November 3, 2017
Review by Daniel Hewitt
I've never missed a Dylan show in Akron and I've never been let down. That
being said, my review is more of a critique to the show structure than to
the performances themselves. First off, Bob and the band were explosive
(at times), in sync, and well, simply great. The venue's sound was superb
and the lighting was vastly superior to recent previous shows. Playing to
a full-house was a pleasant surprise to me. Mavis Staples had the entire
contingent on their feet clapping and singing along to multiple standing
ovations. Bob opened as usual with Things Have Changed. A much different
arrangement since 2014. Gone, unfortunately was his dance steps. But alas,
the clarity of his vocals made up for the loss. A plaintive It Ain't Me
Babe was next followed by an uptempo Highway 61 Revisited. Then Why Try To
Change Me Now and this is where my critique begins. While I thoroughly
enjoy Bob doing the Great American Songbook (on record AND live)
interspersing the select few he does into his (self-penned) repertoire
oddly affects the whole pace and rhythm of the live show. I'd much rather
see Bob do a 1st set of standards then a 2nd set of his own material.
While the subject material may work lyric-wise, the pace of the show
suffers.Even an all-standards show would be great, but trying to mingle
the two in the current way is just not working, for me. I would see this
show again in a heartbeat and I hope Bob and the band have many more
full-house shows up the road. If you have the chance, go see them ASAP.
Daniel Hewitt
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