Last night, I caugh Bob Dylan at the Agganis Arena. Let me preface this post my proclaiming my complete and utter devotion to the great Bob Dylan. I bought a cassette of Blood on the Tracks in eighth grade, and it opened my eyes to a whole world of music beyond hair bands and MC Hammer. I've been a huge fan ever since. I was planning to pick up a ticket to the concert and go by myself, because none of my friends in Boston are big Dylan fans, and I would have become really annoyed at any potential complaining. I get irrationally angry when people make fun of things I like- it still makes me mad when I think about the time a good friend of mine made fun of my favorite book. Yes, Dylan's voice has been shot for the last twenty years and it's no secret, but the man is still a poet, a genius, and a legend (wow, I'm starting to sound like a creepy stalker). Unexpectedly, I ended up going with friends of a friends who were also members of the cult.
The Raconteurs, Jack White's current band opened, and I wasn't impressed (although I do like their throwback website). I love the White Stripes, and I think the duo with Meg White is a much better vehicle for showing off Jack's many muscial talents. When backed up by a full band, he sounds like any other singer in any other modern rock band. They also didn't seem to be the best choice of opener for the crowd, the majority of whom were in their fifties and sixties.
Now, onto Dylan....he started off with Absolutely Sweet Marie and followed with a mixture of old and new. (set list) I enjoyed Positively 4th Street and Masters of War (by far, sharpest anti-war song ever written), and was happy to hear Tangled Up in Blue, my favorite Dylan tune. However, his newer songs have a bluesier sound that complements his current vocal ability much better than the old songs, the majority of which he warbled through in a toneless manner. I thought that two tracks from Time Out of Mind sounded the best. The encore rendition of Like a Rolling Stone was the crowd favorite of the night. Overall, I was impressed once again, but still slightly jealous of those who had the opportunity to see Dylan in his prime.
The Globe gave Saturday night's show a positive review.
I'd like to make one comment to all concert goers: Holding up a cell phone instead of a lighter is NOT COOL.
5 comments:
Indeed. To explain, I gave a friend of mine a copy of All the Pretty Horses and found out later that he never read it because he thought the title was "girly." I was pissed! So pissed that I took it back from him and gave it to someone else. Had he actually bothered to read it, I'm sure he would have discovered that Cormac McCarthy is certainly no Judy Blume.
I feel similarly about people who dislike
this glorious band of Irish gypsies:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=au30c9ZMIPg
Nice! The Pogues' badass tin whistle player was my favorite.
Your friend has np taste is she's dissing Cormac McCarthy.
Senor! I've seen Dylan 9 or 10 times now, and I still haven't heard that one. Damn, and it's one of my favorites too...
"Well, the last thing I remember before I stripped and kneeled
Was that trainload of fools bogged down in a magnetic field.
A gypsy with a broken flag and a flashing ring
Said, 'Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing.'"
(Looks like a great setlist.) :)
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