He growled, he barked, and he wheezed. It was another round of “Name That Tune – The
Bob Dylan Edition.” As he has done since
he began his Never Ending Tour, His Bobness re-arranges his songs so that his
fans have to pay close attention to what he sings. Most of the time this approach works out ok –
sometimes it doesn’t. On this night it
didn’t work so well for A Hard Rain’s
Gonna Fall and Blowin’ in the Wind. If you want to see someone who makes their
live stuff sound exactly like what is on their records, go see The Eagles [cue "The Dude" here…]. I prefer the Dylan
approach. That said, Dylan didn’t
disappoint the hardcore fans [such that they were – the house was half-full],
but those younger folks who were there mainly to see the opening bands, My
Morning Jacket and Wilco, were a bit perplexed.
They weren’t sure if what they heard was great or if it sucked. In my mind, Dylan performed to
expectations. I heard some songs I
didn’t hear the last time I saw him, and I heard a couple I didn’t need to hear ever [A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall and Blowin’ in the Wind]. As I’ve told friends who aren’t fans, Dylan
is an acquired taste.
The
setlist:
Things Have Changed / Love Sick / High
Water / Soon After Midnight / Early Roman Kings / Tangled Up In Blue / She
Belongs To Me / Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ / A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall / Blind
Willie McTell [Yes!!!] / Simple
Twist of Fate / Summer Days / The Weight [Surprise!] / All Along The Watchtower / Encore: Blowin’ in the Wind
The
band:
Bob
Dylan - piano, harp / Tony Garnier –
bass / George Recile – drums / Stu Kimball - rhythm guitar / Colin Linden -
lead guitar / Donnie Herron - violin, banjo, electric mandolin, pedal steel,
lap steel
The opening bands:
The opening bands:
There
was an opening band, whose name I do not know and whose set I missed. My Morning Jacket went on first. I missed about half their set because of
Hampton Roads traffic [I had to work
right up until showtime]. Someone always
manages to stall their car in the tunnel portion of the Hampton Roads Bridge
Tunnel – this day was no exception. What
I was able to see and hear of this band from Louisville, Kentucky floored
me. The first time I had ever heard this
band play was for last years “Love for Levon” tribute.
I liked what I heard then, I loved what I heard this night. I can’t name a single song of theirs, but
after the concert was over I thought they were the best band of the
evening. I might just have to check out
some of their work. I like these guys.
Wilco
followed My Morning Jacket. Like the
band that preceded them, I couldn’t name a single one of their songs if you put
a gun to my head. The first few songs
they played I thought “hmmm…they’re pretty good.” Then a few songs later I though “well,
they’re just okay now.” By the end of their
set I started to ask myself “are they done yet?” The young folks who were sitting in the same
row as I was seemed to thoroughly enjoy Wilco, but the common complaint amongst
them was that the band didn’t play enough songs [they played 12]. One surprise is when Wilco came out for an
encore and they brought My Morning Jacket.
The two bands played a superior version of Neil Young’s Cinnamon Girl. A note on the “kids” who shared the same row
I did – they were extremely thoughtful and considerate. I had an obscured view because there was a
post between me and the stage. One of
the guys had a drink and a cup of fries and was standing in front of me, but then
he saw he was blocking my view. Since my
view was already blocked I told him that he was fine and that he should stay
where he was. But he moved anyway. Nice touch, that guy. Another of his friends asked me who I came to
see. I told him I was old so I came to
see the “old guy.” He allowed that if he
was older he probably would be as well, but he was there to see Wilco. At the end of the show he asked me if I
thought it was good, and I asked him if he got his money’s worth. We both said yes and wished one another a safe
and good night.
Unlike
past tours where Dylan would vary his setlist from night to night, Bob has
played pretty much the same setlist in this tour. He’s on his third guitar player in the last
three week. First, Charlie Sexton left
on his own accord to other projects. The
blues legend Duke Robillard lasted only a few dates. He was either fired, or he jumped before he
was pushed. Neither party is talking,
not like it matters. The Duke has
since replaced by a man named Colin Linden, who BTW sounded pretty damn good. But back to the setlist. The only surprise on this part of the tour
has been the encore – would he play Ballad
of a Thin Man of Blowin’ in the Wind? If he played the former I would stick around
and listen. If he played the latter I
would leave early. I left early. The biggest surprise of the evening came when
Dylan invited Jeff Tweedy [Wilco] and Jim James [My Morning Jacket] to the
stage for a song. The song turned out to
be The Weight. It was a nice tribute to Levon Helm
[RIP]. I’ve said it before – Robbie Robertson
wrote the song, but it belongs to Levon Helm.
The
verdict: despite my impatience to see
Wilco get off the stage, they actually put on a pretty good show. But, the night belonged to My Morning
Jacket. I don’t know if their records
are that way, but they exhibited a jam band ethic that appeals to the Allman
Brothers fan that I am. These guys stole
the show. Bob Dylan’s live presentation
seems to be going through some kind of de-evolution [please, don’t think “Devo”]. The band all wore gray suits and black shirts. Dylan wore a dark suit and no hat, so he didn’t
look like Zorro the Gay Blade like the last time we saw him. He alternated between singing and playing the
harp from center stage, to just singing and playing a grand piano. He didn’t touch a guitar. The older he gets, the older his music
sounds. The night’s presentation had the
look and feel of an old-timey band from the late 1920s/early 1930s. It was weird, kinda interesting, but still
entertaining. Bob still has a hell of a band. It was a good show all
around.
I’ve
seen Bob Dylan twice now. I think I’m
done.
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