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Home > Blogs > The Lounge Lizards > Archives > 2007 > October > 17
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dylan rocks Nutter Center
With three sets played by three different artists in slightly more than three-and-a-half hours, at Tuesday evening’s Bob Dylan show held at the Nutter Center, most attending would probably agree that they got their money’s worth.
Due to a scheduling delay, I missed seeing Amos Lee’s opening set, but was told by reliable sources that it was powerful and heartfelt.
I was safely settled in my seat when Elvis Costello nonchalantly sauntered out on stage in a smoky purple suit and his trademark glasses. He was greeted to rousing applause from a half-full Nutter Center and promptly got down to business playing an acoustic set that opened with a couple oldie but goodies — “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” followed by “Watching the Detectives,” both off of his first record, 1977’s “My Aim Is True.”
Costello’s set was a flurry of rocking acoustic guitar play and booming vocals. Towards the middle of his set he explained that at one point his father gave him some advice saying, “never, ever look up to a note, always look down.”
He got political and deep with “The River In Reverse.” Other standouts were “Veronica,” “Blood and Chocolate,” “Radio, Radio” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”
Costello ended with “The Scarlet Tide,” an emotionally heart-wrenching story of a war widow that questions what her government tells her. In Costello’s words, “the act of a patriot.” This was by far the high point of his time on stage and he ended looking down on top of the notes his father spoke of.
The achingly beautiful ballad capped a roughly 45-minute performance that was filled with depth and meaning. It was excellent, but a small part of me couldn’t help but wish he would have brought a band to back him for the additional energy and musicianship it would have injected to the performance.
At 8:50 p.m. the voice of counter culture, one Bob Dylan, took the stage opening with “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35.”
Sporting a first-rate five piece backing band, the father of rock and roll sang with a rough, weathered voice with a craggy depth that only age can carve out.
The musical vibe oscillated from a twangy country to a lively rock-a-billy, from soulful blues, to spirited honky tonk. The tireless musicianship morphed from one to another and in between, helping songs take on a new life of their own.
Many of the songs including “The Levee’s Gonna Break” (referring of course to what happened in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina), “Spirit on the Water” and “Nettie Moore” came from his most recent studio album, “Modern Times” released last summer.
There was little interaction with the audience during his almost two hours on stage, but that seemed to be OK. The crowd for it’s part, seemed to have a stillness to it, taking time to soak it all in.
A true poet, Dylan never rushed his songs, working instead to establish a mood. In fact, if you listened hard you could hear a heart beating in the lyrics (assuming you could decipher them) and the soul of a musician baring himself in the carefully constructed notes.
Dylan’s gruff, husky mumbling voice that sounded at times like it’s been raked over hot gravel was more often than not difficult, if not impossible to understand. The acoustics of the Nutter Center didn’t help matters any, bouncing sound off hard surfaces like a heated game of Olympic ping pong.
For his encore he played “Thunder On the Mountain” and ended the evening with his song “All Along the Watchtower” made most famous back in the day when The Jimi Hendrix Experience covered it.
Crackling vocals and acoustics aside, there was no doubt that we were in the presence of greatness, looking down on the notes with him.
So, were you there for Tuesday’s show? Thoughts?
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