Looking back at Bob’s Covid tour …. It all really began on Sunday, November 2, 2021 in Milwaukee, and it was nothing like we’d expected.

Bob Dylan had done it again. He’d shape-shifted, he’d re-organised, re-built, re-presented, re-thought, re-analysed and re-created himself, his music, his songs, his dips and bows. And his age.

And what I personally saw right away was that this was a complete work or art.

Bob Dylan at 80 had confounded, confused and captivated his audience.

Let me say right away, I think Dylan’s singing has always been something beyond human comprehension, a voice that the world had never heard the likes of before or ever will again. Yep, we can all quote knowingly about the influences we hear in that coruscating, gentle, heartbreaking, funny noise that comes from that Chaplinesque riverboat captain figure hiding behind a battered-looking upright piano on a stage lit today from beneath like a Mephistophelian cauldron of white disfiguring heat.

Blind Willie, John Jacob Niles, Woody, Elvis and Sinatra. And ten thousand more. They all helped create that voice that Dylan quite rightly calls his own.

And in Milwaukee at the beginning of November when he walked out on to the stage in his big David Byrne cream-ish jacket, walking like every bit of him hurt, looking hunched and a little overweight – going down the road that Jerry Lee had gone down – it looked like it could all be over for the enfant terrible, our baby of the blues.

Then he sang. It was like a ring in a bell. The cry of the prairie dog, the croak of the crow and the howl of the moon were still in there but it was a grand almost perfect soliloquy. A totally confounding insight into the mysterious soul of a man who had always kept it well hid.

People say this new Dylan comes out of the Shadow Kingdom. And it does. But it also comes out of a decade at least of finding new ways of presenting his art and his life to us all.

Since November The Society has built a rough compendium of ‘Ordinary Joe’ reviews and stories and thoughts about Bob’s new tour. It has been read by thousands in the past few weeks.

So, now as the Rough And Rowdy tour is parked for a while (we have no new dates to share unfortunately and Covid is obviously casting its awful shadow again) we thought we’d rerun it all again.

Treat it as an early Christmas present from us all here, if you would like to. Dip in to it and out again.

But it is a true and solid account of Bob Dylan’s never ending tour through our lives.

The shape of things to come as Bob rocks, dips, quips and rolls on down the road – The Leigh G Banks Preservation Society

Bob through the looking glass … the age-old master forever young in wander land – The Leigh G Banks Preservation Society

Jabbed and anonymous … how Bob predicted it all again – The Leigh G Banks Preservation Society

Forever young and old, you can see it in his smile… – The Leigh G Banks Preservation Society

A tough crowd in New York… but Bob is still standing. They won’t get him beat

You can step on my name, you can try and get me beat, when I leave New York, I’ll be standing on my feet – Bob Dylan

It’s always been seen as a fair game to boo, lampoon, insult, attack, complain about and scoff at Bob Dylan.

This attitude has made me furious over the years … of course he can sing, he is probably one of the most inventive singers since the beginning of popular music and has influenced the whole inflection and style of rock music.

Bob is a writer of stunning prose too of course, but he is first and foremost a musical poet, a bard, a troubadour, an unfinished work of art.

We’ve been sharing rave reviews here at The Society since the beginning of November when Dylan finally got the chance to take his strolling bones back on the road again after Covid, the tragic hint of a sex scandal and the release of the stunning beautiful Rough and Rowdy Ways.

And the reviews, mainly, have been written by the man-and-woman on the street who’ve got other things to do with their lives but took the trouble to jot down notes and thoughts and their enthusiasms for Bob and his band landed in places like Milwaukee, Bloomington, Hershey and Moon Township.

And then he arrived in New York and he got ignored and insulted.

No New York Times review (if I’ve missed this please send me a link, I’d love to be wrong) and a handful of bad reviews from the Mr Jones’s on the street. We share them here:

Dave & Molly from Montreal, Quebec

EXPECTED SO MUCH, RECEIVED SO LITTLE

Dylan has always been one of my favorites. This was the 3rd time seeing him in Montreal, I was ready for another treat. Had fabulous $$$ seats 100 feet from Bob. The lights came up and there was Bob dressed in white, standing in front of the black, grand piano banging out his first tune in a surprisingly low pitch, gravely voice. His guitar lay across a chair a few feet away with his white brimmed hat atop, We would never hear that guitar or see him with hat on. Instead he alternated playing old and new songs either sitting or standing at the piano then grabbing a mic stand at the back wall of the stage as far from his audience as possible as he crooned old American standards. I came to see Dylan play guitar and sing like he meant it. Not a single word was uttered to his fans, not a smile, not a nod. Between songs he shuffled to a table to get a drink, hanging on to equipment as he walked. He looked old and disinterested. What an utter disappointment for me and my girlfriend.

P. A. C. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SELFISH, DISENGAGED & UNDECIPHERABLE DYLAN AT THE MET PHILA.

When the best part of your concert event is the newly renovated Met and the outstanding food at Osteria, you know it’s going to be a bad night. A 60th birthday present from my daughter who is a singer and astute listener of all music. She knows how much I love Dylan’s music and wanted to take me to see him for the first time. It was an utter embarrassment. Dylan voice itself was as good and raw it’s always been but we couldn’t understand a word as he mumbled and garbled every word. His arrangement changes on some songs such as Like a Rolling Stone, were shockingly discordant to the essence of the song. And for 1 hour and 30 minutes, as we sat hoping things would get better, he didn’t muster one single word of welcome, thanks, or appreciation to his audience of 3,500. As we walked out on Bob 30 minutes early, he had me feeling badly for my daughter who certainly lost some respect for one of the musical heroes I spent years extolling. Bob my friend, it’s time to retire.

Sarah from Columbus, Ohio

GROSSLY INACCURATE VISIONS OF BOB DYLAN

If you attended Bob Dylan’s concert last night at the Palace Theatre expecting to see a lounge act and almost unrecognizable versions of Desolation Row and Tangled Up in Blue then you got what you paid for. If, like me, you were hoping to see Bob with his harmonica and guitar playing Just Like a Woman, Don’t think Twice it’s Alright, Like a Rolling Stone, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door…ANY of his songs – in their original arrangements – that define him as one of the best poets/storytellers/lyricists to ever live, then you were left absolutely heartbroken like me. Before going to the show, I had heard that for years Dylan hasn’t been great live, that he doesn’t acknowledge or interact with the audience, that he doesn’t play many of his classics, so I guess I’m the fool for not listening to those comments and thinking my experience would be different. As I sit here today listening to live Dylan albums from ’67, I can’t help but cry for the artist I never got to see live.

And yet Allison Rapp, a professional writer, had this to say: Dylan, perhaps more so than any singer-songwriter of his generation, has continuously asked his listeners to, in essence, think again. Newly arranged versions of old songs were peppered throughout the evening, including completely reimagined versions of Tempest‘s “Early Roman Kings,” Slow Train Coming‘s “Gotta Serve Somebody,” “To Be Alone With You” a track from 1969’s Nashville Skyline which Dylan has not performed live since 2005 and the also recently reintroduced “Every Grain of Sand” from Shot of Love. A Frank Sinatra cover, “Melancholy Mood,” which Dylan performed on his 2016 album, Fallen Angels, also appeared.

Dylan did not come back for an encore, perhaps choosing to save his energy for the next two nights of shows at the Beacon, plus the string of East Coast dates he has planned for the rest of this month and the beginning of next. But at 80, the legendary musician seems energized by simply being back on a stage, surrounded by a supportive band, performing new compositions that most Dylan fans have spent months listening to in the confines of quarantine and now get to hear in their full live glory.

As his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour moves on, ticket holders can expect a wonderfully rested and still remarkably enigmatic Dylan to greet them, even if it is with only a few words in between songs. As he sang in 1961, “You can step on my name, you can try and get me beat, when I leave New York, I’ll be standing on my feet.”

Meanwhile, here are four professional reviews by newspapers along the way. Let’s see what they are having to say compared to the fans who have become writers and critics for their love of Bob.

Reviews rocketas Ol’ Bob lands on Moon Township…but is age beginning to tell?

The first review to mention Dylan and the rigours of age…

Mitchell writes:

I feel that the reworking of the set list was more than just publicity
for the new album. All of the song selections were clearly pointing to
the past (high points and regrets) and looking to the future-a future
not in this world. It is contemplative and other worldly.  And like it
or not, I do feel he is trying to bring a message with the two gospel
songs he brought back. 
 As to individual songs, “Mother
of Muses” is even more hymn-like than on the album. Clearly a prayer
and an offer of thanks. Sent chills up my spine. 
The thing that made me sad about the show was the clear physical pain Bob is in. He is clearly still very sharp mentally, he was great with the lyrics, his voice was
fantastic and he looked to be enjoying himself.  But, in contrast to
his standing center stage pre COVID, he just couldn’t do it now. He
had to hold onto the piano and even then, retreated behind the piano
mid most songs. He sat down behind the piano a lot. He doesn’t stand
straight. He got help going down the steps from the back of the stage.
Clearly his back/hips are hurting.  I think we have to face it- as much
as he has, does and always will mean to us, his body is that of an 80
year old man.

I don’t know why he continues to do show after show when it is so
difficult physically. Maybe it is part of a “deal” he made many years ago as he once said.  

Daniel Chester writes:

Watching: a rollicking tribute to Pittsburgh and its rivers

Most Likely: good energy and crisp and friendly and faithful and pretty
well-delivered

Multitudes: great feel/sound for a great song and sung well...how amazing
is it that this same guy wrote Song to Woody 60 years ago and is still on
the road heading for another joint

False Prophet: dull approaching OK (bluezzzzzzz)

Masterpiece: wonderful (violin and piano and  acoustic guitar interwoven),
lucky to hear this again

Black Rider: nice atmosphere but nothing special...would rather hear
something off of New Morning or Infidels

I'll Be Your Baby: completely different version, had a nice little drive
to it (as opposed to the leisure pace of original)

My Own Version: another cool atmosphere and some very cool lines sung
well...maybe a performance where a tight little guitar solo would have
elevated it

To Be Alone: the acoustic guitar and violin and standup bass make a potent
combination...fun choice

Early Roman: pretty much a slog lacking necessary stomp...not a huge fan
of this tune but not sure any tune could have survived this treatment

Key West: piano picked some nice notes and accordian worked and some swell
lyrics ('if you lost your mind you'll find it there')

Serve Somebody: almost a different tune yet it grabbed the attention,
particularly with the new lyrics, and made its own way and was quite
enjoyable

I've Made Up My Mind: well-conceived and delivered and completely fit the
evening with certain lines grabbing the attention again

Melancholy: short and sweet (and sad) and totally fit this show

Mother of Muses: tender and well-wrought and sung well...piano and guitar
on the breaks were nice together...didn't really know this one yet really,
really good...'I've already outlived my life by far'...could have closed
with this one

Jimmy Reed: not bad...way better choices for this valuable slot

Every Grain: one of his all-timers and perfect choice to send people home
with...blessed to hear again

 

Laurette Maillet is back:

 
 The venue is a stadium, maybe 5000 seats. I've been here few years ago. I
don't like stadium anymore. I prefer the cosy atmosphere of the theater.

I believe Bob will start late as it takes time for the audience to fill up
the venue. But...

He is right on time.

Dressed in black.

“Watching the river flow” is a bit confused at the start. The
Musiciens are not in tune!

Bob, as usual, is moving from the center mike to the piano, most often at
the piano, except for “I contain multitudes” where he is bending on
his knees... 

“When I paint my masterpiece” is a wonder! I feel like dancing 

Bob seems to be happy to be here. I am too far to see if he is smiling but
I can believe he did.

Again 'Mother of muses' is not my cup of tea but I close my eyes and focus
on Bob's voice and it does the trick. I feel transported in another
universe with Bob Dylan 'chantin' to me.

Great show.

Laurette muses over Bob’s ‘mother’

of a show in the city of Muhammed Ali

Bob hit the home of Muhammed Ali and fried chicken – and while reviews had been thin on the ground from his performance in Johnnie’s Knoxville, Laurette Maillet made a circuitous and frustrating journey – caused mainly by Greyhound bus delays – to end up in Louisville for his November 11 show.

Laurette, on her journey around Dylan’s shows, writes in Bob Links:

“The theater is gorgeous, a museum in itself. Bob Dylan decides - after 15 minutes and so pass show time - to appear all in black. Immediately the public are up and will stay up until the 7th or 8th song. Good for me. My seat is on the isle and I can...dance! Bob is picking up on the good vibes and delivers a remarkable show. I will not pick a highlight as ALL the songs were perfectly executed. At least I 
enjoyed all of them.Just, for me, a minus on "Mother of muses".  There is
something in that song I quite can't connect with! A sort of borring
prayer? But nothing to complain about the perfect diction.  
Bob cracks a joke I don't get and presents the Band.The entire theater is
on its feet for the final. Bob spends, it seems, few more seconds facing
the crowd before disappearing. Excellent communication tonight on both
sides.Louisville is a great city!”  

Knacksville in Knoxsville! Well, who said ol’ Bob doesn’t talk to his audience … he’s got the knack!

And now he can out rock the mountains and out croon the moon

It looks like the reviewers are having a bit of a rest, which is sad really. It’s been fab keeping up with Bob’s shows, his performances, what he’s wearing, how he’s singing and what songs he has been choosing.

More than anything though it’s been good to read the authentic voices of real concert goers saying what they think.

And the one thing that comes across is that Bob Dylan at 80 is still one of the best and most transcendent acts in the world today… he’s not a dinosaur, not an old crock living off past successes. And he’s not churning out geriatric songs to satisfy his own ego and the nostalgia of a bunch of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income grandmas and grandpas who still want to be thought of as sageness hippies!

Nope, the voice of so many generations is managing to stay forever young and has remained the alchemist of vocals, stage presence and performance. Fifteen years ago he was croaking like a battered old frog and not even I knew exactly what he was trying to achieve – although I respected him enough to assume he was trying to achieve something.

And what was up-singing all about? And that clunky flat piano? It was like listening to Victor Borge in a drunken church choir.

Now he can out rock the mountains and out croon the moon.

So, until the reviews start rolling in again we’d like to leave you with a short vid from Knoxville where Bob has a chat with the audience and introduces his new and very able band… I’m sure Painted Passport won’t mind us sharing it although his camera-pointing could do with a bit of polishing!

Bob Dylan in Knoxville (Nov. 10, 2021) – “Don’t forget to go to Dollywood” – YouTube

And an audio vid of Bob performing Every Grain of Sand at Bloomington a few days ago.

Bob Dylan – Every Grain Of Sand (Bloomington 2021) – YouTube

Below are a few thoughts about Bob and his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour and the many reviews we’ve picked up along the way… have a scroll through, meander, have a listen, spend some time with some ordinary people who, like me, just want to take in the artistic genius of an extraordinary man.

As soon as the reviews start appearing again, we’ll start sharing them! In the meantime send us your thoughts, reviews etc.

Anyway, have you ever been to Milwaukee?

Have you ever been to Cleveland?

Have you ever been to Chicago, Cincinnati or Bloomington?

Well, you can go there (below) – when you want to go…

Cheers Leigh

BOB, THE MAN IN BLACK, SUITS THEM PERFECTLY DOWN IN CINCINNATI

More thoughts and insights into Bob on his almost-never ending tour – and this time, what does Dylan wear boys, what does Dylan wear?

Ol’ Bob has had some sartorial disasters over the years – his almost Elvis-style suits in the late 70s should have been made street-illegal.

In the 60s though he was a style icon with his Cubans, shades and polka dot shirts. And in the 70s he was the hippest of hippies and for the first time donned his now trade-mark Fedora with aplomb. He apparently bought it for a couple of dollars from a thrift shop.

In the 60s he went for the working man’s dirt road look, in the 70s waistcoat and leather jackets, in the 1980s he was more often than not suited and booted, sometimes animal print shirts, in the 90s cowboy-cut waist jackets and latterly the river boat captain and gambler in many guises.

At the beginning of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, some say he made a mistake by wearing his big creamy David Byrne-style jacket. It just makes him look on the portly side, particularly in poor quality bootleg recordings. Dare I say it looks like a very big covid mask!

Anyway, now Bob has gone back to black and some of the reviews from the Cincinnati show have taken this into consideration… see what you think and share your comments.

Cincinnati reviews etc below this preamble:

REVIEWING THE REVIEWS:

We are still reviewing the reviews as Dylan, at 80, gets ‘rough and rowdy’ on the road … but we are still mystified as to why so few appearing in the traditional media.

Its like local journalists and editors are treating Dylan’s new tour as a bit of a clod-hopping dinosaur outing or a day out from the rest home of elderly rockers!

But Ol’ Bob is once again working his magic across the world, singing – most say – better than ever, entertaining, chatting, inventing, stylising, reworking and setting new standards for himself and his audiences.

Confounding and wrecking expectations…

Here are some of the first audience recordings we’ve seen and heard that have survived the robots of internet control.

The first one is It Takes a Lot to Laugh – from Chicago and Every Grain from Cleveland… keep reading and scrolling, there are quite a few reviews now from each venue.

Should we used the videos?

Well, there is a dichotomy of attitude towards copyright and sharing on the internet in 2021 … the spiders might as well be from Mars and the robots wield a sword of control as draconian as Damocles.

It could be Bob’s people of course throwing a cloak over the stolen moments of his concerts – and quite right they should too.

But bootlegging has been a major part of Ol’ Bob’s career, it gave him an underground reputation, made people hungry for his work and helped us feel that we were part of something special.

And we were – we were a part of the confusing, passionate world of imagery, angst and fabulousness that Bob had created.

We felt closer to him because we’d become the elite, the fans who got the latest from his world first.

So, from being stuck inside a mobile with the Chicago blues again, we’re sharing this video.

Below are a selection of the first reviews as Bob Dylan hits the road again on his Never Ending Tour … if you’ve managed to see him over the last week or so, share your thoughts here.

Cincinnati November 9, 2021

Laurette Maillet writes:

 I have a vivid memory of that show. Not the best ever for me. But I, somehow by impulse, gave a sweet kiss to Barron (Bob's bodyguard)
who had always been kind to me.  Fans , they don't pay too much attention to the 'entourage', or never heard about the name of Bob Dylan's bodyguard, and his devoted career of 30 years.
Nothing I knew, then, about what would be a world disaster. And that
“Times would be changed forever”.  
The virus pushed people inside their home and inside their mind, aging
before time. I aged!
So, let's start a'new.
Cincinnati , here I am. 
 All dressed in Black; musiciens and Bob. Bobby wears regularly now a black
pants with whites stripes on the side (adjusted with a blak/white belt). A
black shirt (with or without embroidery) a white or black jacket with
embroidery. His shoes are no longer the cowboy many years boots but flat
black or white 'boat' shoes?
 Bobby looks like a ghost. No kidding!  As for Bob? Only the piano was his instrument. No guitar, no harmonica :(
He rapidly disappeared after “Every grain of sand”. Escaping the final
crowd photos from the past when he and his Band used to bow. Smart!

E.B writes:

The Bob Dylan Concert poster proclaims “Rough and Rowdy Ways” but for
the standing ovations our crowd at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati were
not rowdy.
Yes, it is still Pandemic O’Clock in the Queen City (and the home of the
old King Records as Bob so well noted in his brief remarks later in the
evening)  
Bob performed standing up behind his upright piano to the right of the
stage surrounded by his band. 
Sometimes Bob retreated to the safety of the piano after coming center
stage to sing every now and again - doing some impressively deep sideways
knee bends and dance moves and proving his bell still rings - but what
stood out for me this night was his impressive vocal performance, strong
and commanding and telling tales warningly, emphatically and enigmatically
but oh so compellingly.
As the old poster used to proclaim: “In Show and Concert…. Don’t
You Dare Miss it!”) *****

Tom Burke writes:

Bob Dylan brought his "Rough and Rowdy Ways'' tour to Cincinnati on 
Tuesday night. 

The promotional poster proclaims, "things aren't  what  they were",  but 
thankfully,  somethings never change,  as Dylan and his band provided a 
great night of music and entertainment. 

The band wore black, as did Dylan, though his outfit was embellished with 
subtle white embroidery. The stage was framed with black side and back 
curtains with the band set up  in a compact arrangement   with Dylan 
slightly stage right at the piano.

The setting and effect may have been austere, but the music was more 
often true to the tour's rough and rowdy ways moniker.

The show kicked off with a rollicking, high energy,  Watching the River 
Flow, which was followed by a driving jaunty Most Likely You Go Your Way 
(and I'll Go Mine) both songs featuring Bob at the piano playing with 
great spirit and vigor.

Several of the songs from Rough and Rowdy Ways, including,  I Contain 
Multitudes, False Prophet,  Black Rider, Key West, I've Made up My Mind 
to Give Myself to You, and Goodbye Jimmy Reed were delivered  with 
Dylan starting at center stage using a hand held mic and mid song returning
 to the piano for the finish.  All of those selections, though sounding great 
 on the record, performed live were imbued with much greater depth, 
 effect and resonance, thanks to Dylan's facial expressions, body language,
 and unparalleled vocal stylings.
 
 
The show closed with Dylan performing the beautiful , Every Grain of Sand.

Bloomington, Indiana, November 7, 2021

Luke M. Jacobus writes on Bill Pagel’s Bob Links:

“This was probably my ninth show in a 25 year period. The stage had a raised platform that was floor for the band. Think of a giant light box. The arrangement of musicians was closer together than I’ve seen in the past.

The show started at about 8:03pm and what followed was one of the most interactive Bob Dylan concerts I've seen.

He came out strong and seemed very energized. A slight stoop I noticed two
years ago was all but gone. He seemed proud to stand straight and tall,
even striking a number of Elvis-like poses and making moves evocative of
the King. At one point he ran quickly backwards about half the width of
the stage, a stunt people half his age would think twice about. Any rumors
of his demise are grossly exaggerated.

I counted four times between songs that he took time to thank the audience
and sometimes made other comments. I think it was after To Be Alone With
You, he heartily thanked us and said he about forgot the words to that
one. It struck me as a genuine confession.  
The performances were amazing. Words were clear and strong (except at the
start of a few verses). The sound mix and overall volume in the auditorium
was excellent, nearly ideal. Great, great care was given to the execution
of these songs, with extreme vocal control demonstrated.   His piano work mostly filled in gaps, sometimes quite effectively with only a single note played at important
junctures. Other times, some deft playing was high in the mix. He played
harmonica just a few times. The vocals were front and center, which gave
clear access to some deeply emotional performances.  
Most of the show, Bob Dylan was a shadow. You could not make out his face.
However, with I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You, this changed.
With this song, his face was illuminated, and it remained so, or at least
visible, during all the songs that followed.” 
  

John Haas writes:

“Bob Dylan's still on the road. Still heading to another joint.  And then another.  And eventually, one near you.  Amazing, isn't it?

And what a strange set-list it is!  The older songs are known to Bobists of
course--all the songs are known to Bobists--but they aren't his huge hits,
by any means.  One only released as a single.  One from the gospel period
(but yeah, he won a Grammy for it).  A couple country romps from '67 and
'69, one of those entirely--and I mean entirely!--rewritten (and each
"deep cuts" from their albums).  A song from Tempest, but none from TOOM,
L&T, the Oscar winner of yore, and nothing from H61R, FWBD, or most of his
back catalog in fact.  All of which is so, so great, I could hug him.  
It was all good.  All of it.  Bob's piano playing is outstanding at times,
especially False Prophet.  His singing kills it, as everyone says.  Could
hear every word. The songs I was expecting to just endure from R&RW
shined.  Those I expected to love--Key West, eg--I loved (thanks, Donnie,
for that accordion).  All the playing was stellar.

Great concert.  Moody, intricate, precise, beautiful.”

     

CLEVELAND, OHIO, Nov 3, 2021

Timothy Burns wrote:

“The under the floor lighting was good, Bob and the band were better lit than the overly dark former time in Cleveland, especially in 2017. 

“If you saw Shadow Kingdom the sound and feel was quite like that obviously with the choices of the non-Rough and Rowdy Ways songs and the approach to the songs. I was completely fine with that, it was great.

What I did not expect was that I completely enjoyed the new songs more
than almost any of the other songs. Even though When I Paint My
Masterpiece was quite amazing.  

Dressed in all black, Bob would go back and forth at times singing with a
separate microphone in hand, then setting it down on the upright piano
(with a slight clunk which was awesome) 

My main takeaway was two-fold. Firstly, the band and the arrangements,
while similar at times to Shadow Kingdom, it allowed Bob himself to be the
most central at every moment for every song. I do not ever
recall where I left at the end with the feeling that this concert was 100%
about Bob and not somewhat about how great the band was.  

The second main takeaway was perhaps the best. I did not come in with
expectations of "How good are his vocals going to be?" Although I did
wonder if he would sound similar to Shadow Kingdom in which he sounded
absolutely amazing. Partway through song #1 (watching the river flow) I
detected (or I think I did) a noticeable  change in the audio mix where
they brought Bob's voice up and just be above everything else. The rest of
the concert had his voice amazingly loud and so clear.  

I cannot believe how good he sounded.”  

Billy Cardina:

Awesome show! Great sound and “Every Grain of Sand” a first for this
tour was amazing. Crowd was subdued and this was Bob’s first Ohio Show
since he played beautiful Akron in November 2019. Old songs integrated
well with Rough and a Rowdy Ways. LOVED Key West
God Bless Bob!
 

Preamble – followed by Milwaukee and Chicago reviews:

Bob Dylan stepped back onto the stage after two years of ‘incarceration’ and gave a Cheshire Cat-grinning, ear churning, heartbreakingly beautiful two hour performance down at the Riverside in Milwaukee…

Andrea and I were still on the road highway in Spain as O’ Bob took to the stage. It was 10am where we were in the blustery Autumn heat and 8pm in a Milwaukee chill as he walked out to meet his audience again.

He was dodging wires and speakers and posing hand on hip in his oversize David Byrne-style white jacket like a good’n.

Yep, he’s 80 and sometimes he can look doddery and as fragile as his famous wet-fish handshake … but he’s still going, still creating, still confounding, still writing, still rocking and still finding new ways to be Bob Dylan.

And this time he is the poet of Rough and Rowdy Ways.

And then there is of course his new voice. It’s new but it’s been everywhere, told a million stories and hung out so many brilliant lines to dry.

No, nobody can ever take that away from him … and in Milwaukee he made his voice famous again.

Next he joined the other legends in Chicago …

After we unpacked our dusty old car at the castle in Lorca where we were staying, I trawled around the net for reviews.

I didn’t find one dissenting voice… just fans who confirmed that Bob is back – looking a little bit older it has to be said – but performing brilliantly, singing like a dream and rocking the world’s expectations.

Let’s begin with Chicago as he finds his feet

On Bill Pagel’s Bob Links, Adam Selzer wrote:

 
CHICAGO:
“I’m amazed at how clear his vocals are; all traces of the wolfman growl
of a few years back are gone, except when he needs them. 

“I Contain Multitudes” was the highlight of the night for me. Instead
of spending most of it at the piano, consulting the lyric sheets, Bob was
center stage the whole song, clearly enjoying himself and really acting
the song out, prowling around at a crouch like a cartoon character.  

“When I Paint My Masterpiece,” the first surprise of the night, was bouncy and
loose.  

“Bob tried to do “Black Rider” from center as well, but forgot a couple
of lines in the first verse and moved back to piano for most of it. The
flub seemed to cost him some confidence, though the rest of the lines were
well delivered. This show really does sleep with life and death in the same bed.”  
 
 Mark S wrote:
 “I saw Bob Dylan in 2021 and it was like seeing your grandpa, who you love very much, walking a tight rope. It was captivating, I was rooting for him, and it was extremely entertaining to see him succeed.!

 

Bob Shiel:

“Bob Dylan came to Chicago tonight, perfectly timing his customary 
week-within-Halloween appearance in the Windy City, historically one of 
his most visited venues in his illustrious career as a live performer. But this 
wasn't any ole Bob Dylan show.  

This tour is all about Rough and Rowdy Ways.  Although all these songs 
sound good live, I Contain Multitudes and Key West stand out as stellar 
melodic arrangements with mesmerizing lyrics, which Bob is delivering quite 
intelligibly. I saw no evidence of the lyric or sheet music reliance reported 
in Milwaukee on night 1 of the tour.   
The overall sound of the band is similar to that fantastic Fall 2019 tour, 
and new drummer Charlie Drayton almost imperceptibly follows Bob and
the rest of the band, allowing Bob, at 80, to not have to strain to be 
heard over the other 5 members of the band.  

The magic of Bob's veteran multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron was 
evident on When I Paint My Masterpiece when his fiddle played off Bob's 
piano beautifully. Bob Britt is back. As for the new guitarist, Doug Flavio, who is technically 
filling the legendary shoes of Charlie Sexton, although that ain't happening, 
one gets the feeling he will play a more and more prominent role as his
first tour progresses.  

After introducing the band, something he hasn't done for what seems like 
forever, Bob said something like, "We love Chicago, just like you do." Well, 
the feeling goes for you, too, Bob. We really do love you and wish you all 
health and happiness in this world so lucky to still have you in its midst.” 

 

FROM MILWAUKEE:

Isabel Infantes said: “There’s no doubt that Tuesday show at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater was the start of something very new, very different, and very bold.”

Tom Wilmeth, on the same site, said: “Nobody seemed happier about thingsthan Bob himself, with facial expressions that were frequently joyous. Dylan was in good voice, and the sound mix was excellent – both Dylan’s lyrics and his piano were

clearly heard.  
 
“The night began with “Watching the River Flow,” a minor radio hit in
1971.  Maybe Bob was using this number to tell us what he had been doing
during his time off – nothing.  “Most Likely You Go Your Way and
I’ll Go Mine” followed.   . 

 “Bob interspersed tunes recognizable to even casual
fans. He played “Simple Twist of Fate” and “I’ll Be Your Baby
Tonight,” as well as a rocking version of “Gotta Serve Somebody.” 
Dylan touched on his later catalog with “Early Roman Kings” and
“Soon After Midnight,”
“When Bob made his way from piano to center stage – he looked fragile, and at times unsteady on his feet butwe still have Bob with us; let’s enjoy him today. 
We may not see him tomorrow”

Don Romundson wrote: “The show at the Riverside was unbelievable. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a very
special show.  In fact, Bob did a sort of a bow to the crowd, in Bob's own
way, after each song, an acknowledgment if you will, his stand at center
stage gazing out, very appreciative of the crowd...”

Adam Selzer had this to say: “Bob seemed a bit nervous as he began “I Contain Multitudes”. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him look nervous before. But the performance was solid, and on “False Prophet” he was grinning, pointing, and seeming as though he was having a blast. Like he couldn’t wait for us to hear what line he’d sing next.”

Me, well I’m just glad to say that we’ve not seen the last of Bob’s winks and feints and his stunning panache. And the old man is back again, taking all the indefinable qualities that make him the true genius of this and the last century around the world again.

Good on ya Bob!

Bob’s band line-up is now –guitarists Doug Lancio and Bob Britt, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron, bassist Tony Garnier, and drummer Charley Drayton.

One of the few traditional media reviews:

Well, we found one … by Curtis Schieber  who is described as Special to The Columbus Dispatch. I’m sure he is very special to them! |He has also has a very ‘special’ and successful music show, the Invisible Hits Hour, for 30 years.

Anyway, Curtis has also made a ‘special’ point in his review: The underfloor lighting Dylan is using on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour serves to light up the band and Bob in an equal, almost democratic, way.

And, as Curtis says, it helps the focus of the concert to be on the songs … which is a good thing as a large part of the concert is made up of the songs from RaRW, perhaps one of Bob’s most perfect albums.

But is the lighting also being used to take attention away from Bob himself who, at 80, can look a bit creaky as he makes his trademark stately bows and bends?

Anyway, we are all agreed that Bob can still bend them notes and ring them bells as he sings better than he has done for decades.

What do you think?

Curtis wrote in the Columbus Dispatch:“Rough and Rowdy Ways” was clearly the focus of the set. An album containing all the mystery, in-jokes, casually cast-off name checks, and philosophical dead ends of Dylan’s best, it provided perfect fodder for the aging, Nobel Prize-winning author to have his way with both a lot of confessions and some pretty tall tales. In a deftly controlled mix of croon, croak and declaration, he brought them all to life. The band created a loose combination of blues, swing, and rock ‘n’ roll that nonetheless was always on point.

There were no spotlights focused on the stage last night. The six musicians were lit — equally — from the floor. It was clear that Dylan intended the songs to take center stage and that they did.”

The Dispatch is a daily newspaper in, yep, you guessed it, Columbus, Ohio. Its first issue was published on July 1, 1871 and it is still going strong and publishing the stories and reviews that matter. Curtis is a freelance journalist.

But, as far as we at The Society have seen, Dispatch is only the third daily to bother to take a look at the ‘new’ Bob Dylan.

#cincinnati #milwaukee #chicago #bloomington #bobdylan #neverendingtour #reviews #roughandrowdyways #