Going to see his Bobness tonite at the Aragon (aka Airagroin) Ballroom, a venerable place, to put it kindly. I saw my first Elvis Costello show there and my only Clash show, too. I haven't seen Dylan a whole lot, but the most memorable was a gig in Bristol, TN, a place that was pretty inspiring for him. We also pulled a Righteous Stage Rushtm to get a great view, and he was clearly having fun. Of all he's accomplished, maybe the greatest thing is that for the most part he doesn't take himself too seriously. His (allegedly) fallow periods seem to be when he lost his knack for self-deprecation, and his best ones -- including the last few records -- are when he's more casually great. Check out this body of work, in ten-year chunks.
Posted by Vernam at March 5, 2004 06:57 PM | TrackBackI'm going to see him next Saturday at the Phoenix here. Sort of a theatre/club. Presale Tix just released yesterday, and I wouldn't have known if I hadn't been in a used CD store and the Geek was talking about it. He's doing three shows. One at the Ricoh Auditorium, one at Kool Haus (often awful sound), and the Phoenix.
I'm stoked!
Posted by: Jim at March 12, 2004 08:03 PMI think you know I don't get starry eyed easily, but it struck me last night what a privilege it is to see him still going at it, long after his contemporaries became irrelevant or dead. I have a feeling that's how he approaches it, too. There's palpable fun happening on-stage, and the audience is full of _young_ people. The oldsters were pretty few, surprisingly. Call it hyperbole, but I think he's as great as anything America has produced, artistically or otherwise. There's a remarkable consistency and depth to his vision -- the rebellion usually goes beyond facile cynicism and slogans. His band is a riff machine without equal. Even at high volume in a cavernous hall, their playing let his words shine through. I think that's partly why his arrangements rely so heavily on the blues these days, because it lets them alternate between playing softly when he sings and loudly in between verses. He never had to shout to be heard over the band, though they were as raucous as anything I've heard. "National Treasure," for sure. If this country has a conscience, he's probably it. Last night when he sang "It's life and life only," the words rang with truth. Name another 60-year-old who could read -- much less sing -- with such conviction the words he wrote in his 20s, yet not seem a nostalgist or plain idiot. They glow like burning coals.
Posted by: VC at March 6, 2004 11:48 PMA National Treasure - that's Bobby.
They say every generation has their icons, but Dylan (and Los Beatles) have transcended simple generational importance. They are part of the ultra-exclusive pantheon of truly timeless composers; which also includes Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Ellington... can't think of too many more, beyond that. U?
"Time passes slowly up here in the daylight
We stare straight ahead & try so hard to stay right
Like the red rose of summer that blooms in the day
Time passes slowly and fades away."