Bob Dylan Concert Review

Music's Parthenon

There’s something about going to see a legend that makes you go the extra mile. Or in this case, about forty extra. Bob Dylan played the brand new Sears Centre in the northwest suburb Hoffman Estates on Saturday, October 28th. While getting there may have been difficult, seeing someone as significant as Dylan was worth it.

Dylan is one of the few people alive today who has played a role in shaping a generation and changing music. I mean, he’s in history books. But his heyday was forty years ago, and now most people know him by covers from other bands. Remember that famous Jimi Hendrix song “All Along the Watchtower”? That’s Dylan. This man reeks of history. And now touring on his latest critically acclaimed album “Modern Times,” Dylan shows how much the times really are a-changing.

The first noticeable difference is Dylan stays hunched over a keyboard the entire show, only addressing the audience after the encore to introduce the band, letting his band take over most of the music. The days of him playing acoustic solo are long gone. The second, and perhaps worst change is his voice, which has never been noted for its beauty, is now not much more than croaks and barks. His voice at times is recognizable as that from years ago, but most of the time it is hard to understand and painful to listen to. It is almost like a nasalier Tom Waits. For Dylan, who’s voice is sometimes called the voice of the Sixties, it is particularly disappointing to hear how deteriorated it has become over time. Third, for a man with countless brilliant songs, he rearranges them all to make them unrecognizable. In a way it makes the concert more interesting, but only in the way that it keeps you guessing trying to figure out what he’s playing. The songs are not changed for the better either, most have lost their edge and seem much more mundane.

That said, its fascinating watching Dylan. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him during the entire set. You feel as if you’re watching something special and historic every time he makes a movement. I kept thinking that when I got older, I would tell my kids about when I got to see the Bob Dylan in concert, and know that his music would transcend the generations.

Dylan was accompanied by his five-piece band, all in grey suits, while Dylan took stage slightly to the right in an all black suit with a black cowboy hat. The band was flawless, almost too polished. They played an unbelievable set list, playing classic after classic. The songs, however, were hit or miss. The new arrangements left some songs lacking their previous bite, like on the racial protest song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” which lost its intensity and became laid back and almost sing-songy. Likewise, on the brilliant “It’s Alright Ma, (I’m Only Bleeding),” Dylan’s voice obscured perhaps his best lyrics of his career, by him speeding up the delivery and singing very gruffly.

However, sometimes the arrangements worked, perhaps because the tended to be closer to their original sound. On “Positively 4th Street,” Dylan delivered the lyrics very clearly and with the same force as he did in the Sixties. “Hollis Brown” became spooky and Dylan sang delicately to accompany the mood of the song. The new songs, which there were surprisingly only three, were also standouts. “Rumblin’ and Tumblin’” was the most energetic song of the night and even more explosive than on the record. Dylan closed with fan favorites “All Along the Watchtower” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” He played harmonica on a couple of songs to fan’s delight, and whenever he would was an instant highlight.

The Kings of Leon opened, which was a curious choice for someone to open for Dylan. The blistering southern rock group was not appreciated by the mostly baby boomer audience. They played twelve songs, and the faster songs, like “Molly’s Chambers” and “Taper Jean Girl” were full of energy. The slower ones tended to drag on, but they kept to the more rocking ones usually.

Seeing Dylan play is like visiting the Parthenon, it was probably a lot better when it was new, but at the same time, you know you are seeing something important. The heightened mystique around Dylan in recent years only added to the excitement of seeing him in person. However, a lot of the time it felt like a letdown and gave me the feeling of watching the man who used to be Bob Dylan. The show may not have been all that great, but the experience was.

Rating: 2.5/4