Monday, March 15, I got the privilege of seeing my eighth Bob Dylan concert at the
State Theater in Detroit. And once again, Bob did not disappoint.
First off, I loved the venue. The State Theater is a gorgeous, old theater with great ambiance and a wonderful, intimate setting. Also, a little tip: if you've got general admission tickets, before the doors open, head into the State Bar which is in the same building. There's a door directly into the theater from there that gives you a leg up on all the suckers waiting outside in the cold. My brother and I stumbled upon this and it was truly a priceless discovery. Of course there was some violent complaining when the people who had been "...waiting outside since six in the morning!" came in and several of us had already staked out a place in front of the stage, but hey, them's the breaks. If somebody had been there since six in the morning, you'd think they'd be smart enough to do a little reconnaissance while they waited. One lady not only whined endlessly, she physically grabbed people and tried to pull them out of her way so she could be in front. Not pretty.
Finally, everybody calmed down and Bob emerged wearing his requisite oversized suit and snakeskin boots. The
setlist was somewhat surprising. But then again, with upward of 450 published songs, he's got plenty to choose from, so there's always a surprise.
Bob has been on this rockin' blues kick and I've gotta say I'm liking it. You'd expect after 40-some years of touring he'd be slowing down and embracing the acoustic sets, but not Bob. On his last night in Detroit, he even had Jack White of
The White Stripes out on stage with him and they did White's
"Ball and Biscuit". (Great choice, particularly because of the "Highway 61" references.) I would have loved to see that performance.
An energized Bob and his always impressive band ripped through
"Highway 61 Revisited" and an unexpectedly lively
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". The real surprise for me was
"Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine". I've always been rather neutral toward the song, but hearing it live for the first time, I was impressed. It had much more energy and joy than what comes through on the recording. I only wish Dylan had played harmonica part rather than having Larry Campbell play the riff on guitar.
I'm still getting used to not seeing Charlie Sexton on lead guitar, but Freddy Coella is slowly gaining my respect. And it's great to see Larry Campbell get more soloing in. The two played off each other quite well. Part of the fun of being so up-close and personal (we were about 10 feet from the stage), is watching the band as they follow Bob's direction and work together. It was clear that Freddy's still learning to read Bob's signals. Bob would have to nearly say out loud, "Hey, I'm going to solo now, so pipe down." You could often see the wheels turning in Freddy's head as he was soloing, looking to Dylan frequently to see if he was on the right track. Occasionally he would appeal to Larry with a look that said, "Is the Big Guy digging this? Should I keep going, or quit and let him cut in?" It was all quite fascinating to watch.
Another surprise was the two drummers. As long as I've been seeing Dylan and his band, it's been a five-piece, except the occasional guest guitarist. I was rather doubtful at first, but I ended up really liking the effect. It gave a real driving beat to the rocking numbers. People had a hard time standing still, the beat was so strong.
Highlight?
"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll." I know, depressing choice. Particularly when the rest of the evening was all about gleeful rock. But hearing this song made the case once again why seeing a good artist live is so essential: interpretation. The acoustic, album take on this song is quiet and pensive. The full band version on Bootleg Series Vol. 5 is full of rage. And the performance Monday night was beautifully restrained and poignant. It was heart-breaking. Second place?
"Summer Days." This song is quick becoming a staple of Dylan's live performances and for good reason. It's red hot and it makes you wanna dance. Worst part? I can't come up with one. No complaints.
Nothing else on the concert calendar at this point. I was hoping to check out David Bowie at the Benedum, but it's already sold out. So if you know anybody who has tickets, send 'em my way.
