First off, here’s a disclaimer. Please don’t go into a Bob Dylan show expecting the same man from 1966, 1975 or even the same man you saw in the 1980s. Expect to see the great musician who has successfully melded jazz, blues and rock for over a decade and transformed his live shows into a performance that no fan should ever miss.
Last night, Dylan played the final show of his early 2013 solo tour at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, a wonderful venue for a night show. After three straight days of pouring rain in north Florida, the weather finally got better on Sunday, just so a sold-out crowd could enjoy Dylan. Before he took the stage, Dawes got to show off its chops, performing cuts from their new album for the crowd that got there early.
Dylan took the stage at around 8 p.m. On his 2013 tour so far, he has kept his setlists mostly the same, often just switching out one song for another. He’s been kicking off the proceedings with “Things Have Changed,” singing the song that won him an Oscar at center stage. He stayed center for the next two songs, taking out the harmonica for a killer performance of “Love Sick.”
The artist has generally stayed away from performing the older material, but when he does, he’s molded the song to fit his current sound. “Tangled Up In Blue” sounds remarkably different, so much so that the audience only knows that he’s doing the song when they hear him mumble the title. At that point, they clap, but they’re missing out on the great musicianship of his band.
Other old songs that got dusted off last night include “Visions of Johanna,” “All Along The Watchtower” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.” He also performed “Blind Willie McTell,” a song that never appeared on one of his studio albums, and the 1989 Oh Mercy track “What Good Am I?.”
Songs from Tempest, his latest album, are also sprinkled throughout. Since his band worked on the album, the songs came off remarkably well on stage, particularly “Pay In Blood,” this writer’s favorite song from the album.
Still, my favorite moment was “Thunder On The Mountain,” the opening track from 2006’s Modern Times. This song has really grown on stage, especially after all the years he’s been doing it.
His band includes Tony Garnier on bass, George Recile on drums, Stu Kimball on rhythm guitar, Duke Robillard on lead (with some spectacular solos) and Donnie Herron on steel guitars and banjo.
Dylan continues touring this summer as part of the AmericanaramA touring festival.
image: Daniel S Levine
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