Reviews

Tampa, Florida

University Of South Florida
Sun Dome

October 7, 2010


[Oscar Montes], [Tampa Steve]

Review by Oscar Montes



Second Florida Bob show! Great to meet Nichole and Susan at the front row
where also was Denise! Once again a pleasure to see Judd, Jay, Michelle,
Stefan and Thomas! Before the show I was looking around the Sun Dome to
see if I could see Bob somewhere! I saw the buses where his crew travels
and could see Tony, Stu and George!

I was at rail and enjoyed this show a lot! First song of the night,
Leopard Skin, great beginning, people were really excited; then Lay, Lady,
Lay with Bob on Center Stage and harp was next, really sweet song which
everybody loved! Stuck Inside was the following with Bob taking the Guitar
for the first time on this night.

Just like a woman with no harp was next, really good, the crowd sang
Juuuust liiiike a woman! The rocky Rolling and Tumblin' was really good! A
great surprise, Tangled up in blue! Wow! Just wonderful with Bob on center
with harp! Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum was next! A good number with Bob on
center stage with Guitar!

The highlight of the night for me was Simple Twist Of Fate, just lovely!
I’d been longing so much time to listen to this one live! High Water as
strong as Yesterday’s! Love Sick was next, really well performed! Highway
61 once again shook the Sun Dome! Another great surprise was Hard Rain!
Just beautiful!

Thunder on the mountain and Mr. Jones with Bob on harp on center stage
closed the regular show! People were really excited at this point of the
show! 

The encore, same as Yesterday’s, Jolene and Like a Rolling Stone! Just
perfect! Bob was saying good bye to us when he and his band decided to
play another song! Watchtower! So powerful indeed!

See you guys in tomorrow’s show at Gainesville!

Oscar Montes
forever_young74@hotmail.com

[TOP]

Review by Tampa Steve



How many concerts have you been to where there was no pre-recorded music
played before the show?  None?  Same here.  How many have you been to
where 20 minutes of a silent film (Intolerance, from 1916) was played
(silently) before the show?  None!  Welcome to the current Bob Dylan tour.
The usual pre-party atmosphere of a big arena filled with concertgoers
was deftly subverted by this simple dashing of expectations.  Then, at the
appointed hour, the house lights dimmed and the band strode onto the
stage.  Dylan waited 5 seconds, then sauntered out, too.  Classy!  The USF
Sun Dome was less than half full at the time.

As a curious blend of caramel corn and nag champa aromas pervaded the
hall, the band began rather quietly working its way through some of the
expected tunes.  Dylan's shiny finger rings shone.  His rotary-speakered
organ tone wavered loudly (and yes, his Oscar statuette was perched atop
the speaker cabinet).  When he came center-stage to deliver the second
song, the footlights cast an ominous, enormous Bob-shadow on the curtain
behind the band.  One surprise: Dylan himself dominated most of the
instrumental segments, either on electric guitar (which he played in a
note-happy, ragged-but-complex style) on harmonica, or on his trusty organ
patch.  Charlie Sexton looked more rockstar than ever, but generally
conducted himself in a very restrained fashion, clearly making lots of
room for the boss.  And I would be remiss if I did not mention, as always,
that George Recile is the most badass, groovingest drummer this side of
Zigaboo Modeliste.  He just deploys the voices at hand with perfect taste
at all times and never oversteps his role, even when being tough.  I am
always in awe of him.

Song-wise, there were treats.  The current, disjointed arrangement of
"Tangled Up in Blue" was a delightful shock.  "Simple Twist of Fate" was
full of complicated riffing by Dylan on guitar, who looked very pleased to
be playing that way and remembering all of the words at the same time. 
"Ballad of a Thin Man" was delivered sans instrument, with theatrical
gestures and heavy footlight treatment lending a creepy glow.  I don't
really care much about the newer, blues-rock based songs, but they all
sounded solid enough.  I'll admit to escaping to the parking lot half way
through "Like a Rolling Stone" as it held no particular sway.  But here we
are, nigh on the man's 70th birthday, and the show is as entertaining and
full of art as ever.  Don't miss it!

Tampa Steve

[TOP]

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