November 6, 2010
Gordon Field House- Rochester Institute of Technology
Although i attended RIT (don't even ask me about it; the school is terrible, but somehow has a good reputation), i never went to a show there (still kicking myself about missing the mewithoutYou, Thrice, and Brand New show a few years back, but alas...). i should mention that i have grown weary of going to shows, as i find the crowds more and more annoying. i tire of people pushing their way to the front, blocking your view, pushing and shoving, fighting in the pit, etc. It's just not as fun now that i am a little bit older. Thus, i have only been to four shows this year: Coheed and Cambria (2x), Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (with Saosin?!), and now Bob Dylan. i think my girlfriend and i may have seen Lovedrug, too, but we left early due to boredom. i can't remember which year that was, honestly.
My girlfriend purchased a pair of tickets to see Bob Dylan for my birthday, which was a pleasant treat. Mr. Dylan is one of my favorite artists, and GOD willing, i will post a picture of my collection of his recordings soon.
The line outside the venue was long (much bigger than i had anticipated, but it IS Bob Dylan, so i guess i should have expected it). It was also very cold; jackets would have been a good idea, as November in New York is always crappy and this night was no exception. So, we stood in line and waited with some friends for a good twenty minutes, but the lines did move relatively fast. Once inside, we found an awesome spot to stand along the walkways, such that we had a direct and elevated view of the stage. i didn't feel like going into the "pit," as we were seeing Bob Dylan, not Converge; there would be no moshing.
Once the show started out with a rendition of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," i knew we would be in for a good night. i'm not a great fan of that particular song, but i love "Blonde on Blonde," so i was hoping he'd play more material from that album; he did not. He did, however, play my favorite song, "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," albeit in a re-arranged form which made it hard to recognize. In fact, he played quite a bit of material from "Highway 61 Revisited," another favorite album of mine. One thing that was immediately apparent, however: this was not to be simply a recital of the album versions of his songs. Instead, every song took on a new life and sound of its own this evening. Having never seen Bob, i've heard this is one of the draws of seeing him: hearing how old familiars will be re-invigorated by a man who's been writing music for over 40 years.
Bob and his band played a good mix of old and new material, which was a nice surprise. i'll admit i am not too familiar with Mr. Dylan's more recent work, although i do listen to "Modern Times" (and "Christmas in the Heart!") fairly often. One criticism of Mr. Dylan these days is that his voice is gravelly, weathered, and worn. However, i find it to be quite unique and an honest representation of emotion and passion. Of course, i like mewithoutYou and Harvey Milk, so apparently i don't care if your singer can even sing; i just like the lyrics.
The crowd for this event was quite boring, but i don't really know how they should have reacted to the performance. Again, it is not metal or hardcore where there would be moshing, nor is it rap or dance where there would be dancing; it is folky, rocky, Americana. i did see a few couples dancing along to the more-upbeat numbers, which was nice, but other than that, we all just sort of stood around.
After the last song, "Ballad of a Thin Man," the crowd began chanting for an encore, and Mr. Dylan returned to play "Jolene" and the obligatory "Like a Rolling Stone." Overall, it was a fun night of remembering the past triumphs of a great musician and writer, and of celebrating his continued relevancy and passion for performing, one that is nearly unrivaled, even among his peers who are less than half his age or even younger. He is a man who has seen it all, written about it, warned us about it, and whose voice is still as important today as when it was singing those politically-charged songs in the early 1960s. GOD bless you, good sir.
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