Review

This time it's me sitting with my head in my hands instead of Dylan. Did
I really pay $100 more per ticket to see Mark Knoffler last year at the
United center? Or was Charlie Sexton's exorbitant salary that made the
price difference? So I made the 2 hour drive to Champaign to the
notoriously poor acoustics of Assembly hall which were worse then I
remember to sit in the dark? Same venue last night as in 2010, but now
it's something out of Spinal Tap.  How dark is it, It couldn't be any
darker!' The mirror's which debuted last year supposedly to block camera
flash's only add to the effect. Now before the show we get a pleasant
announcement about the use of camera's during the show, but whoever 
he's listening to has it all wrong about camera's and phones in low static
light. All the great video and photo's being shot are because they are
locking off auto-focus/auto-exposure or opening up the F stop on digital
camera actually gives it an even sharper picture. And for $30 on Amazon
their snapping on telephoto lens on I-Phones and clamping them to 
anything stationary without a second look by security.

The show looked so good in 2010 in comparison to 2013. For starters the
lights were on in 2010, and the subtle use of video and lighting brought a
professional quality to the show that is totally missing at this point. At
the United Center Knoffler used the lighting to complement the songs to
dramatic effect. Dylan has never been shy about "borrowing" other people's
idea's either musically, lyrically or artistically. So how about borrowing
the light guy from The Who or Bob Seger that have both played Chicago in
the past 6 months for the same money I spent for Dylan at the United
Center except they delivered! I'm no longer questioning wether or not
"Mr. Jones" knows what's going on, I'm questioning if Dylan does?

If you go back far enough you've seen the "Tell tale signs" of the
departure of guitarist from Dylan's touring band. So it's no surprise that
the band is playing better, they do for a while after every new change.
It's us that suffer for the year or two leading up to the "Axe" falling. I
watched the same thing happen with Denny Freeman and before that 
Larry Campbell. Think back to the Aragon show's in 2009, the two guitarist
attack added new life and a new direction to the band. Then at some point
Charlie was castrated, and by the time they hit the United Center they'd
stare at him like deer in the headlights, attempting to read his mind and
when they didn't get it right he stopped playing and then Herron followed.
So the new arrangement of Kimball relegated to only acoustic guitar and
Robillard playing lead with Herron still copying Dylan's increasingly
limited playing fits the band much better then the over reaching attempts
Dylan put forth the past few years.

After attending this show, I have no intentions of damaging my memories
or wallet any further by going to Toyota park in July. That place holds
30,000 people and I can't imanage if you'd even see the stage from the
lawn? Last night I'm was sitting with a group of "kids" in the dark who
finally wore me down and I'm started to laugh along with them. Review's
are kind even if they sound as if they are copied from the last town and
the reviewer has not even bothered to attend. And the fan pages go into
great detail as to what the band is wearing and use such polite terms as
engaged. "Engaged? That's what they say about Grandpa at the nursing
home!" cracked a less then interested 20 something behind us between
songs. He was here just to say he'd seen Dylan and at that point I
realized at this point maybe I was too, but possibily for the last time.
Knoffler could have easily stole the show had he rolled out a few more
Dire Straits songs, a sizable part of the audience left before Dylan's
Phlegm did. I doubt Wilco will show that kind of restraint.

He stayed behind the assembly hall,
it was there he made his bed.
Oftentimes he could be seen returning,
until one day he just appeared
with a note in his hand which read,
"The soles of my feet are burning".

Oh, the leaves began to fallen'
and the seas began to part,
and the people that confronted him were many.
And he was told but these few words
which opened up his heart
"if you can't bring good news, don't bring any".

On the drive back to Chicago and I was trying to put my thoughts together
about the show as we struggled to play Tempest in it's entirety . When it
finished I was struck by the underlying theme, death. He eluded in the
Rolling Stone article last year. "….Intentionally, specifically religious
songs……That takes a lot of concentration to pull off 10 times with the
same thread-then a record I ended up with" There is more said about Dylan
then he has ever said himself outside of the lyrics to his songs. He's
responsible for so many masterpieces and the song track for so many of our
life's. Whatever you've been doing since Love and Theft with the exception
of Working Man Blues which nicely replaced Ryan Adams "Here's to the rest
of the World" cover "Scarlet Town" needs to change. Don't become a parody
of Bob Dylan, pack up the paint brush's, say goodbye to this band and take
a final bow, let the "Never Ending Tour" die as the final encore to
Tempest. Surround yourself with the legion of artist who you've inspired
and record that last masterpiece, write 5 volumes of Chronicles. Though it
might not sound like it, I'm bringing good news. Bob, I love you, but
please don't leave us with "Roll on John" as your final song.

David Jones

I unfortunately have to agree with the previous reviewer.  I was
disappointed in the show, the poor lighting, the crappy use of mirrors to
prevent what?  Photos?  Who wants them?  I didn't get to see Dylan in
2012, but I've spent thousands and thousands over the years to see him at
hundred of shows.

The voice was less croaky than in the past, there was actual singing, but
it was so not enough to make this show enjoyable.  The setlist was grim
and slow and monotonous.  One dirge after another. In the dark no less!
Disappointing, yes, and a little pathetic.  My only highlight was What
Good Am I which made me cry, initially because I hadn't heard it live in a
long time, and it did sound so good, but then it made me realize that this
artist that I have loved for so long and have loved being a fan of really
might be asking himself the question.

I don't know what's happening, but I think I am done with Dylan shows this
year, maybe forever.  It makes me too angry and too sad.

Respectfully,

TA O'Bannon

On the surface, there's nothing very promising about seeing a concert in a
basketball arena. I wasn't sure about making the trip until I saw the set
lists, which put me in the strange position of going to a Dylan concert
and knowing almost exactly what the setlist would be, as it's barely
changed at all this tour. But the standard setlist promised me five songs
I hadn't seen before, and a three hour drive just for "What Good Am I"
alone seemed reasonable.

So, though I came thinking I knew what to expect, I wound up seeing a
Dylan show totally unlike any I've seen before. The new band and new
arrangements simply shine. Very stripped own and laid back, with Stu on
acoustic for every song and only one notably plugged-in instrument (well,
two if you count the pedal), this was just about as unplugged as
"Unplugged," with an increased reliance on melody and pure SINGING. There
was a long period where Dylan was finding a groove for the song on the
keyboard and then singing the tune, not the words (which worked pretty
well, so there was no cause to complain), but now, with the new, sparser
arrangements, he was truly singing the songs.  I loved the sound of "Love
Sick" with the main riff on acoustic guitar. "What Good Am I" was
stunning. I've never heard "Visions of Johanna" played so beautifully. 
I've missed the old acoustic set in recent years, and, despite Duke's
elegantly played electric guitar, this often felt like seeing a full show
of acoustic songs.  The stage set up was interesting, with a couple of
random mirrors set up and a light on the bass drum that, from my angle,
made the thing flicker orange whenever it was hit, creating a nifty
fireplace effect. Dylan's "dancing" looked like he was flapping in the
breeze.

And the sound, despite being in a basketball arena, was superb and crisp.
Even Dawes, the opening act, sounded as clear as a new record on a good
turntable. The vocals were upfront and clear. The arena itself was set up
so only half of the place was being used, and even then it wasn't nearly a
sell-out. Rumors had it that only about 2000 of the seats were sold,
making it a surprisingly intimate show. It felt almost more like going to
a movie than a concert, crowd-wise.

There were lots of fun ad-libs; my favorite was during Tangled, when Bob
sang "'I thought you'd never say hello,' she said, 'you look like the
silent type.' I said 'I am.'"

Then, following a short conference, rather than the expected "Scarlet
Town," we got the surprise of the night, a stately "Workingman's Blues #2"
tailor made for the new band. Swapping out a song I hadn't heard before
with one I have was mildly annoying, but on the balance I think I like
this song better than "Scarlet Town," and, anyway, it was a dynamite
performance. Dylan seemed to forget the words a couple of times, but he
recovered nicely, and there were some lines that I don't think I'd heard
before, most notably:

I woke up in the morning and sprang to my feet
went to town on a whim
saw my father in the street
at least I think it was him

This is the kind of show I've always dreamed of him playing, and
yet…something almost felt missing. Though "Beyond Here Lies Nothing" was a
killer, it sometimes seemed like the whole thing was too laid back and
never really got rowdy. Everything was solid and artfully done, but not
always…. well, Chuck Klosterman recently wrote that Metallica is like Hank
Aaron to Led Zeppelin's Babe Ruth: leaner, more consistent over the long
haul and destined to break the records, but never quite as transcendent.
That's about it. Maybe it's just me, and the laid back crowd around me,
but I feel like the tight arrangements were never quite as transcendent as
the songs can be when they're a bit looser and rock a bit harder. This was
a show that might have sounded better as an album than a concert; rumors
that he's planning a live album from this tour seem reasonable enough to
me. And it would make a terrific album! 

In 2003, when Charlie left and Freddy joined and everyone was saying that
the band was in a "transitional" state, I feel like this is what they were
transitioning TOWARDS. Took 'em long enough, but they got there.

I have to wonder if this setup will continue in the summer; it's hard to
imagine such a relaxed show in the Americanarama setting. I guess we'll
soon find out! And there are countless songs in the catalog that I'd love
to see this band tackle. Starting with most of "New Morning," which sort
of shares a vibe with this tour.

Adam Selzer