October 21, 2014
Review by Ron Loftus
No one has stepped up to review the Portland concert so, even though I
have never posted a review previously, “I guess it must be Up To Me.”
Though I am a member of the 4200 club—those of us who bought the first
Bob Dylan record back in 1962—I have not seen that many live
performances over the years. Maybe 10 or 12 going back to the early 1960s
and including the wonderful 1965 show with the Band at the Washington
Coliseum. I have seen iterations of the current band with Larry Campbell
and Charlie Sexton together; that was pretty amazing. But I have never
seen anything quite like the show Tuesday night at Keller Auditorium. One
of my former notions that Bob shows usually feature one or two
transcendent moments did not really seem to apply to this show. Each of
the 19 songs had its place and its role. The overall feeling was one of
atmospherics. The subdued, amber light lent a certain feel, a texture to
the whole evening. I was impressed with how the light show played upon the
curtain behind the stage to create amazing visual tableaux.
The band was tight, the sound excellent and Bob was in fine form. Dressed
in his white suit and hat, the boys in the band sporting black pants and
red jackets, the whole appearance on the stage was striking. After each
song, the stage darkened and Bob moved as appropriate from grand piano to
center stage. We were pretty far away, second balcony, but when he sang
and played harmonica, every note was clear and true. Of course the new
songs were robustly done but I found that the impression left by “Pay in
Blood” lingered long into the next day. And I was surprised at how much
I enjoyed the new arrangements for the older songs. I am more inclined to
find that some of the older material feels as if it is being forced into
new arrangements, as though the singer is not that comfortable with the
material, but I had no such feelings about the versions of songs like
“She Belongs to Me,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” and “Simple Twist of
Fate.” They flowed smoothly and naturally and were a real treat. Bob
just seemed pretty damn comfortable with everything that he was doing.
The first set ended with a searing version of “Love Sick,” and things
picked up again right where they left off with “High Water.” For
whatever reason, a song that has not necessarily been a particular
favorite of mine, “Scarlet Town,” was performed to perfection. It was
stunning. I brought my son to the show; his first time ever to hear Dylan
live. We now have a wonderful memory to cherish. Thanks, Bob!
Review by Isaac Priestley
This guy would bring a grown man to tears a psychedelic hay ride. I might
have finally gone beyond the brink of consciousness. The laffy taffy or
whatever hypothecary candy was the metal smith smoking and clanking. It is
poetry stewed in an earthen oven cooked over fire pit and then served on a
Antonio Gaudi style platter. A stout curation of the current stuff on
display with a few big guns picked out from across the portfolio and
thrown in there like you’ve never seen them before! Tony Ganier lazer
focused on the master and then in other songs he had to keep his back
turned so as to not taint his auditory focus with the visual appearance of
terrible Ahab himself.
Isaac Priestley
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