July 2, 2013
Review by Jim Maynard
,
FIRST, for those going to the Bob Dylan/Wilco/Morning Jacket
"Americanarama" music festival let me give newbies a heads up on Dylan
since many seem to be disappointed he doesn't sing the songs they want
they way they sounded on records from 40 years ago, the Bob Dylan on stage
today is not the same Bob Dylan from 1966. He has changed, he has been
changing for 50 years and he angers fans every time he changes. He is not
the young 1960's young rebel leading a counter culture, nor the sweet
voiced country crooner on Nashville Skyline. He is a 72 year old blues
singer, an authentic primitive blues voice that has been worn down by 50
years of traveling down the dirt roads and highways of America. He will
probably not perform many of his "greatest hits," he has a whole new
catalog of blues and folk songs that match his age and voice, he will
focus on his recent great albums, so prepare to hear the "New" Old Bob
Dylan. If you want to hear a washed up group playing their greatest hits
exactly like they always have, go see the Eagles in Oct. If you want to
experience a authentic blues artist create art live on stage, try Dylan
with that understanding. He has changed, as he will sing on the first
song (from the Wonder Boys soundtrack) "I used to care, but THINGS HAVE
CHANGED"
Now, the "Americanarama Music Festival" touched down in Memphis tonight,
on July 2, at the AutoZone baseball park, home to the Memphis Redbirds.
It was also the site of the Dylan/Willie Nelson show a couple of years
ago. At that show I was down on the field and it was a great intimate
experience with Dylan. This one was not. I got the cheap $39 bowl seats,
up in the bleachers. I arrived just as the Richard Thompson Electric Trio
was winding up. What little I heard sounded pretty good. I am not
familiar with him at all, but I will check out his new album, which is
getting great reviews.
I expected that most of the huge young crowd came to hear My Morning
Jacket and Wilco, but hard to tell by all the Dylan T-Shirts. I cam to
see Dylan, but also check out those two groups which I hear a lot of good
things about. My Morning Jacket sounded good, but I was not familiar with
their songs and didn't understand any of them. The sound mix was not
great, too much drums, which drowned out the singing. (This was also a
problem with Wilco and Dylan's set, though I understood a lot more of
Dylan than I did of the other groups.) My Morning Jacket seems to be a
"jam band," and while the sounded good, it seemed like one long jam
session, except for a surprise guest appearance by JOHN PRINE. I
recognized Prine's name but was unfamiliar with his work, but he was one
of Dylan's folk singing peers back in the day. Not sure what they sang
together, but it was a highlight of the show. The Morning Jacket lead
singer is good and did a lot of great vocals, but I will have to check out
their albums.
I am a little more familiar with Wilco, mainly their work with Billy Bragg
putting music to new Woody Guthrie Songs. I'm not too familiar with their
other work, though I did recognize at least on Woody Guthrie cover. They
are a great band, and had more variety in their set than My Morning
JacketŠ
So I was there to see Dylan again. I always try to catch him when he
comes to Memphis, which is pretty regularly, and he usually seems to enjoy
playing here. I was concerned about some of the mixed reviews of this
tour, from Dylan's voice to the static set list, and the sound in the
AutoZone Park would make it even harder to hear and enjoy the concert, and
it turned out to be a rough show. The crowd back where I was were pretty
disengaged throughout the other performers, and many of them didn't seem
too interested in Dylan either, not sure why they wasted their money
coming.
Dylan began as expected with a decent though rough version of Things Have
Changed, which seems to be the theme of this tour. People expecting Bob
Dylan from 1963, or 1973 would be disappointed, and many of them were.
Next was a great version of Lovesick, with the first harp, not great but
good. High Water was hard to recognize at first, and the crowed around me
started losing interest. Soon After Midnight is one of my favorites from
the new album Tempest, but the crowd was getting restless. The older
couple behind and in front of me starting complaining that they didn't
recognize any of the songs. (I tried to warn people he was focusing on
new material, not "greatest hits.") The lady behind me told her husband
that if she didn't recognize the next song they were leaving, and when Bob
started Early Roman Kings, they left. The man in front keep calling out
for Tangled UP in Blue, and I knew it was next up and when it started I
told him here it is, but he was not impressed, and he and his wife got up
and left, and told me that I was brave for sticking it out. (I wanted to
lecture these people about the Bob Dylan of the last 15 years they
obviously had no clue aboutŠ) And I know they didn't come to hear Wilco or
Morning Jacket so they paid $40 to listen to four songs and leaveŠ don't
let the door hit you on the way out.. Not it I was surrounded by empty
seatsŠ But the crowd down on the field seemed into the show, and I was
wishing I had been down there with them.. But most of the rest of the
crowd seemed to love it and they got their first "greatest hit" of the
nightŠ
One of the highlights of the concert for me was a great version of
Duquesne Whistle, Dylan sang great and the band was into it, and the crowd
down on the field was into itŠ
The next highlight was an awesome version of She Belongs to Me.. I can't
remember all the reasons it was great, just take my word for it, you have
to experience it yourself. Very different from any version I've heard,
and Dylan put a lot of work into it.. And I believe did some harp tooŠ
Beyond Here Lies Nothing was good, but kind of dragged a little, and was
one that many people there were not familiar with..
At first I didn't recognize A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, but it got better
as Dylan preached the lyrics and the crowed responded favorably as it
reached a climatic end.
Next highlight for me was the always welcome Blind Willie McTell. Another
of Dylan's best vocal performances.
Simple Twist of Fate began in the gutter and slowly came together. My
first time hearing it live, could have been better..
Summer Days should be an opportunity for the crowd to dance and swing
around, at least on the field, but it was too fast and seemed to be
perfunctory. Kind of killed the dancing mood insteadŠ Wish he had kept
Thunder on the Mountain or tried out Narrow WayŠ
The highlight of the show as usual was an awesome full throttle All Along
the Watchtower. The crowd loved it and many came to life for the first
time. I think it was the best version I've heard live, but they all seem
to be. It saved this show for many of the casual fans who came to hear
Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol I & II
The crowd starting thinning out and I feared Bob would wait too long to
come back for the encore, Ballad of a Thin Man, but the thin man finally
reappeared and delivered a good but not great version. I think the
version from the last tour was much better, when he stood naked in the
center of the stage and poured his soul into it. This time he was over by
the piano I think, not as powerful.
So the set list was exactly the same as all the others on this tour
(except Nashville where he was joined by the McCrary Sisters for Blowing
in the Wind), but many of the songs were first time live experiences for
me (Lovesick, Soon After Midnight, Early Roman Kings, Duquesne Whistle,
She Belongs to Me, A Hard Rain's Gonna FallŠ), hell there were a lot of
new songs for me so I can't complain. My first Hard Rain alone was worth
my $40, and She Belongs To Me and Blind Willie were icing on the cakeŠ
Too bad those old crabby people got mad and left early.. Or maybe it was
good they left me alone to enjoy a good Dylan show. Not the best one I've
seen but always love to see Bob live. It would have been much better
concert down the street in the Orpheum, or even better down on Beale
Street at the New Daisy, where I saw the best Dylan concert ever back a
few years ago.
Hope Bob makes it back to Memphis again, I always assume it is the last
time, but he keep on keeping onŠ
Jim Maynard
Memphis TN
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