Bob Dylan blew into town last night on an ill, idiot wind, and he didn’t have to sing about it for us to know which way it was blowing. This was, after all, the day that the U.S. Congress passed a disturbing bill that hopes to combat terrorism by restricting civil rights.
I hate—absolutely detest—arena shows, but you make an exception for Bob Dylan especially when it’s his first show in his mom’s home town since she died.
At least three and maybe four generations came together 14,000 strong to hear what this 60-year-old national treasure—and one of our own up here on the far edge—had to say about the most troubling times in more than 30 years. I have to admit that it was a little disconcerting when Dylan and his band took the stage in snazzy white and burgundy suits, respectively. From up in the cheap seats it looked like a 1970s soul review, but this was Dylan and I eagerly suspended belief and judgment. Since he’s been opening recent shows with Fred Rose’s “Wait For The Light To Shine,” I knew that those must be western-cut suits and this show—like most Dylan shows—was going to run the gamut of musical styles.
