Bob Dylan sublime and surprising in concert at Hill Auditorium
There’s such a fine line that separates a really special Bob Dylan performance from just another gig on his endless tour of one-nighters. What kind of mood is the singer in? What instruments does he play on which songs? What's the setlist?
Bob Dylan publicity photo
On Thursday at Hill Auditorium, the stars aligned and Dylan and his amazing band delivered a set that transcended even the highest expectations, breathing new life into what can sometimes be tired, old favorites, having fun with a handful of newer gems and unearthing some forgotten treasures.
Sixteen tunes. Nearly two hours. Not a single dull moment.
The surprises came early and were peppered perfectly amid the set. After kicking off with an in-the-pocket “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” Dylan launched into the long-ignored but brilliant “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)," which found Dylan singing front and center with only a harmonica.
From there, Dylan switched between keys — mostly in the Hammond organ vein, complete with Leslie speaker — singing and playing harp and strapping on a Stratocaster for only a couple of tunes.
Of the latter, “Simple Twist of Fate” was elegant and stately, with Dylan remaining mostly true to the tune’s formal structure. On other tunes, like the recent masterpiece “High Water (for Charley Patton),” he seemed to take delight in deconstructing and reassembling them according to his whim.
As he’s wont to do. But on Thursday, Dylan could virtually do no wrong. “Desolation Row” took on a brooding groove, with Dylan’s organ fills providing the foundation; “Love Sick” was contemplative and mysterious. ”Highway 61,” reimagined as a blues shuffle, was eerie and dark.
Only a haphazard “Just Like a Woman” suffered from reinvention, seeming to lose its steam after a verse or two.
So much of the credit belongs to Dylan’s muscular, confident band. Led once again by Charlie Sexton, a gifted guitarist who seems to share a musical wavelength with Dylan, this is a band that’s able to adapt seamlessly and confidently to any twist or turn he throws at them. They might not always start out in the groove, but they find it quickly and never let it go.
George Recile is a fearless drummer and Donnie Herron provided great textural support on pedal steel, mandolin and fiddle.
Even Dylan, the eternal curmudgeon, broke out in a grin at some of the ways the band responded to his musical prodding.
It’s easy to think of Dylan, nearing 70 and still playing one-nighters, in terms of the country and Western singers who go out night after night and put on the same show. In fact, he’s more like the blues and jazz artists that he’s always more-closely emulated — finding new and inventive ways to approach the same material in the moment, without losing the essence or the meanings of the songs.
On nights like Thursday, when it really works, it’s pretty special.
Setlist Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Just Like A Woman Rollin' And Tumblin' Simple Twist Of Fate Honest With Me Desolation Row High Water (for Charley Patton) Forgetful Heart Highway 61 Revisited Love Sick Thunder On The Mountain Ballad Of A Thin Man (Encore:) Jolene Like A Rolling Stone
Will Stewart is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com.
Comments
Kidnapped
Thu, Nov 4, 2010 : 11:52 a.m.
I suppose the comments on this thread can be divided up into "You who criticize Dylan do not realize that he is a God" vs. "You that idolize Dylan aren't understanding that he is more showman than singer and Hill Auditorium's acoustics were a complete mess." I think that both sides in this debate are correct. Dylan is an icon. And he put on an amazing show. I didn't expect he, nearing 70 years old, would sing like a 30 year old. The sound mix was boomy and imperfect. (Maybe Hill Auditorium is better suited for unamplified music like orchestras, chamber music, and opera companies?) I'll conclude by saying that the great time that my fiance' and I had was compromised more by the aggressive and intrusive security staff that seemed determined to quash photo taking at any cost. Since this type of security was not present at Miller Auditorium at WMU the next night, I assume this was Hill Auditorium's doing.
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:58 p.m.
Oops! Misspelled 'bluesman' in that last post. Sorry.
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:57 p.m.
Oops! Misspelled 'bluesman' in that last post. Sorry.
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:56 p.m.
I attended a Dylan concert a couple of years ago, and considered it to be the consummate rip-off. What the delusional among you are applauding as the musings of some grizzled bluesman was, at that time, more like a Moms Mabley impersonation gone horribly and pathetically awry. I felt genuine pity for the man. Concert-goers(myself included) began filing out of the venue after about 45 minutes of his atonal, rapid-fire mumblings set to music. Face it - Whatever Dylan was once, he is no more.
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:55 p.m.
I attended a Dylan concert a couple of years ago, and considered it to be the consummate rip-off. What the delusional among you are applauding as the musings of some grizzled bluesman was, at that time, more like a Moms Mabley impersonation gone horribly and pathetically awry. I felt genuine pity for the man. Concert-goers(myself included) began filing out of the venue after about 45 minutes of his atonal, rapid-fire mumblings set to music. Face it - Whatever Dylan was once, he is no more.
joe average
Tue, Nov 2, 2010 : 11:54 p.m.
I attended a Dylan concert a couple of years ago, and considered it to be the consummate rip-off. What the delusional among you are applauding as the musings of some grizzled bluseman was, at that time, more like a Moms Mabley impersonation gone horribly and pathetically awry. I felt genuine pity for the man. Concert-goers(myself included) began filing out of the venue after about 45 minutes of his atonal, rapid-fire mumblings set to music. Face it - Whatever Dylan was once, he is no more.
Dale
Mon, Nov 1, 2010 : 12:03 p.m.
hey t kinks; i have been at dylan concerts where it is hard to understand him but for me it is the same with virtually every rock and roll show: i seldom have the problem with a dylan show because i am so familiar with the lyrics and am able to take the effort to adapt to dylan's latest renditions and to the often bad sound mix. and i have no demand that bob perform the songs in a familiar manner; when he does, it's great and when he doesn't it's great and some of the changes i love and some of them i dont and, i know what to expect: i always tell folks seeing bob: Have no expectations. None. I don't. I personally enjoy the challenge and feel a great deal of compassion and intelligence and fun being directed from bob to the audience, something i've felt from the first time i saw him in 1974. I love bruce s. but i once saw him twice in two years and he said the exact same "off the cuff" comments to the audience both times. Which is fine but not really my cup of tea. Me, i'm in it for the music and the wisdom. Plus i am drawn to the odd not to the normal; by today's cultural standards bob is odd. Go Bob!
bugjuice
Sun, Oct 31, 2010 : 11:31 a.m.
The naysayers don't get it. They're blaming the aging messenger instead of understanding the totality of his message. They're picking one moment at Hill auditorium, (or lumping a handful of performances as an example) from a 50+ year career and missing the measure of his impact on our culture. There were poets (and he is a poet of the highest rank) and songwriters and musicians before Bob and there will be more to come but no one, (and truly think if anyone else comes to mind) has had as much an effect nor has anyone had as much affect on our modern culture as Bob Dylan. Dylan revolutionized and democratized songwriting and story telling through music. Until he came along, poets and songwriters were hemmed in by the popular culture and the entertainment industry. Writing popular music was a talent used to make money for the entertainment industry. Musicians and songwriters were marginalized and thought of as mere entertainers. After Dylan, anyone who could pick up a guitar, sing and pour their heart and soul into their music could now create and be heard. His hero and spiritual mentor, Woody Guthrie as great a songwriter and as much a cultural instigator as he was, he only laid the path on which Dylan now walks, yet Bob has taken it so much further. Yes, Dylan is a wealthy man and has made many other people rich, but he is an artist obviously driven to create and the immense body of his work fully demonstrates that. He may dismiss his importance and tell us that he is just an entertainer. He obviously enjoys the road and playing with some of the worlds best rock musicians. But that is only because to be truly relevant you must be accessible in a pop culture driven by money and fame. His genius goes far beyond his songs and includes his ability to create a unique persona and constantly reinvent himself as our culture changes. He truly understands how our culture works and he is a master at manipulating the culture to his ends. Some artist create, and for those of us looking beyond an evening of entertainment, he not only creates but silently provides us insights about ourselves and our world around us through his artistry. Even at his age and with is vast body of work and the constant touring he is as relevant, if not more so in these day of prefab "stars", one trick ponies, and the entertainment industry hype machine. Can anyone imagine Dylan using recording trickery to make his voice "better" or lip synching in live concert? No, but that is what passes for music and pop culture these days. Today, with recording trickery, anyone can sing in tune, anyone can lip synch, anyone can be packaged to be a "pop star", but where is the skill, creativity and artistry in that? Dylan has been and remains true to himself, his culture and his fans. In a world of poseurs he remains the real deal in more ways than one. Bob Dylan is the most important popularly recognized artist, of any genre, of the last 100 years. His artistry has left, and will continue to leave an indelible mark on our culture and society, whether we recognize or respect it. His legacy in history is indelible. Long after those of us who post here are gone, his music, no, not only his music but his way of seeing and expressing what he sees around will not be forgotten. I'm going out to my studio and listen to my entire Dylan library today. It will take more than one day. Dylan's music is truly a repository of reflections and projections on our society and culture far more relevant than anything else out there today.
T Kinks
Sun, Oct 31, 2010 : 10:32 a.m.
Sorry Dale, but if I could have heard the words I would have picked up on the protest message you mentioned. But w/ his gravel voice & terrible mix I missed them. Obviously it's not PC to come down on Dylan I did go home & listen to a double CD of his songs & I do think he's a GREAT lyricist, very thought provoking.
Alice
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 7:26 p.m.
I saw Dylan three times, 1. in NY at Town Hall (1963); 2. In Reno, at UNVR, in 95; 3. In Ann Arbor, at Hill Auditorium, (2010). There will not be a 4th time. The acoustics in this superbly sound engineered auditorium were horrific. The feedback was shrill and unsympathetic to the ear and the expectedly horse voice while inaudible(expected) made me feel like the head banging performance was phoned in. His constant change and new arrangements are decidedly Dylan, and great. I am a diehard Dylan fan and appreciate him as a superb poet and musician, but I felt I was carpetbagged. Although I enjoyed the exhuberant, bemused and stunned reaction of the mixed aged crowd, my money is to valuable to waste on such an uneven performance. Dylan should stay in the soundstage where I appreciate him more.
Alice
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 7:25 p.m.
I saw Dylan three times, 1. in NY at Town Hall (1963); 2. In Reno, at UNVR, in 95; 3. In Ann Arbor, at Hill Auditorium, (2010). There will not be a 4th time. The acoustics in this superbly sound engineered auditorium were horrific. The feedback was shrill and unsympathetic to the ear and the expectedly horse voice while inaudible(expected) made me feel like the head banging performance was phoned in. His constant change and new arrangements are decidedly Dylan, and great. I am a diehard Dylan fan and appreciate him as a superb poet and musician, but I felt I was carpetbagged. Although I enjoyed the exhuberant, bemused and stunned reaction of the mixed aged crowd, my money is to valuable to waste on such an uneven performance. Dylan should stay in the soundstage where I appreciate him more.
bugjuice
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 12:39 p.m.
I saw an older man in a black coat and hat walking around my neighborhood (4th ward) not far from Hill looking at some of the more historic homes a couple of hours before the gig. Bob, was that you?
wordup
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 11:38 a.m.
dale- well put...bob doesnt care about you Mr. Jones but I guess thats why he still sings that song because you keep showing up to the shows anyways. What a thrill it must be for him to sing that song to your face every night and you having no clue that hes singing it about you all that write disregarding comments about him!!!
Dale
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.
T Kinks shared his dismay that bob didn't do any protest songs last night--my oh my!! Mr. T. Kinks, these are some of the protest songs his-bobness performed last night: Seor (Tales Of Yankee Power) Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Desolation Row High Water (for Charley Patton) Highway 61 Revisited Thunder On The Mountain Ballad Of A Thin Man Like A Rolling Stone Hell, i could choose dozens of biting protest-lines from this batch of songs, protest that could set a man on fire if he was actually listening, but I'll share just a couple from bob's recent thunder on the mountain: "Gonna raise me an army, some tough sons of bitches I'll recruit my army from the orphanages" "Shame on your greed, shame on your wicked schemes I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your dreams" Ok, here's some from Senor (Tales of Yankee Power): "Seor, seor, lets disconnect these cables Overturn these tables" "This place dont make sense to me no more Can you tell me what were waiting for, seor?" bob ain't talking about disconnecting your computer table and overturning the desk in your study T Kinks! just like bob was talking about "something else" when he wrote the following lines: "The pump dont work Cause the vandals took the handles" I mean sweet jesus! To all of those who think bob should hang it up: people and lots of them have said that since he arrived in new york as a skinny shy kid from the cold wilderness lands of Minnesota. And yet, the best concert of 35 I've seen of bob was in Seattle in 2009; he was on fire; the audience was enthralled; it was frigging transcendent!! I will say this though: if you don't like how Bob performs live for the love of god quit going. Bob doesn't care cuz if he did care you would never have heard all of those phantom protest songs that you claim to revere. peace brothers and sisters!
wordup
Sat, Oct 30, 2010 : 12:05 a.m.
lot of crickets stopped chirping after that last comment i guess, this town is a trip and they all know it and love it.
wordup
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 8:11 p.m.
recordhound, your the only one in these comments that knows whats going on, unfortunately most of bobs fans from his early days should have been like bob and stopped trying to figure everything out a long time ago...they will be the generation that failed to follow through on their drug induced actions of the 60s
Artsnake
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 4:50 p.m.
This concert was a huge disappointment. The acoustics were awful. I agree, "simply too loud and unbalanced". We could not hear one word of the lyrics (could not hear his voice at all) and spent a lot of time looking at the backs of the audience. I love Bob Dylan's music - old and new, but next time I will stay home and listen.
recordhound
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 4:48 p.m.
That he keeps so many people talking, listening, arguing and guessing is a big reason why he is Dylan...and everyone else is not.
Artsnake
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 4:47 p.m.
This concert was a huge disappointment. The acoustics were awful. I agree, "simply too loud and unbalanced". We could not hear one word of the lyrics (could not hear his voice at all) and spent a lot of time looking at the backs of the audience. I love Bob Dylan's music, old and new, so I will stay home next time and listen.
care2comment
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 3:57 p.m.
Let's face it Bob and Will Stewart ( short grey hair and horn-rimmed glasses) are aging... but you gotta love them both. I'm a big Bob dylan fan and went to one of his concerts 6 years ago: great back up band, but... I guess I don't appreciate the voice as much as in his earlier days.
Kevin Ransom
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:58 p.m.
Will, you must be psychic. : ) I was just playing Up to Me last night, and I think Tombstone Blues is one Bob's Top Five greatest songs
Kevin Ransom
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:55 p.m.
I was not at last night's show, but I like that Dylan now sounds like one of those grizzled old bluesmen who he tried to emulate when he was young, but couldn't. On the topic of Dylan's singing in general: When Rolling Stone picked its 100 Greatest Singers a few years ago, Dylan was chosen as No. 7. Bono of U2 wrote an great, insightful, colorful essay extolling Dylans innovations and virtues as a singer. Here are some of my favorite excerpts from that essay: Bob Dylan did what very, very few singers ever do. He changed popular singing. And we have been living in a world shaped by Dylan's singing ever since. Almost no one sings like Elvis Presley anymore. Hundreds try to sing like Dylan. When Sam Cooke played Dylan for the young Bobby Womack, Womack said he didn't understand it. Cooke explained that from now on, it's not going to be about how pretty the voice is. It's going to be about believing that the voice is telling the truth. To understand Bob Dylan's impact as a singer, you have to imagine a world without Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Kurt Cobain, Lucinda Williams or any other vocalist with a cracked voice, dirt-bowl yelp or bluesy street howl. There is a voice for every Dylan you can meet, and the reason I'm never bored of Bob Dylan is because there are so many of them, all centered on the idea of pilgrimage. Dylan has tried out so many personas in his singing because it is the way he inhabits his subject matter. His closet won't close for all the shoes of the characters that walk through his stories. Dylan did with singing what Brando did with acting. He busted through the artifice to get to the art. Both of them tore down the prissy rules laid down by the schoolmarms of their craft, broke through the fourth wall, got in the audience's face and said, "I dare you to think I'm kidding."
Rod Johnson
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:54 p.m.
Does Dylan have "handlers"? Hard to believe of anyone so deeply cantankerous.
recordhound
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:30 p.m.
David, I was quoting Bob himself. Pretty much verbatim. Perhaps you don't listen as closely as you think. Anytime you wanna have a Dylan trivia throwdown, I'm there.
T Kinks
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:21 p.m.
That's cool Will. I always look forward to your reviews & of course everyone has their own taste etc. I don't regret going & it was the kind of show that you see lots of fellow musicians, which is always cool. As for the sound, I was all over the theater, front, sides, balcony & it just wasn't that good. Bob's voice could have been a little more on top. But yes the band rocked & seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was a Happening for sure.
David Briegel
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 2:05 p.m.
Something Is Happening And You Don't Know What It Is, Do You Mr. Jones?! 1964? Seriously? You couldn't possibly have listened to his music to make such a silly statement.
recordhound
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 12:53 p.m.
Last time I checked Bob stopped being a "Protest Singer" in about 1964. He's a song and dance man.
bruno_uno
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 12:43 p.m.
another amazing show bob! the only dissapointment was the burnt out hippie in the aisle near me, and all the b3's (baby baby boomers) and stoner flower children in the front who annoyingly attend the show and took up all the good seats. highlights were amazing renditions of senor, twist of fate, and forgetful heart, wow!!!
Will Stewart
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 12:09 p.m.
Kinks: I would love to have heard "Up to Me" or "Tombstone Blues" or any number of other tunes. But just because he didn't play 'em doesn't mean it was a bad show. We'll just have to disagree on whether he was or wasn't that good. I've seen him more than two dozen times and this was, I think, the best show I've seen him play. I thought it was fantastic. David: If you were at Hill Auditorium last night, then we were at the same concert. As far as his voice is concerned, I think it's a stronger, more expressive instrument now than it ever has been. Let's be honest; people have always complained that Dylan can't sing. But we can certainly agree to disagree on this point. Marius, etc: From where we were sitting -- stage left and down pretty close, the sound was very, very good. Very sorry to hear that that wasn't the case throughout the hall. I definitely agree that that can detract considerable from one's concert experience. Everyone: Thanks for the comments. Let's keep talking about music!
revras
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 11:10 a.m.
We were up close and the sound was clean and crisp. Loved the show except for the idiot's in front of us in the 2nd row center who would not sit down ( blocking the view for hundreds ) even tho no one was standing in front of them.It didn't help that they were dressed like Mr Jones in sportcoat and dress and danced like spastic chickens.
Marius
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 11:02 a.m.
Simply too loud and unbalanced. What with the Hill's superb acoustics and modern electronics, it blows my mind that the sound was as poorly mixed as it was. It did not do the art of the musicians and Mr Dylan in particular any justice. In a venue like the Hill it should not be acceptable.
arbor315
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 11 a.m.
I'm right there with you David Read and T Kinks. It was my first Dylan show and the band was great, but I didn't recognize any of the songs on the set list except Like a Rolling Stone, and I know some of the others. I was warned that he didn't really "sing" the songs anymore, but up in the upper balcony, I couldn't make out any words and the switched up music didn't help. I see that maybe long-time fans would appreciate this type of concert more than I did.
T Kinks
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
I have to agree w/ David, the concert did nothing for me. I know it's not PC to come down on Dylan but come on Will, he just wasn't that good. I was hoping he'd do Hurricane. As far as an acoustic set, I don't think that would work either, the man has no voice left. Seeing how Dylan was famous for protest songs we sure could use some today what with all the stuff going on here & around the world. It was still cool to see a legend (for the 2nd time) but there won't be a third.
A2Susie
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 9:48 a.m.
P.S. I'd say Will Stewart got it just right with "sublime and surprising."
A2Susie
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 9:46 a.m.
I'm pretty sure that at one point Dylan sang - well spoke actually - "You say you don't understand me; I say I don't kay-uh." And also, "I could stand here bare nekkid, and you don't kay-uh." I had the feeling he was fooling around with the band and making up some lyrics and musical twists as he went along. Even though his voice is gone, he's put an amazing group of musicians together, and they're all still having fun, rocking out. We did too.
zags
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 9:13 a.m.
With a Dylan show you either love it or hate it. I was there and loved it. Yes, Bob was largely unintelligible but is that really a surprise? He had a great band behind him playing some great music. The lyrics were really secondary. We had a great time and were not disappointed in the least.
David Read
Fri, Oct 29, 2010 : 8:04 a.m.
I wonder if Mr. Stewart and I were at the same concert. I have listened to Bob Dylan since the mid '60s and I have to tell you, I think he should stick to studio sessions from now on. His band was very good and kept the place rockin' but from where I sat, I could make out only a few of Dylan's lyrics - and lyrics are what he is famous for. It wasn't until the third song that I was actually able to make out a single word ("Senior"). I do agree that "Just Like a Woman" was almost unrecognizable. It seems to me that Dylan's handlers have decided to compensate with volume for what he lacks in ability to project his voice. I'm not disputing the man's talent but there comes a time when one should park the tour bus and stick to the studio. In a venue such as Hill, renowned for its acoustics, the last thing you need is over-amped music and vocals. Perhaps an unplugged setlist would have been more appropriate?