For many years, my feelings about Bob Dylan could best be
summarized as “love the music, cannot stand the performer.” But perhaps both
Mr. Dylan and I have moved toward someplace in the center. He is still a stiff
and aloof performer, still has a rather grating voice, still garbles most of
the lyrics. After 73 years of what appears to be fairly intense living, it is
nothing short of miraculous that he is still the travelling troubadour. From my
place in the audience, after all of these years I can finally more deeply
appreciate his genius. I may not love all the directions his musical path has
taken, but I am in awe of how he continues to reinvent himself, writing vast
amounts of new material as well as reworking some old standards like “Blowin’
in the Wind.” While only one or two of the songs he performed last night were
familiar, they were all very much Bob Dylan, and I was quite surprised at how
much I enjoyed them.
We had purchased accessible tickets just moments after sales
began in the first row just slightly left of center, so we were able to see him
quite clearly. One thing I found somewhat surprising was that he never picked
up a guitar. He primarily sang, played his harmonica and occasionally sat at
and played the piano, but no guitar. I wondered if he is no longer able to
play.
Dylan opened his run at The Beacon Theater last week, but I
only just now read Jon Pareles’ review in the New York Times. We definitely saw
the same show! Pareles wrote:
Mr. Dylan has replaced the fluidity and
arrogance of youth with a more genuine, lived-in sense that he has nothing to
lose and no one but himself to please.
Be well, all.
Love,
Rebecca
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