Local Bob Dylan fans may have been disappointed when he canceled his Aug. 12 Cashman Field show, but they may also have dodged a bullet. A survey of reviews and feedback from his minor league ballpark tour — a jaunt he’s made during previous summers — indicated that Dylan seemed uninspired, sloppy and disengaged from his audiences. Singer-songwriter, huge Dylan fan and former Las Vegan Mark Huff had stated on his Facebook page, after Dylan’s July 19 show in Syracuse, that “Bob did not play his best tonight.” Contrast that with Huff’s post immediately following Oct. 18’s showing at the Joint: “Best Bob show I have ever seen! After 67 times, the best!”

Dylan fans, certainly the ones in the general admission section on the floor, appeared to be in ecstasy during his sort-of-rescheduled Vegas show. (Promoters never gave a reason for the Aug. 12 cancellation — though, considering the crowd for the more intimate Joint gig was not at capacity, soft ticket sales could have been the culprit). That may have been partly because, well, Dylan seemed happy himself. There he was grinning ear-to-ear during a roarin’ version of 2001’s “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,” cutting loose along with the standing members of the audience. And again between lines and harp melodies on “Cold Iron Bounds,” which possessed far more stomp than on the 1997 studio version. And again behind the keyboard on “Trying To Get To Heaven.” When he returned to center-stage for “Ballad of a Thin Man,” he began moving his arms and face like he was physically acting out the song, pointing at members of the crowd with a sly grin. Perhaps this wouldn’t have been so notable from a less famously dour performer.

And perhaps Dylan’s mood lightened up because of his band’s flawless musicianship — especially from lead axeman Charlie Sexton, once a young guitar prodigy who rose to join Dylan’s band from 1999 to 2002. His return to the Never Ending Tour this fall was the source of much fan rejoicing, and for good reason: Sexton’s a phenomenal talent, and he clearly invigorates the musicians around him. He and Dylan swapped communicative looks throughout the nearly two-hour show, whether Dylan was behind the keys (their musical kamikaze during an extended and fiery “Highway 61 Revisted” absolutely slayed) or, as was the case during “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” playing guitar right beside him.

Meanwhile, Donnie Herron sat behind Dylan’s keyboard set-up, swapping violin, lap and pedal steel, and trumpet interchangably like a carpenter casually rummaging through his tool box. He and his trumpet highlighted the south-of-the-border flair of this year’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” and added some breeziness to 1970 chestnut “The Man in Me,” the latter seemingly giving Dylan the liberty of some welcome vocal flamboyance and levity. A team effort, for sure — but still a Dylan performance for the ages.