| Reviews Berkeley, California Greek Theatre June 13, 2026 |
Review by KD
Dylan put on a satisfyingly strong set last night at the Greek Theatre. He
was in great voice and remarkably animated throughout the night. Getting
off to a strong start with "To Be Alone with You," it was clear the sound
setup was perfect from the get-go. He delivered a solid rendition of "Man
in the Long Black Coat" featuring some truly great phrasing, and "All
Along the Watchtower" was met with immediate, roaring recognition from the
crowd. "Trying to Get to Heaven" came next and stood out as the first true
highlight of the night, featuring his first harp solo of the evening. Just
great.
Next up was "False Prophet." While the delivery was strong, the
stripped-down arrangements here—as well as on "Black Rider" and
"Rubicon"—seemed to soften their original edge and menace. While I
prefer the versions from the earlier Rough and Rowdy Ways tour runs, all
three were still fantastic. "I Can't Tell" had me dancing on my way to the
restroom; one of the best things about the Greek is that the sound is
great everywhere, even along that short trip! "When I Paint My
Masterpiece" retained its waltzy arrangement and worked well enough.
After a perfect, beautiful "Soon After Midnight," he launched into "Under
the Red Sky," which became another major standout of the evening, complete
with incredible phrasing and a stunning closing harp solo. "I've Made Up
My Mind to Give Myself to You" followed, leaving the crowd hanging on
every single line. So well done. Dylan and the band then launched into a
rollicking "Nervous Breakdown” marking my first time hearing it live.
The crowd responded by getting on its feet to dance, and Bob genuinely
seemed to enjoy singing it. The show closed with "I Shall Be Released,"
providing a poignant, contemplative ending to a great night.
As a side note: during the break between the two openers, The John Doe
Trio and Lucinda Williams, we struck up a conversation with the people
sitting around us, including a couple who had never seen Dylan live
before. I am always a little apprehensive for first-timers; so often,
people come just for the iconic name and leave disappointed because the
performance isn't what they expected. At the end of the show, my son and I
turned around to ask how they liked it. Their response? They thought it
was incredible and seemed genuinely moved by the whole experience. That
made us both incredibly happy. On the walk out, the buzz from the rest of
the crowd was just as positive. I Can’t Wait (no pun intended) for night
two!
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page by Bill Pagel
billp61@boblinks.com
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