Last night we went to see Bob Dylan and his band play a concert here in Tampa, Florida. Where else but in Florida could you buy a $60 ticket to see Bob Dylan in concert on the day of the performance? Well, maybe it is more than a lack of culture in Florida, maybe the warm weather just draws folks out to the beach and they get too tired to do much else afterward, maybe Jimmy Buffet is just too much more of a draw for the parrotheads, or maybe the times have truly changed. I don't understand it.
But we had a great time. At the stroke of eight, the band stepped out onto the stage, followed five seconds later by the man himself. A silent twenty minute film preceded their arrival. There was no opening act, no prerecorded music. Bob Dylan played guitar, his B-3 sounding organ, his harmonica and sang it all himself. There was a bass player, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboard/banjo player, and a drummer; all totally into the legend.
Bob played and sang 17/18 songs, all with his raspy voice. The man turned 69 in May. He wore a light grey hat with tiny red and white feathers tucked into the headband, black pants with two reddish/pink stripes down the sides, black pointy shoes, a black jacket with silver buckles, and a striped shirt with a bolo tie. (The only other time I saw him, he was a man in a white suit on a spiritual quest.)
When I first looked at him through my binoculars, I thought, "Oh man, we are all getting old." But we could see that he was having a lot of fun up there. He would look back at the keyboard man, grin, and stick out his tongue. His energy was there; we could feel it as he sang and played, the audience could feel it when they sang along..."How do you feel...", and the band could feel it as they backed him up by playing their hearts out.
My first go was in '66 I believe, at the Long Beach Civic Auditorium. He had just went electric, tickets were cheap and you were real close. I took my then girl friend but not the girl friend who would later be my wife. I had to make that up to her many years later. So we've been to the The Bob Dylan Neverending Tour too. But the first one was spellbinding for me. I've got all but a couple of his albums. Did not know you guys were into him or I might have played Dylan at BM instead of techno. A great write-up of the night. Thank you. How much longer can he keep going?
ReplyDeleteI went to see Bob many moons ago in Glasgow - mainly to keep my sister company. I have since discovered the man for myself - so glad I saw him then considering the recent explosion in concert ticket prices. Without his Bobness,I'd loose half the tunes I play.
ReplyDeleteBecky and Jim, this is great! Early on I was not sure about Dylan until this guy I dated. For me it is not so much his singing voice, but his lyrics. Actually I did get to see him in San Francisco years later with my husband. Then again up in Clear Lake of all places at the Konocti and our daughter went with us. Glad you saw him grin and having fun. No doubt he keeps on going because he likes it. He doesn't have to keep performing. It must be his passion...
ReplyDeleteHis Bobness...that is great! I hope you don't mind that I used it. Do you have any videos on your blog/Youtube singing any Dylan? If not, we want you to add something.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is remarkable free of me playing anything (The world doesn't know what it's missing - perhaps it does and is mighty relieved) - I should maybe try and pop a few things on - some of Mr Dylan's tunes would surely make it.
ReplyDeleteDylan on Utube should be easy, right? Are you going to add it Becky?
ReplyDeleteNo, I did not take a video on my camera of him playing. I have one of Jim coming out of the ocean at Pompano though.
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