Dylan 4/30 - Birmingham (long)
Hatfield
Posts: 122
Saw Dylan in Birmingham last night for the first time and hopefully not the last. The show completely caught me off guard. I wasn't prepared. The nature of the show is what made such a strong impression on me. In the past I've assumed that Dylan, because of his incessant tours, came on stage rather haphazardly, played a few ragged versions of songs, hoarse voiced, with an adequate backing band. I was very wrong. What I walked away with is the knowledge that Dylan is a relevant, vibrant entertainer.
It quickly became obvious that an incredible amount of thought has been put into this show. The arrangement of the songs, the staging, the order of songs all the way to the sound effects and basic audio engineering which was not traditional in any sense. Dylan isn't just going through a round of songs for some old fans. In fact, I left not knowing who he intended that performance for. There were Merle Haggard fans, who left early, older folks who want to see a legend, some of them left early, and they were college age to 30 year olds who came to get down. (The arena was less than half full -BJCC).
Dylan made the audience work. He starts with Maggie's Farm and She Belongs to Me. The only recognizable feature, about both of these, were the lyrics. Instead of relying on a familiar rhythm or melody, Dylan forces the lyrics to the forefront by making them the anchor of the song for the listener. The words are all you can connect with and once you do the new arrangement is danceable and very enjoyable. Then came Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum. This was the first taste of the DARK nature of this show. The lead guitarist had his guitar tuned to Devil and it whipped and lashed with an intense but methodical pace as Dylan spits out :
"Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee
They're throwing knives into the tree
Two big bags of dead man's bones
Got their noses to the grindstones
Living in the Land of Nod
Trustin' their fate to the Hands of God
They pass by so silently
Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee"
His voice grabs you at this point. It is growling and purposeful. Each slide of the throat or extra hold of a note feels completely intentional. In fact you realize that you aren't watching a loose band of musicians meandering through tired old songs but a viable rock band whose timing is essential to the overall purpose. The music is exacting and overwhelming. It isn’t laid back. At one point during the middle of a verse the sound man turns the drums up unexpectedly, the drummer hits an uncomfortable rhythm, smack in the middle of the song and like a “jam band” that has lost its way Dylan forces us into the middle of a change that no one was expecting but that no one can ignore. The drums shake the ground, insisting that you pay attention and if you had been lulled into a groove by the first minute and a half, your senses now are set one notch higher. The change takes place, they get the new groove and now the song has more energy than it did just 15 seconds before. They are riding and rolling, stretching and gliding. This is much more than I expected.
The simple red curtain being used as a backdrop, which is gigantic, is pulled back revealing another backdrop that will grow and add to the show just like the music will, as Dylan works through the predetermined 14 song set. The lights change and the band is illuminated in such a strange way that it would take too many words but do know that it was very appealing. The next stretch continues the strange arrangements but again your focus and your guide are the lyrics. Positively 4th Street, 'Til I Fell In Love With You, and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). People start leaving at this point but the ones who stay must be figuring something out. They are more energized and it seems they have committed to the show, reciprocating the energy that Dylan has obviously put into this evening. It's Alright, Ma is difficult, defiant and eerie. Lyrics are being shouted, the guitars are dissonant and Dylan's keyboard is more horror movie than melodic companion. It is staccato, creating a second rhythm with his voice, similar in style, creating a third. I couldn't tell if I enjoyed it because it was hitting different emotions than I normally get a concerts, but I knew that I was engrossed and overwhelmed. This isn't just a show for Dylan. He is trying to provide an EVENT for the listener.
The next song confirmed that fact for me. Very well crafted and thought out, he has taken you to your uncomfortable limit (almost like a suspense movie holding you out there as long as you can stand before the big scare) and then he sweetly kisses you with this beautiful, melodic rendition of Just Like a Woman. The mood changed, couples were holding each other and all were transfixed as you get your first confirmation that Dylan's voice is fantastic. This band can do all things. They are powerful. There power was never more evident then on song 8:
Highway 61 Revisited - Unreal. This band was playing around with an energy that I have rarely seen. I've seen many bands move a crowd more and make people dance and laugh but this was dark and driving. Dylan’s voice is indescribable as he howls:
"Now the rovin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61."
As they perform this, allowing all members to get a solo, just really winding this song out, the back drop has turned to stars. These stars stretch 30 feet high. Bright white lights are cast upon the curtain giving this three dimensional feel that adds to this incredible ambiance created by 5 musicians. It was uncomfortable and I was sure I was enjoying it.
They rounded out the set with Visions of Johanna, Cold Irons Bound, Boots Of Spanish Leather, and Summer Days. All were solid and Summer Days proved to be a quality set closer. One notable feature to these songs was the backdrop. During Visions of Johanna, the stars turned from white to blue and now they are chasing each other like a psychedelic wave. When you glanced at it they were perfectly still but as you stared at the band or if you looked directly at the backdrop it swam. It was like tripping without tripping.
The encore was of course Like a Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower. Both were crowd favorites – fun to sing along with and dance to. Neither fit the mood of the evening. I know he has closed with those for years but his avant-garde approach to the evening contrasts somewhat negatively with this safe close to the night.
The concert was so Bob Dylan. I knew he changed the arrangements but I didn't realize that he was basically writing new music with tough musicians. The lead guitarist was dressed country and western but he played like a punk rocker on acid that was desperate to play the blues. His solos were unconventional and his tone was constantly right under the surface of explosion. It gave you an "oh shit, what's he going to do" kind of feeling.
They created grooves and sometimes didn't ride them out as far as they could but as a band they are reaching/stretching farther away from normalcy than any I have seen in the last year and that includes Trey, Widespread, Audioslave, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam...
Taking chances can be very rewarding and it was for Dylan last night. The notion that Bob Dylan was an old man that just wasn't happy unless he is touring so he's going to play a little something for you has been disabused. He is in complete control and that is a powerful position that he is taking full advantage of.
My advice if you are going to check him out. Figure out what song he is playing very quickly. Ask a neighbor, bring a list but find out and then follow those lyrics to the emotion they have always brought out of you, pull that emotion out and connect it with this new version and you will feel what Dylan is doing.
Awesome.
It quickly became obvious that an incredible amount of thought has been put into this show. The arrangement of the songs, the staging, the order of songs all the way to the sound effects and basic audio engineering which was not traditional in any sense. Dylan isn't just going through a round of songs for some old fans. In fact, I left not knowing who he intended that performance for. There were Merle Haggard fans, who left early, older folks who want to see a legend, some of them left early, and they were college age to 30 year olds who came to get down. (The arena was less than half full -BJCC).
Dylan made the audience work. He starts with Maggie's Farm and She Belongs to Me. The only recognizable feature, about both of these, were the lyrics. Instead of relying on a familiar rhythm or melody, Dylan forces the lyrics to the forefront by making them the anchor of the song for the listener. The words are all you can connect with and once you do the new arrangement is danceable and very enjoyable. Then came Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum. This was the first taste of the DARK nature of this show. The lead guitarist had his guitar tuned to Devil and it whipped and lashed with an intense but methodical pace as Dylan spits out :
"Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee
They're throwing knives into the tree
Two big bags of dead man's bones
Got their noses to the grindstones
Living in the Land of Nod
Trustin' their fate to the Hands of God
They pass by so silently
Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee"
His voice grabs you at this point. It is growling and purposeful. Each slide of the throat or extra hold of a note feels completely intentional. In fact you realize that you aren't watching a loose band of musicians meandering through tired old songs but a viable rock band whose timing is essential to the overall purpose. The music is exacting and overwhelming. It isn’t laid back. At one point during the middle of a verse the sound man turns the drums up unexpectedly, the drummer hits an uncomfortable rhythm, smack in the middle of the song and like a “jam band” that has lost its way Dylan forces us into the middle of a change that no one was expecting but that no one can ignore. The drums shake the ground, insisting that you pay attention and if you had been lulled into a groove by the first minute and a half, your senses now are set one notch higher. The change takes place, they get the new groove and now the song has more energy than it did just 15 seconds before. They are riding and rolling, stretching and gliding. This is much more than I expected.
The simple red curtain being used as a backdrop, which is gigantic, is pulled back revealing another backdrop that will grow and add to the show just like the music will, as Dylan works through the predetermined 14 song set. The lights change and the band is illuminated in such a strange way that it would take too many words but do know that it was very appealing. The next stretch continues the strange arrangements but again your focus and your guide are the lyrics. Positively 4th Street, 'Til I Fell In Love With You, and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). People start leaving at this point but the ones who stay must be figuring something out. They are more energized and it seems they have committed to the show, reciprocating the energy that Dylan has obviously put into this evening. It's Alright, Ma is difficult, defiant and eerie. Lyrics are being shouted, the guitars are dissonant and Dylan's keyboard is more horror movie than melodic companion. It is staccato, creating a second rhythm with his voice, similar in style, creating a third. I couldn't tell if I enjoyed it because it was hitting different emotions than I normally get a concerts, but I knew that I was engrossed and overwhelmed. This isn't just a show for Dylan. He is trying to provide an EVENT for the listener.
The next song confirmed that fact for me. Very well crafted and thought out, he has taken you to your uncomfortable limit (almost like a suspense movie holding you out there as long as you can stand before the big scare) and then he sweetly kisses you with this beautiful, melodic rendition of Just Like a Woman. The mood changed, couples were holding each other and all were transfixed as you get your first confirmation that Dylan's voice is fantastic. This band can do all things. They are powerful. There power was never more evident then on song 8:
Highway 61 Revisited - Unreal. This band was playing around with an energy that I have rarely seen. I've seen many bands move a crowd more and make people dance and laugh but this was dark and driving. Dylan’s voice is indescribable as he howls:
"Now the rovin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61."
As they perform this, allowing all members to get a solo, just really winding this song out, the back drop has turned to stars. These stars stretch 30 feet high. Bright white lights are cast upon the curtain giving this three dimensional feel that adds to this incredible ambiance created by 5 musicians. It was uncomfortable and I was sure I was enjoying it.
They rounded out the set with Visions of Johanna, Cold Irons Bound, Boots Of Spanish Leather, and Summer Days. All were solid and Summer Days proved to be a quality set closer. One notable feature to these songs was the backdrop. During Visions of Johanna, the stars turned from white to blue and now they are chasing each other like a psychedelic wave. When you glanced at it they were perfectly still but as you stared at the band or if you looked directly at the backdrop it swam. It was like tripping without tripping.
The encore was of course Like a Rolling Stone and All Along the Watchtower. Both were crowd favorites – fun to sing along with and dance to. Neither fit the mood of the evening. I know he has closed with those for years but his avant-garde approach to the evening contrasts somewhat negatively with this safe close to the night.
The concert was so Bob Dylan. I knew he changed the arrangements but I didn't realize that he was basically writing new music with tough musicians. The lead guitarist was dressed country and western but he played like a punk rocker on acid that was desperate to play the blues. His solos were unconventional and his tone was constantly right under the surface of explosion. It gave you an "oh shit, what's he going to do" kind of feeling.
They created grooves and sometimes didn't ride them out as far as they could but as a band they are reaching/stretching farther away from normalcy than any I have seen in the last year and that includes Trey, Widespread, Audioslave, Ben Harper, Pearl Jam...
Taking chances can be very rewarding and it was for Dylan last night. The notion that Bob Dylan was an old man that just wasn't happy unless he is touring so he's going to play a little something for you has been disabused. He is in complete control and that is a powerful position that he is taking full advantage of.
My advice if you are going to check him out. Figure out what song he is playing very quickly. Ask a neighbor, bring a list but find out and then follow those lyrics to the emotion they have always brought out of you, pull that emotion out and connect it with this new version and you will feel what Dylan is doing.
Awesome.
'96 - 10/5
'98 - 9/1 9/4 9/18
'00 - 8/6 8/7 8/15 8/17 9/5
'03 - 4/9 4/15 4/19 7/11 7/12
'04 - 10/6 10/8
'05 - 9/11 9/12 9/13 9/15
'06 - 5/27 5/28 7/7 7/13 7/18 7/22 7/23
'98 - 9/1 9/4 9/18
'00 - 8/6 8/7 8/15 8/17 9/5
'03 - 4/9 4/15 4/19 7/11 7/12
'04 - 10/6 10/8
'05 - 9/11 9/12 9/13 9/15
'06 - 5/27 5/28 7/7 7/13 7/18 7/22 7/23
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'98 - 9/1 9/4 9/18
'00 - 8/6 8/7 8/15 8/17 9/5
'03 - 4/9 4/15 4/19 7/11 7/12
'04 - 10/6 10/8
'05 - 9/11 9/12 9/13 9/15
'06 - 5/27 5/28 7/7 7/13 7/18 7/22 7/23