| Reviews Asheville, North Carolina Harrah's Cherokee Center Thomas Wolfe Auditorium April 19, 2026 |
Review by William R.
Last night Bob Dylan came to my neighborhood, as he has tended to do
biannually for some time. The song by song reviews have been done, so I
would like to try to say a bit about my overall reaction.
He sang songs like no one ever wrote in a delivery like no one ever
imagined. That's not news, of course. His band sounded like no other
band ever sounded. That point is crucial, as Bob has often had the best
band on the road. This one is no exception. Anton Fig has made a huge
difference, the use of acoustic guitars is doing something magical, and
it's all beyond my ability to describe. You just have to hear it. The
stage looked like nothing I ever saw with eight incandescent lights making
the musicians visible only in shadows. Bob himself was almost completely
hidden under his raincoat. And as usual, you could understand every word
he sang . . . if you already had every song memorized. You could argue
that no other significant popular artist has ever dared to be so demanding
in both how much is expected of the listener and how little is compromised
from the artist's exact vision of what he wants to offer. But if it was
a gamble, it paid, because the house was full, and everyone was
responsive.
I have been watching the guy for 52 years now and have been fortunate to
see every American tour in that time. Somehow, I had gotten the impression
that with few setlist changes and almost the same band, I could have
retired after the last Asheville show. I'm sure glad I did not make that
mistake. I've always held to the policy that when Bob comes to town, you
go, and I'm thankful I held to the rule. I have on several occasions
left shows and said, that was the best. Now in my advanced years, I am
cautious about doing that, and I do in fact hold on to a very high regard
for shows from what I call the Millennial years, basically, 1998 to 2002.
But I am willing to say that what I heard last night could possibly be
called, as good as the best. I don't mind if someone disagrees, but I
bring this forward mainly as a cautionary note that if you are serious
about these things, you might not want to skip it.
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page by Bill Pagel
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