Dylan in Concert

Subject: Dylan in Concert
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:26 AM

Bob Dylan was in town over this weekend for an outdoor concert. Many who paid big bucks for tickets were, apparently, sorely disappointed. One writer in the local fishwrap gave a glowing review, but you would hardly think this fellow attended the same concert when you spoke to audience members. Four different people said Dylan's voice was so hoarse as to make the lyrics to many songs almost unintelligible. They said many others were equally unhappy. One young woman who has loved his music for many years said she could only pick up bits and pieces of familiar songs. I didn't hear anyone complain about the musicians or the sound system, just the ticket prices and the vocal quality.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: PoppaGator
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 01:11 PM

It's been a few years since I caught Bob's live act. I'm not sure just which year it was when he was billed at the New Orleans jazz festival ~ probably '05 ~ and we caught his act in the daytime at the fairgrounds and also one evening at a festival-sponsored indoor concert.

He was at his very best at both of those appearances, as most of us who knew what to expect generally agreed, but of course there were still, as always, those who were disappointed that he performed most of his older and more familiar songs with completely new and unfamiliar rearrangements, and/or that his vocal approach, as always, eschewed all efforts at sweetness of tone in favor of expressiveness and accuracy of pitch.

I certainly can believe that he may have had a bad night in San Diego recently, or even that his voice may finally have given out once and for all, but I would reserve judgement. I'd like to know what regular followers of the Dylan tours might have thought about that particular concert. That four individuals were unimpressed would not mean much, if all four of them were generally unfamiliar with the 21st-century, senior-citizen Bob, and all four had unrealistic expectations.

Now, as to the question of ticket prices, yeah, I'm sure they were astronomical enough to make any attendee expect a high degree of excellence and fulfilled expectations as their money's worth. When I caught his act at Jazzfest, the daytime performance was part of the one-price-for-all-day proceedings, and even the evening concert was moderately priced as part of the festival's "evening-concert" schedule. (Those evening concerts, by the way, have ceased to exist as part of the NOJHF schedule.)

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 01:35 PM

Bob's voice was in pretty poor shape at the last show I saw (a year or two ago). The music was great, and the mix of songs he did was very good. I really liked some of the newest songs off his last album.

I find that the less people know about Dylan the more likely they are to be very disappointed with his live shows because they simply don't enjoy all the little details (lyrical and otherwise) for their own sake the way us hardcore Dylan fans do. They're expecting to be entertained in some particular way, and they don't get what they expect, so they're disappointed.

Well, it's understandable.

I will say this. His voice has deteriorated a lot in the last 10 years or so. You could say the same of Gordon Lightfoot. Sooner or later age catches up with people.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 01:52 PM

Mentioning Lightfoot reminds me that my wife bought tickets for one of his outdoor concerts here in October. I have a sense that it may be his last, or one of his very last tours. I heard recently that, owing to the condition of his voice, he had decided to do no more studio recording.

I don't know what the expectations were for three of the four whose comments I cited. The one lady who said she had been a lifelong fan was probably the most disappointed. She may well be one who expected to hear old numbers replicated as they were once recorded. I wouldn't find that very interesting myself; I can always play the record.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 02:27 PM

Dylan changes the way he does the songs all the time. For those who go to many of his concerts part of the enjoyment is seeing how differently he will do the song from the last time you heard it.

In terms of singing, he was doing some marvelous singing in the 60s, 70s, and 80s...was a bit unpredictable in the 90s (sometimes great, sometimes not so great)...but there has been a striking deterioration in his vocal powers in the last decade, I'd say.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: bankley
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 02:45 PM

that's Bob for you.... ya never know... I've been to a few of his shows over the years and always enjoyed them.... esp 'Slow Train Coming' tour (his Jesus trip), 2500 seater, very connected to the crowd...

I saw him in Nov. '06 at a large venue in Montreal... it was feckin' horrible... my and a friend left after the 3rd song... the seats cost $125 each... I don't care what he sings or how, but I do like to hear most of the words, from him or anyone else... otherwise I'll go see Bela Fleck or Chick Corea...

but Bob is still Dylan and can pull in a crowd

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: 12-stringer
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 06:36 PM

I saw Dylan in Pittsburgh in the late fall of '07. Major disappointment, and I still wish I had the damn money back. Not that his voice was "deteriorated," though to tell ya the truth, I couldn't tell if it was or not. The sound system was absolute shite. If they'd sent the bass player to Scranton it might have improved a little, because the bass was the only damn thing you could hear. The setup was about par for a third-rate bar band in the 60s, minus a thick cloud of cigarette smoke and the smell of warm beer.

Nobody ever went to see Dylan because "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it." The only song in the set that I could recognize was "All Along the Watchtower," since the band copped the Hendrix licks. I have no idea what else he did because absolutely none of the lyrics were remotely intelligible. (Of course all the songs had new and radically different arrangements, though I thought I heard the piano part for "Rainy Day Women" at one point.) If I'd been driving, I'd have left after the second or third song. Dylan spent most of the show at the keyboards, with his back to the audience. I probably would have, too.

What really infuriated me was, I could have seen Doc Watson the same week but my entertainment budget was already blown on the Dylan show. I wouldn't go from here to the printer cable to see Dylan again. (For the record, the only other time I've seen him live was at the afternoon show of the Guthrie Memorial in NY, in the 60s.)

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 07:35 PM

I STILL do a few of Dylans 'Old Songs' , but I dont think I would cross the street to see him live ! Brilliant writer , but VERY Iffy as a live performer in MY opinion !

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Beer
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:24 PM

Ron,
I thoroughly enjoyed Dylan's religious trip or whatever folks would call it. I went to his concert at Threat re(sp.) St. Denis and I can also pick out the back of my head my wife's and the couple that were with us. The "Saved A/P" has a picture of the audience looking at the stage.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Beer
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 08:33 PM

Went to a few other's as well. One that comes to mind,same friend and I went to the Montreal Forum. So I pull out a joint and we happily finish it off as Dylan is sounding better and better. Them my buddy say's to me, "I think were the only one here smoking". So I look around and take a deep breath and say to my buddy. " Yep, everyone else is doing lines".
But in truth, you really couldn't smell any smoke and that was weird because before you could cut it with a knife.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:20 PM

He mostly plays the keyboard now for some reason, but he got out a guitar for about 3 songs at the last show I saw, then went back to the keyboard. The band was great, and the sound system was very good.

At least half the audience thought it was a rotten show, I'd say, judging by comments I heard on the way out. Some people thought it was great. I'd have rated it about a 5 or 6 out of 10 for a Dylan concert, I guess.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 05:47 PM

I HEARD (but didn't see him) in Prospect Park last month and I was happy with the concert. I had seen him in the nineties in a really great concert, where he did mostly his 'older ' tunes, which I was very happy with; he was in fine voice and the band was amazingly tight. He did a lot of his 'hits' (from his most seminal albums like Freewheeling, Blonde On Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, etc.). He also seemed top pick a lot of songs that I particularly loved (like To Romana ), as if he'd read my mind as to what I wanted to hear. He did the arrangements from his recordings, so no one was disappointed.

I have to admit, there is NO bad Dylan for a fan like me: he has given so much to music, and was my prime influence in my creative endeavors. And I don't expect 'polished perfection' in his concerts, I am just happy to hear where he is at. Dylan loves to play for his fans, and that was evident to me at this event. He did a lot more of his newer songs, and just a few of his 'standards' (Like A Rolling Stone) which generally were presented in different rhythms/arrangements, etc.   What was interesting to me was that when I (we) sang along, it was like he was doing 'harmony' to his music, so it was a strange and exhilirating experience to sing 'lead' with Dylan. His voice may have been a little ragged, but that's alright with me, and the band was really powerful.

Had I not heard him in concert earlier, I may have wished to hear a few more of his 'better known' songs, but I didn't think it was a bad concert. And it looked like there were at least 10,000 fans who turned out to listen on the lawn, and no one seemed disappointed either- we all stayed for the over 2 hours of Dylan's intense music.

Glad I made the show.

btw there is an intersting bio of Dylan's time in NYC and Greenwich Village by Suze Rotolo, I am reading it right now and highly recommend it to true Dylan fans. Highly evocative of a certain time and place. And a generally loving portrait of the man and the times.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 05:49 PM

P.S.

I agree about high the price of tickets. Dylan appeared in North Carolina a couple of years for only $35.00. Too much inflation. But since my concert was free, I have no complaints.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: PoppaGator
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 06:12 PM

I just started reading Suze Rotolo's book, too.

Looks like it'll be an excellent companion piece to the Dave Van Ronk bio that came out shortly after Dave's death a while ago...

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 09 Sep 08 - 06:44 PM

I didn't know of the Dave Van Ronk bio, but will look to pick it up now. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Dylan in Concert
From: Mark Ross
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 12:19 AM

The Van Ronk is THE MAYOR OF MACDOUGAL STREET and it's well worth the money. It's not a bio, it's Dave's memoirs of the the days of the Great Folk Music Scare in Greenwich Village.

Mark Ross