Talkin’ Blues … glitter-chatty who wouldn’t shut up for Bob!
Despite being 80, locked-down by Covid, cashing in his songs chips and despite facing despicable accusations from a ‘space-woman’… despite being beasted by an estate that should have crashed in the levy, offering up a new book and art collection, the Ol’ Man is on the road again.
And facing the arrows of misfortune from new-style concert goers who think they are actually the stars of the show.
Yes! The influencers, the Facebookers, the twitters, the tick-tockers and middle-class chatty men and women think they are more interesting, more important and more vocally strident than Dylan himself.
For the very same reason as Bob’s been off the road, I’ve not been to one of his concerts for too long. But back in Birmingham in the UK I could see it beginning.
A Dylan concert was suddenly quite the place to be for the young and pretty things with the latest plastic glow-in-the-dark mobiles grafted to their glowling right hands.
Flash! Flash! More look-at-me! Look-at-me! Images in the waste bin of real life, the cyber-bucket.
They chatted and posed, preened and grinned, self-ied and shimmied and told their shallow famous for fifteen minutes alternative world, why they were in a concert hall.
Bob was forgotten, ignored, drowned out and insulted by this new age of plastic people so flash they wave their phone torches in the air and jingle their neon ear-rings and pearl necklaces as they throw robotic spidery shapes across the floor.
Shadows in the lights of their own making.
And then they complained that Bob didn’t really grin and chat with the audience … maybe he couldn’t get a word in edge ways!
So, have a read of more reviews (below) of Dylan |Rough and Rowdy Tour – tell us what you think, what you’ve experience – and let’s tell the glitter-chatty to shut their MOUTHS!
Moat of the reviews here have been curated from Bill Pagel’s Bob Links site … https://www.boblinks.com/
10th
Irving, Texas
Toyota Music Factory
March 10, 2022
Review by Mary Connell
What a night! Bob’s voice was strong and clear; set list was exactly same
as Lubbock, and he and the band were in top form. Surprisingly, Bob came out from behind the piano to greet us six or seven times! Not a word to the audience, or about the area, in contrast to his trend this tour. It felt to me that he was a bit cool and standoffish, not as warm and smiling as he has been lately. One possibility, if that was so, was that he was not feeling the love from the audience. Being from the area, I feel the need to apologize to Bob and the band for several distractors. One, a woman who was front and center in the audience was shouting throughout, as if to insist on a personal dialogue with Bob. She was so loud that security approached her no fewer than four times during the concert (and spoke with her numerous times before it began) and she really never stopped. She was on her feet, arms up, dancing and calling out to Bob almost constantly. Two, a group of four couples sat just to her left, in the front row, center, and they talked to each other throughout the night. The young women never looked at the stage but for the couple of times they decided to stand and dance (I was directly behind them in the second row); otherwise they were chattering inanely about their day to day activities. The young men with them were in and out of the room, apparently buying drinks or doing lines of coke or something—it did not seem that a single one of them had a reason to be there. Third, the audience at large was not particularly responsive—virtually no standing o’s after the first few. The lights were on in the audience, btw, as at other venues, so if the purpose is for Bob to see where and how his music is landing, I can imagine he may have felt somewhat underappreciated. Laurette, I looked for you but did not spot you outside before or after. Your reviews have been delightful, last fall and this tour. I only “discovered” Dylan in early COVID and this was my first time to see him, and you prepared me well to know what to expect. Following your lead, I arrived early, found the buses, stood with a few fans chatting and watching the activity, hoping for what we knew would not happen, a Bob-sighting. Went inside early, saw that my seat was not great (the venue is almost flat, so mezzanine seats are not tiered enough to give a good view.) When Bob thanked the audience, after Jimmy Reed, people literally started walking out—the eight people in front of me milled around as Bob introduced the band and were gone as he began Grain of Sand. Bob, I am so sorry we are that uncivilized here. You are so precious and it was wonderful to be able to drink in your performance. Mary Connell
Review by Laurette Maillet
From Lubbock to Irving. I get up early in March 9th and walk to the Buddy Holly Center. It opens at 10am and I have to check out at 11am. So I rush and run (literally) back to the Super8 hotel. Nice museum and sad story about Buddy disappearing tragically at an early age. I check out and walk to the greyhound station. The bus leaves on time at 2.50pm to reach Dallas at 10pm. Nice and quiet trip except for the driver to call the police to bust a passenger smoking in the toilets! I walk the half hour to my youth hostel, the Deep Ellum hostel, to realize I am in the "busy" area of Dallas. Excessively noisy :( . I won't be able to sleep before 4 am when they close the bars and clubs. March 10th. Wake up, take a shower, drink coffee and walk the streets sarrounding me. The walls are covered with paintings, murals. I take hundred of photos. By 4pm I contact my good friends Carol Wilkinson and Joni. We will meet by the Toyota music factory. I catch the orange line train and here we are in a restaurant, eating a pizza. We have fun being together again. Carol and Joni are pure Angels, feeding me, buying me a ticket for the show and offering me some Bob Dylan merchants item. I can't be too much thankful to those good souls ! :) Corki, a good friend and Fan, texted me that he will finally be able to reach Irving on time for part of the show. He drove all the way from Arkansas to attend some shows. By 8pm Bob is on in a venue looking like a stadium, I mean not a theater. Thanks to the good job of Jason, the sound is perfect. Bob is loud and clear, particularly excited on " I'll be your Baby tonight" with some "yeah" and laughs in between the lyrics. A bit sarcastic :) He will say "thank you" twice and move 5 times center stage for a pause, looking at the public for few seconds. He will start " When I paint my masterpiece" with a long intro on harmonica. It looks like Tony is surprised. Just before "melancholy mood" he steps forwards the center mic but retrieves in security behind the piano. All the songs are rapidly and powerfully interpreted. " Save somebody " makes few fans stand up in the front but globally the public is static. Corki arrived for the fifth song and told me later that a lot of folks left the venue before the end. :( The girl next to me is just constantly drinking and gets annoying. From where I seat I have a good view of the guitars; Bob Britt and Doug Lancio. Britt doing the rythme , acoustic on " When I paint my masterpiece"? and Doug the riffs. (Chewing gum :) ).Charley is powerful on his drums. Tony bent on his standing bass. After "Jimmy Reed " I focus on Bob's lips to catch his talk. Who will he refer to tonight? He simply says "thank you friends" and introduce the Band. No speech on JFK?? A pause ... And off he's gone to the next show. I wait for Corki, Carol and Joni. I will travel with Corki to the next cities; Sugarland and San Antonio. Can't wait to have a great time with my new Bob Dylan friend. Thank you to my good Samaritans Carol Wilkinson and Joni Zornes. Much love and prayers. See you in Austin.
Lubbock, Texas
Buddy Holly Hall
Helen DeVitt Jones Theater
March 8, 2022
Review by Susan Phillips
Lubbock, Texas! If any concert on Bob’s “Rough and Rowdy Tour” would be the most magical, Buddy Holly’s birthplace had be it! Dylan told us in his speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature that It all started seeing Buddy Holly perform at the Duluth Minnesota Armory. His best friend Louie Kemp watched amazed as Buddy Holly locked eyes with the skinny kid in horn-rimmed glasses, and in that moment Bob knew what he wanted to do … and, as Bob puts it in “False Prophet”, never have an “unlived, meaningless life”. Always improving, overnight Bob premiered a new arrangement of “Key West” and absolutely aced it! Earlier he switched out “Early Roman kings” for “Crossing the Rubicon”. I, like a lot of Boomers, live that song. The band has reached a peaceful co-existence and jam between Bob’s verses. They then quiet down and let his voice and words be heard, and his voice has never been stronger! He only played the harmonica once, but instead he walked out from behind the piano after several of the songs to the absolute delight of the audience. I was especially happy just in case Buddy Holly was watching his protege from above. Speaking of which, The Buddy Holly Center (museum next to the large statue of him) is worth a trip to Lubbock. And, to complete the Buddy-Bob connection, thankfully, the Duluth Armory and the historic stage and concert area where it all began are being restored, with The North Country Music Exhibit, featuring Bob Dylan’s formative years, directly under that historic stage! At the same time, Bill Pagel, who owns Bob’s family’s first home in Duluth, MN, and the family's second home in Hibbing, MN, is starting to restore both of them. I’m off to San Antonio next, but on the way read that Bob, between gigs, just announced he wrote a new book. Eighty is the new Twenty I guess! Susan Phillips Austin, Texas and Northern Minnesota
7th
Review by Laurette Maillet
From Albuquerque to Lubbock. March 7th. I enjoy a free day. In the evening Debbie and Mark invite me for dinner. Mark is a Bob Dylan bootlegs collector. And other collections. By 10.15pm they drive me to the greyhound station to catch my 11pm bus to Lobbuck, a night bus. That bus is already 2 hours delayed and 50 patrons have to wait one more hour. When the bus pulls out from the station we are 3 hours delayed. The problem is ... I have a connection bus in Amarillo and by now I'm pretty sure I will miss it and be stuck in Amarillo.( Not in Mobile) with the Memphis blues again! I am pissed off because I got two tickets for the Lubbock show. Thanks to Simon and John. They combined their effort to offer me those tickets. But miracle happens. The second bus is waiting for 5 folks going to Dallas, and Lubbock is on the way. I am more than relieved when I seat next to a gentleman with a little dog and doze a bit. March 8th. I am the only one stepping out for Lubbock. I walk empty streets to reach my hotel Super8. I'm allowed to check in only at 3pm, so I decide to offer myself a breakfast. I bump into a man and spontaneously we start chatting. His name is Fred Goldstein and he reminds me of Stanley Goldstein, Bob's cousin I knew from 81 and 84 Tours. Same physic and same gentlemanly. We finally end up eating a breakfast together at IHOP. The story of his life is the first I even heard: he was a bank robber and served 10 years in jail. He is just released and just moved to Lubbock. He never used violence. In fact I find him sweet and intelligent, even sharp. He is also an Artist and his body is full of his tattoos :) I offer him my second ticket. By 6.30pm we meet at the entrance of the Buddy Holly Hall which happens to be one block from my hotel. At 4.30pm I had checked behind the Hall to see the buses already parked there, including the Dylan bus. I don't know if Bob was inside(I will never know :). We get in the BH Hall. Splendid building brand new and huge. I'm pretty sure it's not sold out. With Fred we decide not to take our seats on the balcony but to find two empty seats closer to the stage. In the back of the floor section many rows are empty. So we seat there. The show starts right on time. "Watching the river flow" is totally massacred; long intro, particularly Bob on piano,(not too sweet with the keys :( ). The mic is not open or Bob too far :( The rest of the songs are fine but Bob seems to be in a rush. I stand dancing on "Serve somebody" "Melancholy mood" "Jimmy Reed" and the final "Every grain of sand". Doing karaoke. "No one in front of me, nothing behind." .... I am far from the stage but somehow I feel as if Bobby was playing in my living room. The public is hyper quiet. It feels strange to take everything as a routine but for some people tonight, it's the first and last show. Roger(the new security man) comes next to me. So I ask him about Barron. He says he retired (at 55 or so??). I feel sad. I miss the "Samurai". I hope he's happy. Love you Barron! Back to Bob on stage. From my angle I see him seating at the piano stool few times and drinking. He had a chat with Tony another one with Donnie. I thought he would change a song. Nope. He rapidly murmurs something, about Buddy Holly(?) before introducing the Band. He talks less and less. Changed some lyrics on some songs, said Caroline Schwartz. The lights in the public are on during the entire show. Public quiet except a woman front left, enjoying the show. Maybe Caroline??? I rapidly steps out as I want to try to sell some of my prints. Fred helps me and I make some bucks. Lubbock is not "key west". No paradise on hearth. :) Large streets and buildings and no people??? Where are the Lubbockists ??? But a Buddy Holly Center and a beautiful brand new Buddy Holly Hall. I had a great day with my new friend and a fantastic evening. Thanks to Simon and John for the tickets. Sure John, I'll paint you a masterpiece. I will see today if I visit the Buddy Holly Center before heading to Dallas. Thank you good people. Take care and see some of you on the road. If you see me, say hello! Farewell Barron. I (still) love you :)
Review by Miles Hanisee
Dylan played an energized set in the Buddy Holly performance space in Lubbock, Texas yesterday evening. Although the set list was his standard set of songs, in the same order as we’ve seen on the current leg of the tour, the performance featured a version of Key West that was changed completely from two nights before in Albuquerque. The crowd responded loudly to the line in the song referencing Buddy Holly, but the chording, tempo, and beat of the song was completely different. All night, Bob’s voice was clear, with louder emphasis at times than two nights before in Albuquerque, and was the best instrument on the stage. That’s saying something: Bob’s drummer, Charley Drayton, is superb. And Tony Garnier is as good as ever. After Key West, both Dylan and Garnier immediately looked to each other to get a sense of how the changes sounded and nodded enthusiastically. Dylan is clearly having fun this tour, smiling often, and proving yet again he’s first among equals, and truly the last of the best.
6th
Review by Noel Trujillo
Went for what may be my last rodeo with Dylan at the Kiva in Albuquerque. This one was bittersweet as Bob gave a performance that stuck in my psyche just as much as the Dylan I listened to in the 60’s when I was in high school. “Gotta Serve Somebody” and “Rubicon” were my personal favorites tonight, although there wasn’t a bad song sung. The band was perfect, sweet and hard, meeting the demands of each song. Dylan sang with a clarity and deepness that was sincere, authentic, and desperate as if to communicate that if he never sang again, this was the way he wanted it to be remembered. I feel deeply satisfied if this is the last chance I get to see him. Maybe, like Bob, we have all crossed the Rubicon. Those that have a chance to see him will not regret it. Noel Trujillo Chimayo, New Mexico
Review by Rich Wiseman
The man in command! Intrepid captain of the SS Rough and Rowdy Ways!
That was Bob last night at the 2300-seat Kiva Auditorium, which with the
lights turned only two thirds down--perfect for occasional note taking and
checking my setlist cheat pad-- appeared to be a late sell-out.
Oh the night could have been deadly dull with "x" or "y" artist standing
for 97% of the one hour and thirty nine minute concert behind an upright,
with only his head and a portion of his upper torso visible. But Bob was in
such strong voice, so expressive, that he easily crossed the wooden barrier.
This morning, still stamped in my head are lines such as the deliciously
delivered "I can't play the record 'cause my needle got stuuuuuuuuuuuuck!
("Jimmy Reed"). And Captain Bob was LOUD in the mix. His piano, too!
(Damn the occasional clunkers on the keys! Full speed ahead!)
The set was beautifully constructed, with the RARR tunes taking turns
with gems from the multitudes in Bob's catalogue. The pairing of "Gotta
Serve Somebody"--a fiery powerhouse at the Kiva with Charley Drayton
waking the rest of downtown Albuquerque up with his thunderous
drumming--followed by the achingly tender "I've Made Up My Mind to
Give Myself to You" was just exquisite. Knowing he had stuck the
landing on "Serve," Bob walked out from his piano a few seconds
before the last rocking note to acknowledge the roar of the crowd.
Having read the Phoenix and Tucson reviews, I was primed for Bob to
make some locally angled small talk before the band intros. But I didn't
expect him to tell a goofy tall tale about bull snakes! "Went with Tony
to see the bull snakes. Want to see the bull snakes. Are the bull snakes
still around here?" Yes, Bob, bull snakes are a mainstay of the high
desert and are definitely still around here. But you'll not going to find
any in the freezing cold of an early March Albuquerque night! A night
you warmed the heart of this fan, the top of whose young teenage
head you blew off at his first rock 'n' roll concert in 1966!
https://www.boblinks.com/dates.html
https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/2022/03/11/bob-dylans-concert-doesnt-disappoint-his-biggest-fan-mike-rhyner/
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