones I am doing with this band are favorites of mine. We’re doing 20 or so of my absolute favorite songs to do. “Like A Rolling Stone,” “Ballad of a Thin Man,” “Not Dark Yet,” “Visions of Johanna.” I can easily add another 20 or 30, and they will still be all my favorites!
There’s nothing off limits, and there really aren’t any bad songs. I try to mostly avoid overtly political lyrics. Bob used to say, “They’re all protest songs,” which I think was both a joke and the truth. Bob’s politics are in there anyway, even when they’re not spelled out. There are some lyrics I changed a little. Bob would do that himself, change words to certain songs. I learned to do that too with my own songs, and with any song, really. I’ll use the words that make sense to me in that time period.
You share the lead vocals with Kyle Esposito and sometimes with keyboardist Bruce Millner. How do you decide who sings which song? Does one of you focus more on the rockers, and the other on the more folky tracks?
Doug: Long, long fights and text threads! (Laughs). I’m only half joking! And Jerry sings lead sometimes, too. He’s incredible on vocals. We basically come into rehearsal and audition our version of a song for the band. Kyle’s come in ready to go, and mine seem to take about six months to be ready! (More laughing). Jerry and Bruce’s songs always come together fairly quickly.
Where are some of your favorite places to play?
Doug: We’ve been very lucky; we’ve played all the great places. The band largely formed at Colony Woodstock, so it will always be a special place for us. Towne Crier and My Father’s Place were venues I dreamed about as a kid; my heroes played there, so it has been amazing playing there. The Falcon was such a catalyst for the latter-day upstate music scene, so it is always special playing there. We honestly love all the places we’ve played so far, and we look forward to expanding out to new places.
Jerry, in addition to all your work as a performer, you run Dreamland, one of the most legendary recording studios in the world. How has the business of running a studio changed over the years? And what new artist you might have recently worked with has most excited you?
Jerry: I kind of fell into taking over Dreamland by accident. I had/have my own studio, Jersvile, which I only used for projects. Then my good friend, Joel Bluestein, opened Dreamland in the mid-80s, which is a world-class facility I’d recorded at over the years. In the early 2000s, when digitized music began to change the industry, running a commercial studio became more difficult as home recording took hold and labels cut recording budgets. Joel got fed up and closed the place for a while. Then I approached him with the idea of taking it over.. which he really discouraged me from doing! People who know me know I have a problem listening to reason and logic. I thought it would be a challenge, which it was, but over time, things started to click. I have a great group of people involved in the day-to-day operation and it continues to be an awesome experience.
Doug, besides being in the band, you have also hosted Radio Woodstock’s long-running Blues Break show. How did this opportunity come about, and who are some of your favorite artists to spin, both past and emerging?
Doug: In kindergarten, my nickname was “radio.” I would walk around singing the songs I loved. When I saw Dr. Johnny Fever on the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati, I definitely wanted to do that. I’ve never made a living from it, but I’ve always DJ’d in some way.
I knew about Radio Woodstock years before I moved here. I think I was sending out radar signals to get involved. Jimmy Buff, their former director, saw the Batman sign I was transmitting, and pulled me in for some fill-in work. He also tried me out to fill the tremendous shoes of Big Joe Fitz, who we sadly just lost. It’s an incredible honor to do the Blues Break, which has been on-air for more than three decades. I’ve been doing it for 12 years now. I love programming the music, and it’s always a challenge to piece together two hours of music and keep it interesting.
Robert Johnson pulled me into the classic blues recordings when I was a teenager. I still love those spooky, old recordings from 100 years ago. And I love the modern stuff – there are so many people doing cool stuff with blues themes. Shemekia Copeland, Fantastic Negrito, Adia Victoria, Son Little, and Kat Riggins are a few that I really like. And our hometown heroes are doing great stuff – Cindy Cashdollar, Brian Mitchell, Bruce Katz, and Amy Helm come to mind.
Doug, I understand you have some important shows coming up, including festivals tied to Dylan’s birthday. Let us know where we can see the band.
Doug: Yes, we are very excited for our “Bob Day” celebrations! We will start at the Colony Beer Garden on Friday, May 22, and then Valatie Community Theater on Saturday, May 23. We’re super excited to spend Bob’s birthday, Sunday, May 24, at the Warwick Valley Winery’s annual Dylan Tribute festival. This has been going on for a few years, with great line-ups, and it will be our first time there. Then on Sunday, May 31, we will play our second show at Long Island’s legendary rock venue, My Father’s Place. It looks like it will be another busy “Summer of Bob!”
→ Continue reading at NYS Music
