Bob Dylan - Bob Links - Minneapolis, Minnesota - Reviews (original) (raw)

It had been 18 months since Terri and I had last seen Dylan perform and for a year of that time I had hosted my own radio segment on him, thereby broadening my knowledge of, and changing my relationship to, the artist. These factors and a few others were on my mind as the concert approached.

Last time we had seen him was during the short-lived Duke Robillard era, which I was happy with because before that I had grown tired of guitarist Charlie Sexton's visible dissatisfaction with his role in the band. I for one was disappointed when it was announced that Duke's tenure with Dylan was going to be short-lived. Off the top, I'm glad that Charlie seems to have accepted that what Dylan wants from him is to stand in his spot and play some tastefully understated guitar licks. Charlie did nothing at all Thursday night to draw attention to himself except play his axe well, as a sideman should.

Now, as for the concert itself, I can say this customer was very satisfied with the show and the rest of the crowd was very enthusiastic as well. Our seats were near the rear on the floor and we had binoculars that enabled us to see Dylan's facial expressions quite well and there is no doubt he was totally engaged and relishing every minute of being onstage. It was a joy to see him having such fun with his music. Another aspect of the night I enjoyed was the simple fact that the show was held in a small Vaudeville theatre from the '20s that was packed tight for the third night in a row. Last time we had seen him was at the Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL and the crowd at the Orpheum would have fit into a tiny corner of that basketball arena. Not only is a theatre much more aesthetically pleasing, but being in a packed house is obviously more fun than one that is only a fraction of the way filled. Let's hope he stays away from basketball arenas from now on.

I'd like to address some complaints I hear from time-to-time about Dylan's shows. Some people are disappointed that he doesn't stick to a greatest hits format; I say be glad he doesn't and in fact I am happy for him that he has such enthusiasm for material he created late in life that he feels comfortable building his show on these songs instead of singing nothing but songs he wrote as a young man. I agree that I wish he would do an acoustic set again, but he doesn't and there is no use in complaining about it. Same with playing the piano and not playing guitar at all, Bob proved long ago that he is going to do what he wants and just like the folkies at Newport who booed him for going electric, we now must accept that this is what he's into at this time and he's never going to worry about trying to meet anyone's expectations; if he did he wouldn't be Dylan. I am reminded of the recent comment by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco concerning whether Dylan ever does anything simply to please the masses; Tweedy nailed it by saying "Dylan has zero fucks to give about that." You may say "yeah, but if he doesn't do what I like, I don't have to go see him." Which, of course, is true, but for me I'm happy that a true living legend of such great historical importance is still on the road, headin' for another joint, coming to a theatre near you. One of these days he won't be out there anymore and I'm going to go see him every chance I get! The man is a national treasure and I'm not taking him for granted.

And finally, I have to address "the voice." I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say "oh his voice is gone" or "he's a worse singer than ever" and this is absolute silliness. His voice ripped a huge hole in my heart from beginning to end! Of course, it is true he'll never be an opera star, but that doesn't matter because he doesn't give a shit about opera. Among serious Dylan fans, it is strongly believed that the raspy old blues singer voice he sings with now is exactly what he wanted it to sound like all along. In fact, the voice he sang with 50 years ago was basically an affectation of the folk and blues singers he admired. Back in 1963, and not yet 22, in the liner notes of his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, he told critic Nat Hentoff that "I don't carry myself yet the way that Big Joe Williams, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Lightnin' Hopkins have carried themselves. I hope to be able to some day, but they're older people. I sometimes am able to do it, but it happens, when it happens, unconsciously. You see, in time, with those old singers, music was a tool-a way to live more, a way to make themselves feel better at certain points. As for me, I can make myself feel better sometimes, but at other times, it's still hard to go to sleep at night." In 2014 and well into his 70s, Dylan is able to carry himself as his heroes did; his voice has become an authentic tool of a great blues singer and this is an awesome sound to behold, but to be sure, it ain't for wimps, weanies, wussies or pussies.

Finally, Terri and I usually travel to these events by ourselves and usually meet up with some friends at the venue. However, last year I met a fellow Dylan fanatic who lives in our neck of the woods and so we all decided to travel together for this trip and it was quite a fun experience. From the time we got to his house on Thursday morning until we got back Friday afternoon, it was all Bobtalk all the time heh heh. Thanks for being part of the experience, Pat. :

11/11/14 followup:

Ever since Terri and I saw Bob Dylan perform at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last Thursday night, I have been struggling to get my head around all my thoughts and feelings I have from what was a truly transcendent evening. First and foremost, I reached a new level of understanding about the greatness of the latter-day Bob, and being the passionate person that I am, I wish everyone could have heard what I heard that night through my ears. I am fond of using the word I invented to describe such events, the �Bobpiphany.� Now, I realize that most people have more practical things than music (careers, family, those type of things heh heh) which they devote their lives to and that not everyone can be a hard-core Bob Dylan fan, but it is my firm belief that it is important for any lover of music to take in a Dylan concert whenever possible, and hopefully be able to appreciate him as he is now.

Grateful Dead scholar, publicist and Garcia biographer Dennis McNally recently released a fascinating study of American music and its impact on our culture and society titled �On Highway 61: Music, Race, and the Evolution of Cultural Freedom.� He ties up his thesis and research with statements like �Bob Dylan would ultimately become the greatest artist of this tradition� and �it all came together in the story of Bob Dylan, whose music had at least as many black sources as white, and who returned to the black-white fusion that is rock �n� roll as his career matured, and whose songs, whether overtly political or more personal and even surreal, always concerned freedom.� The idea that Bob Dylan is the greatest American musical artist of our time is not something I dreamed up by myself; it is a widely held belief shared by many people who care deeply about such matters.

One of the most amazing aspects of Dylan is that he keeps on keepin� on, not just in touring but in creating new Bob Dylans, and this leads to a lot of misunderstanding about his present self. Just the other day a lady at a checkout counter told me �I saw Bob Dylan and it was disappointing because he didn�t sing �Lady Lady Lady� like he did on the record.� Sorry, ma�am, Dylan ain�t no oldies act, that�s for reunion tours by the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. In 2006 Dylan set a record for being the oldest artist to hit #1 on the album charts with Modern Times, then he topped that record in 2009 when �Together Through Life� accomplished the same feat. The setlist of this performer supposedly tied to the '60's is 75% songs he has written since 1997......Amazing! It is true that even I wish he�d at least do a short acoustic set or at least play some guitar in his current shows, but he doesn�t consult me or anyone else. The thing is, since the beginning, even before he went electric at Newport in �65, Bob Dylan is who he is in the moment, and he cares not about anyone�s expectations. As Wilco�s Jeff Tweedy recently said �Dylan has zero fucks to give about that.� Dylan does as he wants, as any great and true artist will, it�s up to us to keep up with him.

So, these are my thoughts on the current state of Dylanology and the Never-Ending-Tour. It�s my sincere hope that someone here among you will not only be inspired to go out and see the great Dylan perform soon but be ready to appreciate him as he is. The Dylan of the early �60s, and the mid-60s, and the mid-70s and so on were all just phases, and when he�s done with that one, he makes up another other side of Bob Dylan. Now, in 2014 at age 73, he�s the rambling old man who sings the blues in a deep and raspy voice that Rolling Stone once called �a sinister, rusted-muffler growl.� I�m glad he�s still on the road, headin� for another joint!

Rod Peck Muscatine, IA. Maggiesfarm99@hotmail.com

The climate was agreeable for early November in the North Country. No Arctic blasts dropped down from the wilds of Canada, no freak blizzards blown in from across the Dakotas. Fact is I was able to explore the western Twin City attired mostly in just a t-shirt and flannel. Occasionally I would ascend to the famous Skyway that Paul Westerberg sang so famously about. A tremendous method to get around town when the outdoors is not so pleasant! So Bob Dylan was in Minneapolis for three shows at the Orpheum in the theater district on Hennepin Avenue, and I just had to be there. The past couple years I'd been fueling a desire to see him again in his home state, so this was the opportunity. I'd purchased tickets for wednesday and thursday in advance, but was able to save fifty quid by buying one for tuesday night on the street a quarter hour before showtime. My approach to Minneapolis was by crossing the river at La Crosse, Wisconsin and taking the scenic route up Highway 61, past the Walls of Red Wing, and into the city. A couple missed cutoffs in the dark and a debacle at the hotel meant I had arrived at the Orpheum with minutes to spare.

As aficianados of all things Bob already know, he now performs the same set each and every night, except for festival sets, which makes it more difficult to critique multiple shows. Over the three nights I was positioned at 16th row right center, 5th row right center, and 7th row left center. Tuesday/wednesday my seats were facing Bob's piano and Donnie Herron, while on thursday I was facing the rest of the band and Bob when he sashayed over to the four microphones at center stage. As expected sound was excellent in a venue created when sonic quality was about more than mere volume. The Orpheum Theater seats 2700, virtually all of them filled. Thursday was the only show where I saw signs at the ticket windows announcing a sellout. Dylan's last night in Minnesota? As the performances go, tuesday was in my opinion a notch below the others. The best " Things Have Changed ", Bob's stock opener for a few years now, was the final night. " She Belongs To Me " moves like the rhythm of a heartbeat, a living pulse that cannot be extinguished. " Workingman's Blues #2 " has never been one of my favorites, but these were the best versions I've yet heard, Bob singing tenderly and convincingly. " Waiting For You " was the first of three personal first-timers. It was nice to hear an old, OLD school country waltz in the set, and the song was a highlight as a unique identifier of this period in time. " Pay In Blood " afforded the band a chance to shine, as during a break Bob did one of his awkward little jigs ( maybe awkward on purpose ) as he stepped aside while the group jammed for a few beats. A minimalist " Tangled Up In Blue " caught my ear as the most bare - bones rendering ever, primarily just Dylan on piano accompanied by Stu Kimball playing the well-known guitar part and Donnie filling in the rest.

After " Love Sick " the group left the stage for the intermission. To me this makes the evening seem shorter, but the total playing time remains just under two hours. Per usual I met some interesting people at these shows, like Dez from Ireland, who'd been in the States all of three weeks, and was seeing Bob Dylan for the very first time. On the third night I was seated next to an engaging lady who hailed originally from Montana. Good conversation has been a component of many a Dylan show and factors in to why I attend so many. A breath of fresh air later, the band returns with " High Water ( for Charley Patton ) ". I was wearing what has become my Dylan concert uniform: a t-shirt with the full-length photograph of Charley Patton, the one discovered by blues archeologist John Tefteller on his expedition to the Paramount Records region of Grafton and Port Washington, Wisconsin. Previously the Paramount promotional photo only existed from the neck up. It remains the only known picture of the hard-living Patton, who died in 1934. From Paramount to Chess and the Muddy Waters blues, " Early Roman Kings ". This number has improved over time, as the repetitiveness has transformed from annoying to addicting, it's hooks digging down deeply into your chest, deceptively so, much like the Rolling Stones outtake, " Two Trains Running ", itself an actual Muddy Waters cover. Tempest material dominated the second half, with " Scarlet Town " and " Soon After Midnight " both making appearances. Bob was in fine voice, a little rough perhaps the first night, and his piano work was very good. He added harp to three songs, and naturally the crowd voiced their appreciation. Stage lighting was very warm, often bathing the musicians in rich, amber tones, dim but not so you couldn't see the band well. Small lights scattered about replaced the torches of the AmericanaramA tour - after all, you don't wanna burn these beautiful palaces down - but the coolest element were the old canister-style spots, seven of them, I believe, in all. Bob must've gotten a deal on these, as they looked like they came directly from an MGM soundstage! Backdrops added to the overall effect, and made me smile a couple times. The " starry night " slide made the band look like they were caught in an asteroid field; another gave the illusion that the boys were stuck at the bottom of a quarry!

" Long And Wasted Years " was the only Tempest song I had not yet seen, and I was eager for this one. I wasn't bowled over, I thought these renditions lacked the power that other Boblinks correspondents have spoken of, but I was glad it's included in the set and look forward to more on future tours. With that, a quick formation, and it was on to the encores. First the " happy " version of " Blowin' In The Wind ". Finally the song Bob's closed with each night since the last show in Los Angeles, namely " Stay With Me ". Short but sweet, apparently a number Frank Sinatra crooned in a 1965 film, and possibly incomplete, I believe Bob means it as a special thank you to those who've remained loyal to him throughout his time. People bemoan the fact that Bob rarely speaks during performance, doesn't blatantly give recognition to his audience, or say " hey Detroit! " or whatever, but here it is right here and right now. He saved his best vocal for this one, too. All Bobcats really need is Bob being Bob for as long as it lasts.

Don Ely Rochester, MI