Bob Dylan

Last night I went to see Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard at the Beacon Theatre. It was awesome. Bob is always awesome. I generally go by myself to his shows for the same reason I go to Star Wars movies by myself...because I don't want anyone along to harsh my mellow. I don't want to hear how bored someone is, or how overpriced it was, or even worry about whether they're thinking it and not saying anything. I just want to sit and stare with rapt attention and leave glowing. Maybe cry a little. No harm, no foul. On this tour Dylan is playing a keyboard and harmonica instead of the guitar, which is new and different. As always he is old and sagging but he's still riveting to me. I found myself just staring through my binoculars nearly the whole time, even between songs when I should have been clapping, just to see him go to the side and blow his nose (heaven!) and shuffle his feet and wave his hands around, spry and skipping. And in the dark, from behind, he became his younger self again.

The cool thing about his concerts is that he remakes his songs every year. It never sounds the same as the record, usually not even close. There are just (most of) the lyrics and some of the motifs of the music, and the rest is largely transformed. The part I don't like about it is when it's transformed into lounge music, but it's his right to do that and I'm sure some people love it. That only happened on two of the songs last night. Most of it was loud and rocking. He never did pick up the guitar, though there was one sitting there teasing us. After the encore I was wishing that the band would go offstage and he would pick up the guitar and do an acoustic solo version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time." No dice though.

The Beacon is pretty small, so even though I was in the front of the rear balcony I was pretty close. I suppose I'll never get closer than I was at the Towson State University Gymnasium in 2000, standing probably ten rows back. I can't believe he even played there, it had those rolling wood bleachers and "1986 Champions" banners and everything. I wholeheartedly recommend that venue.

Merle Haggard was a great opener. Merle Haggard?!? He had a lot of fans in the audience. He had what, eight band members? And who knows what history those guys have seen. Those are some experienced gentlemen there. They had my foot and tap-tap-tapping. They managed to walk the line between slavish traditionalism and the sort of je ne sais quoi that makes today's country too cheesy for my taste. I found the other opener, Amos Lee, cheesy. I wish I could explain why.

Ok well let me know if you want to go to the new Star Wars and not make fun of it and say it was awesome.