Reviews

Oeiras, Portugal

Optimus Alive!08
Passeio Marítimo of Algés
Main Stage

July 11, 2008


[John Hayes], [João Ferreira]

Review by John Hayes



When Dylan decided to miss out the UK on this tour, it was not all bad
because the opportunity then arose for me to see both Bob and Neil Young
on two consecutive nights, in Lisbon.

Having seen him four times before over the decades, I probably would not
have gone, but my 15 year old son Robert (Bob) has recently become a fan
and was really keen to go.  Maybe the constant subliminal bombardment over
the years got to him! Who knows?

There was however the matter of Rage against the Machine to deal with on
the first night of the festival, Robert wanted to see them as part of the
3 day event.  I can understand why they might appeal to their fans, but
enough of that.

On the night, after a half hour wait, the crowd of mainly teens to  30
ish audience, greeted Bob  and the band warmly, and they kicked off with a
solid Rainy day women.  Don´t think twice followed with Bob in good voice
( better I´d say than when I last saw him 4 years ago). I have also grown
into his recent renditions of Things have changed.  Powerful.  Girl from
the north country, I would still prefer to remember being sung solo, with
acoustic guitar, but Ok nevertheless.  Tangled up in blue was fine but did
not appear to excite the audience.  Desolation row, was fantastic,  Bob
and the band interchanging frequently.  A real highlight.. The younger
audience, did not raise the customary cheer during Its alright Ma (
president of US naked etc ).  Highway 61 rocked along magnificently, the
band clearly enjoying their last night in Europe.  I realise how much of a
fan my son is now when he entered Ballad of a thin man into his phone,
before I made the connection.

I realised after song 13 that like 1 other date on the tour, that we were
going to get only 15 songs, rather than the customary 17.

Thunder on the Mountain ( ever present) followed,  fittingly, by the
greatest ever rock song, Like a rolling stone, to the delight of all. 
Tony Garnier, with bad back looks like he needs the break now, but Bob
looks like he could go on forever.

[TOP]

Review by João Ferreira



Friday the 11th of July, the year is 2008, the time is around 11 p.m. but
it feels like infinity. Some people are lying in the floor in melancholic
extasy, others (like me) wander around in a dream-like state.

One hour and a half before Bob Dylan and his band started an unforgetable
performance that raised everyone´s spirit to divinity state. Words cannot
describe what happened, to anyone reading this review I advise you to take
a close look at the set-list. Look again, yes it´s true, that´s the
sequence of songs Bob Dylan chose to end his European Tour.

To try and express in words the performance is an impossible task, even
more in English wich is not my native tongue. The clear starry sky, the
luke warm atmosphere, the "crescendo" performance of the band, Dylan,s
voice, all seemed to melt into one.

I recall one episode that might help express how magical the night was:
Dylan began the show with Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 followed by Don't Think
Twice, It's All Right. When the band finished playing don´t think twice,
everyone who was just in front of the stage (like me) started singing in
choir "Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan" Mr Bob Dylan turned to the audience and
gave us a double thumbs up...I don´t know how rare a moment like that is
(it was my first Dylan concert) but we all felt like 7 year olds on
Christmas moorning.

30 thousand people spent 1 hour and a half in pure musical and poetry
perfection.

Unforgettable.
João Ferreira

[TOP]

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