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I saw Bob Dylan Last Night...

flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
edited August 2008 in The Porch
Coming off of 2 Eddie shows (Newark and NY2)...It was one of the worst concerts I have seen in years! Dylan did not acknowledge the crowd, the sound quality was terrible for 3/4 of the show. I could not decifer his words (I usually can), The song selection was pretty lame (though he did play Ballad of a Thin Man), he had a full "Swing" Band, and every song literally sounded the same- like Jump, Jive, and Wail with a mumbling of Bob Dylan lyrics over it... Imagine THAT. I did not expect Dylan circa 1967, but I did buy his most recent albums and he at least sings...He spoke the lyrics to every song in groups of 3 words at a time, F! Really Bad experience...And I LOVE Dylan...But on a positive note- The Dylan song I hoped to hear THE MOST was played not by Dylan on Friday, but by Eddie in New York Tuesday- Girl From THe North Country- and Damn can the dude cover Dylan!
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  • san pedrosan pedro Posts: 169
    i love ballad of a thin man! desolation row too! also stuck inside of mobile, with the memphis blues again. (elderly woman behind the counter in a small town!?!) the only time i saw dylan was in 1987 oakland,ca. with the grateful dead as his backup band! good show! eddie should do when i paint my masterpiece!
    "DON'T HATE THE PLAYER, HATE THE GAME"
  • manhattanmanhattan Posts: 258
    Just curious -- what was the audience's reaction? Did they seem as enthusiastic as EV's audience?
  • CHANGEinWAVESCHANGEinWAVES Posts: 10,169
    This sucks to hear since I'm seeing him next week in AC! :(
    "I'm not present, I'm a drug that makes you dream"
  • alliw719alliw719 Posts: 99
    I saw Dylan last October in Chicago. His voice sounded terrible, kind of like Marge's twin sisters on the Simpsons. I know that sounds mean but at least it got better as the show progressed. Like your show, he didn't even acknowledge the crowd and sat and played the keyboard the whole time. The only song that I was familiar with was "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat." The rest were from his new album which I am not familiar with.

    At least Elvis Costello played as an opening. He was amazing and put on a great performance.
    "Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues you can tell by the way she smiles."
  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,933
    I saw him two years ago. He sucked SO BAD. I refused to even applaud after the first 6 or 7 songs because he really didn't deserve it.
    2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden, 2024: Philly 2

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  • xxxxxxxxxx Posts: 14
    everything good youve ever heard about him he deserves. incredible human being. but he needs to stop touring. i know music is his life but it hurts to see him crumbling before our eyes. i guess performing music and art is the only thing that gives him joy. maybe he just tours to make money and give everyone a chance to look at a legend in person.
  • joint in a treejoint in a tree Posts: 392
    my parents, who have been to HUNDREDS of shows, cite Dylan as their worst show ever.
    Brilliant man, but not a performer, at least not anymore.
    "Find myself singing the same songs every day....
    ones that make me feel good when things behind the smile ain't ok...." -Hoon
  • BlackCorduroyBlackCorduroy Posts: 1,374
    I saw him in 2006. I agree, it was a pretty terrible show. It's kinda cool to see him once just to someday remember that you saw Bob fucking Dylan, but don't expect to actually enjoy the music.
  • angryyoungmanangryyoungman Medford, NY Posts: 1,028
    what do you expect, he's 100 years old. . .it sucks to see performers you've always respected start to fall apart, i saw ozzy last year and he can't sing anymore, its kinda sad. . .but at least you had zach wylde killing it on guitar
    i have wished for so long, how i wish for you today
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  • red mosred mos Posts: 4,953
    I saw Dylan at the Houston rodeo back in 2002. It was a decent show but was not on my A list nor my worst show ever. I didn't have high expectations going in cause I knew his voice was gonna be rough. He didn't acknowledge the crowd at our show either, but he never does. Dylan has never been the crowd / performer interaction type. My friend's brother has seen Dylan live like 20 times and said he rarely ever speaks to the crowd. I have come to the conclusion that Dylan only entertains himself when he plays, but I would like to see him again at one of his own shows and not a rodeo or a festival. The sound in the Houston Astrodome is terrible for acoustics so that could have been a factor. But yeah, the crowd can seem bored at Dylan shows, when in fact they really aren't. Dylan didn't really look like he was having fun until 10 songs into a 12 song set. My mom swears Dylan was stoned out of his mind, and I laugh every time she says that because well it is Dylan. ;)
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  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    BlackCorduroy wrote:
    It's kinda cool to see him once just to someday remember that you saw Bob fucking Dylan, but don't expect to actually enjoy the music.
    I'll" " That!
  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    1. Cat's In The Well
    2. Lay, Lady, Lay
    3. The Levee's Gonna Break
    4. Moonlight
    5. Tangled Up In Blue
    6. Things Have Changed
    7. Spirit On The Water
    8. Honest With Me
    9. Beyond The Horizon
    10. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
    11. Tryin' To Get To Heaven
    12. Highway 61 Revisited
    13. Nettie Moore
    14. Summer Days
    15. Ballad Of A Thin Man
    (encore)
    16. Thunder On The Mountain
    17. Blowin' In The Wind
  • mauichickmauichick Posts: 964
    i saw him several years ago at jones beach with ani difranco as an opener
    very impressive show
    disappointing to hear that he's gone downhill and everyone's bad reviews
    '96 7 shows / '97 3 shows / '98 15 shows
    '00 12 shows / '03 4 shows / '06 6 shows
    '08 3 shows / '09 5 shows / '10 6 shows
  • Rjonesrm20Rjonesrm20 Posts: 380
    thats a bummer cause i always wanted to see Dylan live....his son's stuff isnt too bad!
    1998: Indy 2000: Indy, Cincy 2003: Lexington (m.e.o.), Cincy (cancelled),Indy 2004: Toledo 2005: Atlantic City 2 2006: Cleveland, Cincy 2008: Los Angeles1 (EV solo)-front row center!West Palm Beach-2nd row!, Tampa, Chicago 1&2-(EV solo) 2009: Nashville 1&2(EV solo) Memphis(EV solo) Chicago 1&2
  • joebotjoebot Posts: 372
    BlackCorduroy wrote:
    I saw him in 2006. I agree, it was a pretty terrible show. It's kinda cool to see him once just to someday remember that you saw Bob fucking Dylan, but don't expect to actually enjoy the music.

    My experience and thoughts exactly.
  • girlinthewhitepantsgirlinthewhitepants Posts: 242
    mauichick wrote:
    i saw him several years ago at jones beach with ani difranco as an opener
    very impressive show
    disappointing to hear that he's gone downhill and everyone's bad reviews

    I saw that tour, thought it was more like 8 years ago? Or 10? Or I maybe just don't even recall exactly and don't want to dig up the stub....it was in Minneapolis. Ani rocked as usual and Dylan just seemed like a zombie compared to her, no life in his performance at all. It was a little sad, but like someone else said, cool to see the legend in person.
  • Daisy_BuchananDaisy_Buchanan Posts: 162
    girlinthewhitepants wrote:
    I saw that tour, thought it was more like 8 years ago? Or 10? Or I maybe just don't even recall exactly and don't want to dig up the stub....it was in Minneapolis. Ani rocked as usual and Dylan just seemed like a zombie compared to her, no life in his performance at all. It was a little sad, but like someone else said, cool to see the legend in person.

    I feel like I saw him on the same tour...could be, was in college and the timeline fits...anyway, I was in the 1st ten rows and the whole thing was mumbled and incoherent to me :(
  • Who PrincessWho Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    He has NEVER been one to talk with his audience. He's all about getting up there and playing, and years ago before his voice started to sound so bad, that was just fine because you still saw a killer show. I first saw him in 1974 and he said 3 things the entire night: "Thank you" after a few songs; "We're gonna take a short break but we'll be right back"; "Thanks for coming out to see us tonight" at the end of the show, no encore. He was touring with The Band and the show is so memorable that I'd still place it in my top 5 shows of all time.

    When I saw him years later he did introduce his band at the end of the show but other than that there wasn't any more interaction with the audience. Great performance though. I saw him last year at ACL fest and I couldn't believe how his voice sounded. It got better as he got into the set but I was disappointed. A friend who had seen him 4 times during the past 2 years said his voice always starts off sounding rough nowadays but gets better. I'd say like everyone else has that he's still worth seeing in particular because he always has an outstanding back up band. But be prepared going in.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • HoonHoon Posts: 175
    I saw him a year or so ago. Amazing experience. Chan would understand.
    If you keep yourself as the final arbiter you will be less susceptible to infection from cultural illusion.
  • JordyWordyJordyWordy Posts: 2,261
    i saw him in 2003, and he sat at the keys all night, which i was bummed about.

    BUT on that occasion he was quite chatty, which i hadnt expected (cos id heard reports like the ones on here)....had a few one liner comments in between songs.

    The band were fairly versatile, it wasnt all "swing" stuff, but many songs had been reworked for the worse, but his fucked up voice sounded killer on Desolation Row & Man In The Long Back Coat so i was happy!
  • Evacuation RulesEvacuation Rules Posts: 2,162
    My buddy saw him recently in Anaheim, CA and he said it was the worst concert he's even seen by any arist EVER...and he's a Dylan fanatic.

    We both saw him many years ago in a small theatre on the "Unplugged" tour...must have been '94 or so. That was quite an experience. His voice hadn't gone to total shit yet at that point. My only complaint about that show is that it was too short! It had to be about an hour long. He played Desolation Row and Jokerman and Blind Willie McTell and some other cool shit.
  • PJ_LukinPJ_Lukin Posts: 2,055
    I saw Dylan in a club a couple of years ago. His voice ain't what is used to be, not that he ever really had a strong voice to begin with. He was decent, it was a warm up show for his minor league baseball stadium tour with Willie Nelson. The one anomaly about the show was that he actually talked to the audience. He told a joke about Larry Campbell his guitar player for tour, and introduced the band with comments about each player.
    It was an honor to be in a room with about 200 - 300,whatever it was, other people listening to a living legend. I am glad I went.

    (on a side note, I saw him in our local mall during the day of that show. If you think that isn't something you won't soon forget, think again. It just struck me as very unusual and to this day I don't know why. Maybe I have this image of BOB DYLAN and that image would never shop in a mall? Weird.)
    ~!~ Peace ~!~ Love ~!~ Pearl Jam ~!~
  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    Yeah, it was a General Admission venue holding 2,100- So it was an ideal place to see such a Legend...
  • mauichickmauichick Posts: 964
    girlinthewhitepants wrote:
    I saw that tour, thought it was more like 8 years ago? Or 10? Or I maybe just don't even recall exactly and don't want to dig up the stub....it was in Minneapolis. Ani rocked as usual and Dylan just seemed like a zombie compared to her, no life in his performance at all. It was a little sad, but like someone else said, cool to see the legend in person.

    It probably was (several can mean 8, can't it:)
    I became a HUGE ani fan after, but i was also VERY impressed by Bob
    different strokes i guess
    '96 7 shows / '97 3 shows / '98 15 shows
    '00 12 shows / '03 4 shows / '06 6 shows
    '08 3 shows / '09 5 shows / '10 6 shows
  • StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
    that jones beach show with ani was 1997

    i've seen him about 8 times, i know what i'm in store for....i feel bad for people who think they are gonna hear Tangled Up in Blue sounding just like the radio version, they are in for a surprise....

    basically any song he plays, you can't understand a word he says, and the music to every song is totally rearranged....so about 3 minutes into the song you are able to decipher 3 or 4 words, and you're like "oh shit, this is Like a Rolling Stone!"

    i heard Ringo Starr tell a funny Dylan story in an interview....he said he went to a Dylan show, and he went backstage between the main set and the encore....Dylan asked Ringo what he'd like to hear for the encore, and Ringo said he'd like to hear Maggie's Farm...Dylan said "we already played that tonight"....that about sums it up!

    the worst was a couple of years ago, when he started doing this thing people have called "up-singing", where at the end of every line he sings the last word higher....it is the most annoying thing i have ever heard....i had tickets to 2 nights at the beacon and i didn't go the 2nd night because the "up-singing" on the first night drove me nuts

    but i still love the man

    he is absolutely there to do what he wants, and doesn't give a rats ass what the crowd wants....i guess thats what is called being an "artist"....if you want great singing and entertainment, go see neil diamond
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    StuffnJunk wrote:
    that jones beach show with ani was 1997

    i've seen him about 8 times, i know what i'm in store for....i feel bad for people who think they are gonna hear Tangled Up in Blue sounding just like the radio version, they are in for a surprise....

    basically any song he plays, you can't understand a word he says, and the music to every song is totally rearranged....so about 3 minutes into the song you are able to decipher 3 or 4 words, and you're like "oh shit, this is Like a Rolling Stone!"

    i heard Ringo Starr tell a funny Dylan story in an interview....he said he went to a Dylan show, and he went backstage between the main set and the encore....Dylan asked Ringo what he'd like to hear for the encore, and Ringo said he'd like to hear Maggie's Farm...Dylan said "we already played that tonight"....that about sums it up!

    the worst was a couple of years ago, when he started doing this thing people have called "up-singing", where at the end of every line he sings the last word higher....it is the most annoying thing i have ever heard....i had tickets to 2 nights at the beacon and i didn't go the 2nd night because the "up-singing" on the first night drove me nuts

    but i still love the man

    he is absolutely there to do what he wants, and doesn't give a rats ass what the crowd wants....i guess thats what is called being an "artist"....if you want great singing and entertainment, go see neil diamond


    Well I didn't say I don't love the guy's music, and I didn't expect Dylan circa '67 as I had said before, I just expected him to sound more like Modern Times I guess- Raspy, but legible to a trained ear...So, the "up-singing" happened the other night...da da da DA...da da DA...da da DA, and it sucked, and the real kicker to the whole experience was that as I was leaving, there were TONS of people saying to each other "THAT WAS GREAT!" Have they ever been to a Concert before? It was great to be in the same small ass roon with BOB FUCKING DYLAN, but the next Great thing that happened there was leaving!

    P.S. -to the fan with the Borgata Tickets for the 16th, unless the tickets were free or a gift, SELL THEM!
  • PittsburghPJPittsburghPJ Posts: 225
    alliw719 wrote:
    I saw Dylan last October in Chicago. His voice sounded terrible, kind of like Marge's twin sisters on the Simpsons. I know that sounds mean but at least it got better as the show progressed. Like your show, he didn't even acknowledge the crowd and sat and played the keyboard the whole time. The only song that I was familiar with was "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat." The rest were from his new album which I am not familiar with.

    At least Elvis Costello played as an opening. He was amazing and put on a great performance.


    I saw him in Pittsburgh and had the exact same experience. Costello was excellent, and if not for him I would have had a real shitty night
    YNWA
  • HollisBrownHollisBrown Posts: 4,325
    So I take it this is the first time you've seen Dylan?
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  • flyinwhole313flyinwhole313 Posts: 1,651
    HollisBrown wrote:
    So I take it this is the first time you've seen Dylan?

    Whoa, how many times have YOU seen Dylan???? The point of the post was about this specific show, NOT how many times people have seen the man.

    Does every post get trashed by "holier than thou" pricks on here? It seems as if 1 out of 5 posts I read turn into "Well I have been here longer" or "I have more Bootlegs", "I have seen more shows".

    How about this- I wanted to vent to fellow fans of my favorite band about my SHIT experience with a musician I hold in the HIGHEST regard...even if he sucks live.
  • HollisBrownHollisBrown Posts: 4,325
    flyinwhole313 wrote:
    Whoa, how many times have YOU seen Dylan???? The point of the post was about this specific show, NOT how many times people have seen the man.

    Does every post get trashed by "holier than thou" pricks on here? It seems as if 1 out of 5 posts I read turn into "Well I have been here longer" or "I have more Bootlegs", "I have seen more shows".

    How about this- I wanted to vent to fellow fans of my favorite band about my SHIT experience with a musician I hold in the HIGHEST regard...even if he sucks live.
    Since the 1973-74 Before the Flood tour, about 50. I can't wait to hear what Eddie and the boys sound like when they're 67.
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