Bob Dylan in new NH venue
August 31For my Thanksgiving break, I was eagerly anticipating a home-cooked turkey dinner and some time with old high school friends. A couple of days before I went home, though, my father called, leaving a message on my voice-mail mentioning that he had bought tickets to see Bob Dylan. Being a person who never passes up the chance to see a famous artist in action, I accepted the offer and was even willing to pay the seemingly steep price of $40 for the privilege. As an added bonus, I was able to check out the new Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Arena, completed on Nov. 15 and already a popular venue for major events, is just a 50-minute drive from campus. It houses about 10,000 people, potentially too small for some rockers, but fine for Dylan. I went to the show, however, with some reservations. My father, Dylan expert that he is, had filled my head with warnings from his past experiences: "I went to see him twice, once with the Dead, and once with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and both times he came up, played for about and hour and a half without interacting with the audience at all, and then walked off." Contrary to my father's professed expectations, however, Dylan played for a solid two and a half hours, with an impressive set that spanned his career. He didn't do any talking, though. Dylan and his band walked up onto the stage and immediately commenced playing. It reminded me of a '70s bluegrass outfit: leisure-suited and long-haired. Dylan dressed in the same manner as the last time my father say him - typical of the artist, though, and his timelessness. Dylan's songs of rebellion and confused youth play to our everlasting insecurities and seem especially relevant in a time of war. Most surprising was the stylistic differences exhibited in his music. He played a couple of songs on a banjo, while one of the members of his band strummed a mandolin, giving the music a southern twang. That music paid homage to the roots of folk music when it was merely oral tradition, before the advent of recording devices. He then moved on to a few songs from his new album, Love and Theft. The band incorporated walking bass and drum brushes to give it a beatnik feel. My father referred to it as "lounge lizard music" due to the laid-back, relaxed tone. In the end, though, Dylan had to break out his Stratocaster and play some straight-up rock 'n roll. Before the concert, I had the chance to speak with a couple who gave me an accurate view of what the show would be like. Peter and Susan Saviteer have both been fans since the late 1960s, and were enthusiastic about helping me out. They argued that Dylan's worth is in his lyrics and music-writing ability, not in his vocal talents. "The only thing that has lost value is his voice, and his willingness to please the audience," Mr. Saviteer said. He also mentioned that Dylan has gotten "sick of playing songs the same way for thirty years," and to watch out for old favorites that he would play completely different from the way they were recorded. The only song I recognized from the outset was "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" All the others, even the ones I know very well, were fitted to brand-new harmonies that were unrecognizable until Dylan began singing. Even so, my father noted that "he didn't play anything daring. Nothing from Infidels or any of his less popular albums, only old hits and stuff off his two newest CDs." While this is certainly true, it must be pointed out that with the amount of music Dylan has produced, playing the old hits and a few songs off his new albums fills up the entire evening. And what an evening it was. Bob Dylan has a powerful stage presence, even though he is by no means garrulous. He expresses exactly what he needs to through music and not with meaningless prattle to fill up the dead air during guitar tuning. His band sounded tight and controlled, taking its cues from Dylan and maintaining an air of professionalism belied by the musicians' somewhat casual appearance. If you get the chance, spend the money to get good seats and go see Bob Dylan. It looks to be a great tour, and he isn't getting any younger. It isn't often you get a chance to see one of the greats.
