Bob Dylan concert reviewed

[BobDylan]

Bob Dylan w/Mavis Staples at the Stephenson Auditorium, Ames, Iowa October 24, 2017

You knew this was coming. As a big fan of Bob's I see him whenever I can and this was my third one, second from the front row.

Nothing really different from the thousands of shows Bob has done on the NET. He played piano on several songs. Absent from this one were any harmonica playing and he took his hat off shortly after he began.

Of course with such a vast catalog he was bound to do a few songs that I had never heard him do in person and this night was no exception. He sang Ballad Of A Thin Man, Thunder on The Mountain, and few of his newer songs from Triplicate.

His voice, believe it or not, is getting better with each time I see him. He sang with his gruff voice but it was clear. I'm sure the acoustics of the venue helped but still. He has been criticized for mumbling his way through songs and purposely making it hard to understand him. There was none of that this night.

I sat with a few people that had already seen a few shows from this tour and were going to see him several more times. We had a great time talking about how we got started listening to Dylan, our favorite songs, biographies, and how many times we had seen him (I was low man on the totem pole for my section.)

All in all a great show by a great singer and songwriter. Can't wait to see him again.

Mavis Staples was the opener and she was great. I wasn't really familiar with her music so I really listened to her. After all, she is a musical legend as well coming from The Staples Family Singers. Her family has a rich history of American Music. She put on a completley enjoyable show and was really energetic. A great compliment to Bob's show.

[drjohncarpenter]

Bob Dylan w/Mavis Staples at the Stephenson Auditorium, Ames, Iowa October 24, 2017

You knew this was coming. As a big fan of Bob's I see him whenever I can and this was my third one, second from the front row.

Nothing really different from the thousands of shows Bob has done on the NET. He played piano on several songs. Absent from this one were any harmonica playing and he took his hat off shortly after he began.

Of course with such a vast catalog he was bound to do a few songs that I had never heard him do in person and this night was no exception. He sang Ballad Of A Thin Man, Thunder on The Mountain, and few of his newer songs from Triplicate.

His voice, believe it or not, is getting better with each time I see him. He sang with his gruff voice but it was clear. I'm sure the acoustics of the venue helped but still. He has been criticized for mumbling his way through songs and purposely making it hard to understand him. There was none of that this night.

I sat with a few people that had already seen a few shows from this tour and were going to see him several more times. We had a great time talking about how we got started listening to Dylan, our favorite songs, biographies, and how many times we had seen him (I was low man on the totem pole for my section.)

All in all a great show by a great singer and songwriter. Can't wait to see him again.

Mavis Staples was the opener and she was great. I wasn't really familiar with her music so I really listened to her. After all, she is a musical legend as well coming from The Staples Family Singers. Her family has a rich history of American Music. She put on a completley enjoyable show and was really energetic. A great compliment to Bob's show.

Excellent review. No photos though?

Bob Dylan is one of the few out there than may be credibly called a genius. I haven't seen him in a few years, I've got to get at least another show under my belt. He's a true giant of music, and his shows remain challenging and creative.

Note that we will be hearing the Staple Singers' cover of "The Weight" in the upcoming HBO documentary on Elvis. Did that one make her set?

[BobDylan]

Bob Dylan w/Mavis Staples at the Stephenson Auditorium, Ames, Iowa October 24, 2017

You knew this was coming. As a big fan of Bob's I see him whenever I can and this was my third one, second from the front row.

Nothing really different from the thousands of shows Bob has done on the NET. He played piano on several songs. Absent from this one were any harmonica playing and he took his hat off shortly after he began.

Of course with such a vast catalog he was bound to do a few songs that I had never heard him do in person and this night was no exception. He sang Ballad Of A Thin Man, Thunder on The Mountain, and few of his newer songs from Triplicate.

His voice, believe it or not, is getting better with each time I see him. He sang with his gruff voice but it was clear. I'm sure the acoustics of the venue helped but still. He has been criticized for mumbling his way through songs and purposely making it hard to understand him. There was none of that this night.

I sat with a few people that had already seen a few shows from this tour and were going to see him several more times. We had a great time talking about how we got started listening to Dylan, our favorite songs, biographies, and how many times we had seen him (I was low man on the totem pole for my section.)

All in all a great show by a great singer and songwriter. Can't wait to see him again.

Mavis Staples was the opener and she was great. I wasn't really familiar with her music so I really listened to her. After all, she is a musical legend as well coming from The Staples Family Singers. Her family has a rich history of American Music. She put on a completley enjoyable show and was really energetic. A great compliment to Bob's show.

Excellent review. No photos though?

Bob Dylan is one of the few out there than may be credibly called a genius. I haven't seen him in a few years, I've got to get at least another show under my belt. He's a true giant of music, and his shows remain challenging and creative.

Note that we will be hearing the Staple Singers' cover of "The Weight" in the upcoming HBO documentary on Elvis. Did that one make her set?

Haha, no photos. Sitting in the front row would have made it hard to take pictures and I didn't want to get kicked out.

Alas, Mavis did not sing "The Weight." I was able to get a set list from a stage hand. I'll get it out later and post the songs she sang.

[elvis4life]

Here's a review from a recent Rochester show:

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/concerts/2023/10/bob-dylan-surprisingly-sharp-in-sold-out-phone-free-rochester-concert-review-setlist.html

Bob Dylan surprisingly sharp in sold-out, phone-free Rochester concert (review, setlist)
Published: Oct. 25, 2023, 9:28 a.m.

By Patrick McCarthy
Bob Dylan wasn’t rough or rowdy on Tuesday night at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre, treating nearly 2,500 fans to a spectacular 18-song performance that featured surprisingly sharp vocals.

The 82-year-old Nobel laureate and his five-man backing band played an hour and 50-minute long set that contained a multitude of older songs spliced in with his Rough and Rowdy Ways tracklist (minus the almost 17-minute long “Murder Most Foul”).

Shortly after 8 p.m., a recording of Beethoven began to play as the band took to the stage under dim red lights; Dylan’s entrance prompted a spirited standing ovation that quelled as the seemingly ageless folk hero opened his set with “Watching the River Flow,” a song he’s now played 652 times.

Many of the songs Dylan featured were just as well worn as the opener, yet still retained their magic. Tracks like “Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)” and “Gotta Serve Somebody” sounded fresh even after all the years, especially when grouped in with new songs like “I Contain Multitudes,” “Crossing the Rubicon,” and “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)”. Dylan even included a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Stella Blue,” and fans should be pleasantly surprised to learn this is just the second time that Dylan has performed this song live.

On average, the songs lasted around six minutes each, with room enough for Dylan to stretch out with a piano solo or sit back and let his bandmates play a lead on the lap steel guitar or violin. Dylan’s vocal performance was superb, especially for someone who so frequently catches flak for his live vocals. The singer was equally as stellar on the piano, which he played throughout the show.

The majority of the songs featured Dylan’s classic, clean, folk-driven sound, but the thumping riff of “False Prophet” and spooky blues of “Black Rider” featured grooving rock sections that offered a nice alternative to other instrumentally stripped-back tunes.

Dylan commanded his audience’s undivided attention, thanks in part to a no-phone rule which he instituted himself. While a Bob Dylan audience is going to be composed of many serious fans intent on watching every second of the show, the folk veteran wasn’t taking any chances.

The Auditorium Theatre, per Dylan’s request, required guests to turn their phones to silent or vibrate mode and place them inside of a pouch, which was then magnetically locked. The pouches remained locked until the end of the show (designated phone areas were set up in the lobby, and Theatre staff were present to unlock phone pouches whenever necessary).

The unique stipulation curbed screen glares and other phone-based distractions, but some fans were probably disappointed to not be able to take pictures and videos.

Dylan’s music, aura, and rules created an atmosphere that felt direct and personal, and he relied little on audience interaction between songs to engage his listeners. Other than saying a few thank-yous, the only time Dylan spoke was to introduce his band after they finished “Mother of Muses.”

After introducing all his bandmates, Dylan said, “Now that’s a good band! It’s not easy playing these songs, but this band can do it. Sorta.”

Fittingly, the band ended with two of the most impressive performances of the night, new track “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” and old classic “Every Grain of Sand.” Representing the best of Dylan’s discography old and new, these two songs were the perfect closing to a sublime set. Fans loved hearing the newer song, but it was “Every Grain of Sand” which brought the house down – as the song drew near a close, Dylan leaned in and played a sensational harmonica solo, the first of the night, that sang with all the emotion and expression that first established Dylan all those years ago.

Bob Dylan has performed for nearly 60 years, and a ticket to one of his concerts still delivers on the promise of an intimate experience with one of America’s most prolific songwriters.

Setlist:

Watching the River Flow

Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine)

I Contain Multitudes

False Prophet

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Black Rider

My Own Version of You

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Crossing the Rubicon

To Be Alone with You

Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Gotta Serve Somebody

I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You

That Old Black Magic

Stella Blue

Mother of Muses

Goodbye Jimmy Reed

Every Grain of Sand

[elvis4life]

https://nippertown.com/2023/10/31/concert-review-bob-dylan-proctors-10-30-2023/

CONCERT REVIEW: BOB DYLAN @ PROCTORS, 10/30/2023

By Michael Hochanadel ON OCT 31, 2023

Thanks, Barbara; thanks, Tony; thanks, Bob.

Barbara texted me around dinner time Monday: “Want a front row seat for Bob Dylan at Proctors? Our treat.” (Her treat and husband Tony’s; old friends.)

I had given up on that one. It sold out in three hours, Proctors’ chief Philip Morris told me as we watched excited fans flow past in the arcade.

Sitting and standing THAT close felt immediate, intimate, powerful. I’d never seen Dylan smile so much onstage, never heard his voice so clear.

Clad in black, his band took the stark stage at eight sharp. Four lights on tall stands at the stage corners, one big barrel light at each stage apron and small accent lights onstage were the utilitarian opposite of a light show. Ladders stood against the back, black wall, exposed by raised curtains. Dylan, also in black, walked on last and sat behind a grand piano; like looking at us over the imposing hood of an old Pontiac as he changed a tire.

Word from the road suggested he’d play new tunes from “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” his 2020 39th album. So it was, later—he played almost the whole thing. But Dylan reached back fairly far to open with a 1971 stoical/serene blues-rock shuffle, “Watching the River Flow” (which appears only on compilations); then even further next for the wistful, deceptively upbeat breakup song “Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine” (1966). Both moved at low-pressure mid-tempos, each featured a Dylan piano break and reworked melodies, and, in “Most Likely,” an extra-low note Dylan sang.

Superb audio quality (at least up close) delivered Dylan’s words as clearly as if we were all reading them, though his words would look odd—dense, then sparse—on a page.

Dylan launched some songs himself, with just piano punctuated by short guitar and bass accents until the whole band formed a song’s full force; then they often faded back to quiet codas, echoing the intros. Early on, things felt subdued; later, things rocked, shuffled blues-style or simmered down into mellow or romantic moods. A similar bell-curve symmetry shaped Dylan’s vocal phrasing; compressing lyric phrases into dense nuggets of meaning, separated by short silences, as if letting us think about them.

“I Contain Multitudes,” first “Rough and Rowdy Ways” song, followed “Most Likely,” defiantly proclaiming, “I have no apologies to make.” Then he smiled in wry irony, singing the unlikely pledge, “I’ll show you my heart.”

Also new, the rocking “False Prophet” issued a firm denial—”I ain’t no false prophet”—over a mid-tempo groove.

Dylan paced the show shrewdly, so blues-shuffle grooves or rock eruptions hit dramatically among simmering slower numbers. Familiar numbers brought shouts of happy recognition, stacked among fresher material. Fans loved the self-doubting “When I Paint My Masterpiece” (’71) between the emphatic, smoky rock of (the new) “False Prophet” and (also new) “Black Rider,” Dylan (symbolically?) donning a white Panama hat and electronically repeating its title couplet, echoing apocalyptically into the ozone.

Thematically, the new and emotionally complex “My Own Version of You” fit just right with the simpler vintage (1967) pledge “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” before “Crossing the Rubicon” set a meditative, abstract mood and the familiar “To Be Alone With You” (1969) went way more earthy.

“Key West” molded the same mood as “Crossing the Rubicon,” using repeats the same way; then “Gotta Serve Somebody” (’79) focused the band into an inexorable gospel force. Another slow one, the new “I’ve Made My Mind Up to Give Myself to You,” mixed deliberate thoughtfulness with quiet lust.

Then, Dylan summoned his players close to call an audible, yanking an antique Frank Sinatra romance from the set to plug in the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’.” The place went nuts, or at least in my neighborhood, folks lost their minds. And the band earned it, rocking for fun and soul. It swung like the Dead did, but sounded thoroughly like Dylan, thanks to Tony Garnier’s busier-than-Phil-Lesh’s bass runs.

Bob Britt’s guitar used more Jerry Garcia-like chiming tone in the slow, thoughtful new “Mother of Muses” than he had in “Truckin’.” Subtle, smart and sweet.

Dylan invited us up to the blues-club penthouse again with the rocking shuffle “Goodbye Jimmy Reed,” then again went all infinite on “Every Grain of Sand.” Then, letting us know this really was the end, he stood and walked to a center-stage mic, didn’t say anything, and left.

Time and again, songs showed his writing flows free of any specific era. The overused “timeless” misses the point. For all the references to train tracks and Cadillacs; to putting on a suit, forced to marry a prostitute, everything is now AND then, like The Band; of course, that’s no coincidence. The only lyric tied to time and place was the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’;” everything else floated somewhere in Bob Standard Time.

He sometimes stood to sing, sat to play brief breaks and bridges. He won’t scare the ghosts of R&B piano giants Art Neville or Allen Toussaint, but he got around the keyboard just fine, with grace or gravity as the songs required, especially rocking on bluesy numbers.

His band seldom soloed, but made everything fit just right; strong, simple and elemental as 1950s Chuck Berry radio hits.

They seemed genuinely surprised, exchanging startled looks, as Dylan invited “play something, Tony—play anything!” as he introduced them. Bassist Tony Garnier (standup acoustic and 6- and 4-string bass guitars) and Donnie Herron (pedal steel, lap steel, electric mandolin and fiddle) are the longest-tenured players on this endless (we can only hope) tour; while guitarists Doug Lancio (mostly acoustic) and Bob Britt (mostly electric) have been aboard for a few years each and drummer Jerry Pentecost is the new kid. Dylan, the old dog, up to his old and new tricks, enjoyed them like we all did.

[elvis4life]

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bob-dylan-new-york-city-2023-concert-review/

BOB DYLAN RETURNS TO NEW YORK CITY: REVIEW

Allison Rapp
Published: November 15, 2023

Bob Dylan returned to New York City on Tuesday evening, performing on his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour.

It's been two years since Dylan last played in the city he first came to in January 1961, then a fresh-faced 20-year-old. Now, at 82, there's a lot of history in between.

Dylan performed at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, an extravagant space dripping in red velvet and gold trim, but it's the kind of venue he's seemingly most comfortable in these days. Impressive without being too large, grandiose without it appearing unnecessary. Fans, phone-less for a fleeting evening thanks to Dylan's Yondr pouch policy, mingled in the lobby. They came from all over the world for a man who isn't much taller than the piano he stands behind on stage. "Rough and Rowdy" signature cocktails were available at the bars. (Whiskey, ginger ale, lemon juice, $18.)

Dylan enters, as naturally as a head of state, to fanfare — a literal orchestral cacophony played over the speakers. (Gone are the days of his previous entrance spiel: "The poet laureate of rock 'n' roll," etc.) He's joined on this tour by Tony Garnier (electric and standup bass), Jerry Pentecost (drums, previously of Old Crow Medicine Show), Bob Britt (guitar), Doug Lancio (guitar) and Donnie Herron (violin, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel). Sporting white loafers and a white-trimmed suit, Dylan also brought a white hat with him on stage to set on the piano, though it never reached the top of his head.

Dylan's Song Selections

The set list on this tour hasn't varied much — save the occasional surprise, city-specific cover he's thrown in more than a few times — and primarily focuses on the songs of Rough and Rowdy Ways, released in 2020. But even those songs have undergone a metamorphosis over the two years Dylan has been touring with the album. Some, like "False Prophet," have taken on a much harder rocking attitude, while "Goodbye Jimmy Reed" sounds a bit like if J.J. Cale had gotten a hold of it and added a country blues spin. (Not a bad thing.)

Others have adopted arrangements similar to the ones Dylan utilized in his 2021 Shadow Kingdom film. It's a reminder of the premise Dylan has emphasized over the course of his career: that was then, this is now. If you came looking for a blast from the past, you won't find it on the set list. (A complete listing is available to view below.)

Dylan, who switched between sitting at the piano and standing spread-legged, still doesn't say much outside of his lyrics, though he was caught laughing a few times as he delivered lines. At what was anybody's guess. "Why, thank you," he said after "I Contain Multitudes," a touch of extra humility for the enthused reception.

"These songs are not easy to play," he added before introducing the others on stage, "but this band does a fine job, don't you think?"

Dylan plays 17 songs only, no encore, so the evening concludes much sooner than other rock 'n' roll shows. It's in line with the puckish, enigmatic persona he's developed over decades of life on the road and as the subject of intense cultural study.

To be touring the globe at 82 is, of course, a testament to his mastery. But for all of the jokes made about his singing voice or shadowy identity, it's worth acknowledging the candor Dylan represents, the kind that inherently comes along with writing songs and presenting them to the public, and particularly at the age he is now. Often referred to by last name only, he can still draw a sold-out, all-ages crowd in the biggest city in America.

As he puts it in "False Prophet:" "I opened my heart to the world and the world came in."

READ MORE: Bob Dylan Keeps Adding Surprising Songs to His Live Shows

Dylan will perform two more nights in New York, once more in Brooklyn and again Thursday at his beloved Beacon Theatre in Manhattan. This leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is scheduled to conclude on Dec. 3.

Bob Dylan, 11/14/23, Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, N.Y.,

1. "Watching The River Flow"
2. "Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)"
3. "I Contain Multitudes"
4. "False Prophet"
5. "When I Paint My Masterpiece"
6. "Black Rider"
7. "My Own Version of You"
8. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
9. "Crossing the Rubicon"
10. "To Be Alone With You"
11. "Key West (Philosopher Pirate)"
12. "Gotta Serve Somebody"
13. "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You"
14. "That Old Black Magic"
15. "Mother of Muses"
16 "Goodbye Jimmy Reed"
17. "Every Grain of Sand"

[elvis4life]

https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/bob-dylan-live-in-austin-review/

Bob Dylan Live In Austin Review: Latest chapter of The Never Ending Tour comes to a masterful close
The penultimate night of the Rough And Rowdy Ways tour caps off one of the strongest stretches of Dylan’s live career.

By Peter Blackstock | Updated On 06 04 2024

ACL Live, Austin, Texas, April 5, 2024

Bob Dylan has had a long and fruitful relationship with audiences in Austin. Since playing one of his first shows with The Hawks here in September 1965, Dylan has played the Texas capital nearly two dozen times, culminating in a two-night stand here Friday and Saturday that concludes one of the most remarkably consistent stretches in Dylan’s concert history.

Contradicting his decades-long reputation as a mercurial and unpredictable performer, Dylan has delivered almost exactly the same 17-song set since November 2021, when he resumed touring after a nearly two-year pandemic break. 2020’s Rough And Rowdy Ways is the fulcrum: For more than 200 shows over the past three years, he’s played nine of the album’s ten songs, leaving off only the epic Murder Most Foul.

The rest of the show almost always includes the same back-catalogue selections, from openers Watching the River Flow and Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine, to the closing Every Grain of Sand from 1981 Shot Of Love. At this point, die-hard fans know better than to expect his best-known songs: We may never again hear him trot out Like A Rolling Stone or Blowin’ In The Wind or Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. And that’s all right: We don’t expect a greatest-hits revue from the man who wrote “he who isn’t busy being born is busy dying.”

As such, Dylan shows of late are partly a matter of whether he pulls out a surprise in any given city. If he likes your town, you might get an extra song: Earlier this week in Louisiana, he added a couple of Hank Williams nuggets, playing Jambalaya in Lafayette April 2 and On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain in New Orleans April 1.

Tonight in Austin, we’re treated to Across The Borderline, a Ry Cooder/Jim Dickinson/John Hiatt song first recorded by Freddy Fender in 1982. The new addition to the set seemed to energize Dylan: It features arguably his strongest vocal performance of the night, and his mid-song piano solo is gorgeously lyrical.

The performance marked the first time Dylan has played the song this century. It was a staple of his 1986 tour with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; he may well have brought it back this evening because it’s the title track of a 1993 album by Austin legend Willie Nelson, with whom Dylan will be touring from June to September.

Those summer shows are part of Nelson’s annual Outlaw Tour, which also will feature Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp, Billy Strings and others. The multi-artist bills almost certainly will require abbreviating the 100-minute sets Dylan has been playing since 2021; as such, this weekend’s Austin concerts may well bring an end to this Rough And Rowdy Ways phase of his Never Ending Tour.

Dylan’s band has changed slightly since his March 2022 appearance at Austin’s Bass Concert Hall. Longtime bassist Tony Garnier remains the anchor, with pedal steel/fiddle player Don Herron aboard for nearly two decades now. Nashville guitarist Doug Lancio replaced Austin ace Charlie Sexton when Dylan returned from the pandemic, teaming with fellow guitarist Bob Britt (who joined in 2019). Drummer Jerry Pentecost recently took over from Charley Drayton, who played the 2022 Austin show.

Tonight, the band flexes its muscles on occasion, but just as often they hold back to provide space for Dylan’s singing, which has been defying nature for quite some time. His voice, once a ravaged rasp that paled in comparison to his youthful glory years, somehow improved as Dylan reached senior-citizen status. Near the end of 1979’s Gotta Serve Somebody, his full-throated vamp sounds surprisingly like the ghost of David Bowie.

A late-set choice of Johnny Cash’s Big River, which Dylan first covered in the late 1990s and has played at most of his shows in the past month, finds the band digging into a deep rockabilly groove after Dylan’s jaunty piano kicks things off. A highlight from Rough And Rowdy Ways was the nine-minute meditation Key West (Philosopher Pirate), on which Lancio switched from acoustic to electric guitar for a more atmospheric wash of sound behind Dylan’s sprightly melodic piano runs that at times brings to mind, of all things, the theme song from the 1980s TV show Hill Street Blues.

And Dylan’s presentation of his older songs, once altered so drastically that even longtime fans couldn’t name the tune till it was half-over, has been reined in. Well-travelled numbers such as 1967’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and 1969’s To Be Alone With You still sound different from their recorded counterparts, but it’s less of a guessing-game now. (An exception: 1971’s When I Paint My Masterpiece, which has been reworked to where it uncannily resembles Irving Berlin’s 1920s classic Puttin’ on the Ritz.)

Dylan speaks not a word the entire night, though he acknowledges the crowd’s rapt attention at the end of the show by stepping out front for a few gracious bows. Then the lights go down, the band stroll off, and Bob Dylan’s 21st Austin concert comes to an end. Another full house at the 2,700-capacity theatre will greet him on Saturday night — and then, what’s next? These past few years have seemed like smooth sailing for Dylan, which probably means it’s time to rock the boat.

SET LIST

Watching The River Flow

Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine

I Contain Multitudes

False Prophet

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Black Rider

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

My Own Version Of You

Crossing The Rubicon

To Be Alone With You

Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Gotta Serve Somebody

Across The Borderline

I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You

Big River

Mother Of Muses

Goodbye Jimmy Reed

Every Grain Of Sand