REVIEW:

Bob Dylan soars ‘in full croak’ with Las Vegas show

Aging rock ‘n’ roll poet laureate’s lyrics prove lasting and relevant

Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 | 6:50 a.m.

Chris Morris

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Bob Dylan smiled.

There he was, the self-styled cowboy drifter, poet laureate of rock 'n' roll, fronting a five-piece band at the Joint Sunday night, playing some down-home rockabilly blues and breathing new life into classics that got the middle-aged-office-job crowd swinging their hips and shaking some serious tail.

By any measure, it was a knockout. And Dylan, who celebrated his 68th birthday in May, seemed to love every minute of it.

By the third song, a reworked, slow-burning "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," Dylan, dressed in black suit and hat, was grinning at the tale of failed love he penned 46 years ago. My friend turned to me and said his voice sounded like "it has been put through a meat grinder." That meat grinder is called life -- chased with a steady diet of cigarettes, booze and world tours. For better or worse, this is Dylan, as a colleague put it, "in full croak," and the songs are as relevant as ever.

Time and the recession have given new meaning to lines like, "Something is happening here/But you don't know what it is."

In nearly two hours time, Dylan and his band pounded (and there is no other word for it) through 17 songs, drawing heavily from his last three records, which gave the whole set a Mississippi Delta vibe. Dylan stationed himself behind an electronic keyboard for most of the set, but came out front occasionally to play harp and sing. (For the record, Dylan has said he just can't find someone who plays piano the way he wants.) Even behind the keys, it was clear he thrived on the music, leaning into the notes.

That's a marked departure from the first time I saw Dylan perform a decade ago. In 1999, he played a double-bill with Paul Simon in Camden, N.J. The two dueted on "The Sounds of Silence" and Dylan flubbed the lyrics, singing the same verse twice. When he did his own set, things didn't get much better. A friend and Dylan fanatic had one word for me: Sorry.

Two years later, I saw him at the old Spectrum in Philadelphia, fresh off recording "Love And Theft," the second masterwork in what many consider to be a modern trilogy. He was good, if removed. The set list was stellar, but something seemed to be missing.

Sunday night, everything clicked, starting with the opening cut, a slow-shuffling "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat." Dylan emerged from behind the keys to play harp on "The Man In Me," then guitar on "Don't Think Twice," and then it was into the Tex-Mex stomp of "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'."

On "Spirit in the Water," from 2006's "Modern Times," Dylan sang, "You think I'm over the hill/You think I'm past my prime/Let me see what got/We can have a whoopin' good time." Everyone did -- even the guy crowing into a cell phone about catastrophic life insurance in the will-call line.

Each song built on the next. And then it got loud. "Highway 61 Revisited" was a revelation, punctuated by treble guitar. Three songs later, Dylan was pointing and gesturing the verses of "Ballad of a Thin Man," ripping into a killer harp solo. A short break, and the band was back playing "Like a Rolling Stone" and "All Along the Watchtower."

There it was, life -- its ups, downs and in-betweens. Dylan may croak, but his lines still soar.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By Mr_Burns

10/19/09 at 7:39 a.m.

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An accurate review of a might fine night on the town by Zimmy & the Gang.
Complete opposite of last year's performance. Only one major point missing from this review, and that is that this year's band, and great show, can be attributed to the return of the great Charlie Sexton on lead guitar.
Without any doubt, those of us who have been following His Bobness for too many years to count will confirm that having Charlie back has made a world of difference in the inspiration department for Zimmy.
Two things you learn after many years of living...dont ever bet against the House in this town, and don't ever write off The Bob.
By fogcity

10/19/09 at 11:21 a.m.

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Lay Lady Lay - one of my Dylan favorites.
By peggyday

10/19/09 at 5:17 p.m.

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This was by far the best concert I attended ever. I saw Dylan at Stockton on 15th August, it was a wonderful show, but this surprised me so much, because Bob Dylan has re-invented himself again.

The new Dylan is making all the moves on stage that he was too shy to make in his youth. I think that Charlie has come back possibly had an influence on this, because Charlie kept dropping to his knees in front of him, and playing to him like an angel. The whole band had a different feel, but the main difference was the song delivery. No guitar, he strode up to the mike, and it was not that he changed the tune, or the lyrics, it was the delivery that made me feel I was hearing Balllad of a Thin Man for the first time. He slowly unbuttoned his jacket, and his sexy moves had every female in the house in hysterics.

His moves when standing at the keyboard were also very surprising. He was getting down, legs spread out, and his pumping moves (not seen Bob do them before) had us swooning.

He sang 5 songs centre stage, with occasional harmonica breaks. His low toned harmonica sounded like the lonesome train, and he played it so sweet cant describe how beautiful a sound.

A few times he licked his fingers then touched the hair left and right on his shoulders. His outfit was hot too. He wore a short black jacket with gold trim, a light gold satin shirt, the jeans to the outfit were the low crotch type. At one point he pulled up his jacket, (I saw his boxers) then hitched up the pants a bit. (Swooned). He smiled when he made us scream. The jeans had a gold stripe, and occasionally the bling on his sleeves and collar flashed. His black boots were perfect. and the small black fedora topped it off.

He was laughing, dancing, and his moves were too sexy, Spirit on the water nearly had me on the floor. His body looks same as when he was 20. I had to think is this man 68, and got 17 year old girls screaming. Cold Irons Bound, and Thunder on The Mountain had the whole crowd jumping. Seriously he didnt look a day over 40, and his singing was the best its ever been. Wonderful, please come back soon Bob.

11:26 AM on 10/19/2009
By peggyday

10/19/09 at 5:21 p.m.

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I like the article but totally disagree that his voice is a croak. Strange that you would hear it like that, when I hear his clear high voice, punctuated by his deep growly expressive voice.
His mature voice is awsome. Not a croak!!
By scaryterry

10/19/09 at 8:17 p.m.

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I traveled to The Joint (with my daughter and son-in-law) from Mississippi to see the Man for about the 50th time and he did not disappoint. He's added a bit of gesturing to accent his vocals while standing center stage and his voice has found a new range as he hits those low and low down notes. Doesn't get any better than Bob. He's the man.
By Burrittobandit2

10/20/09 at 12:49 p.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By dipstick

10/20/09 at 3:25 p.m.

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one day he'll be on PBS w/ del shannon and the 4 vibes; nostalgia at its finest.