People come from all over to come together for one night, to listen to one person, a person they like, a person they all have in common.
When you think about it, going to a concert is a really cool thing. You get to meet people from far and wide and others who could be your neighbors. You could be completely different people from oppostite ends of the spectrum, but you have this one thing connecting you.
For the crowd at the CFSB Center Saturday night, that thing connecting them all was Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan is known for the people he performs with on tour and the bands he has been with throughout his career.
First, it was Bob Dylan and The Band. Later, The Band detached itself from Dylan and made a music career all their own.
Dylan was also known for his role in the Traveling Wilburys, a rock super group that included some of the best in the business, such as Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Jim Keltner and George Harrison.
He has had great opening acts such as Ben Harper, Wilco and My Morning Jacket.
Needless to say, the crowd and I, were all excited to find out who he would bring along with him this time.
The Wild Feathers opened the show, which was a great choice on Dylan’s part. It was the perfect complement to his somber performance. Unlike Dylan’s set, The Wild Feathers’ set was upbeat and the perfect opening to such a legend.
The band hails from Nashville, Tenn., but I think it is safe to say it does not have a big following here in Murray, until Saturday night that is.
Its set didn’t last long, only a half hour or so, but it sure was exciting.
Then came the waiting game. The time in between performers where instruments are being interchanged for the next musician.
One of my biggest pet peeves at concerts is waiting for the set changes between musicians. It has to be done, but I am always so anxious to see the person I came to see. Luckily for me, it didn’t take the stage crew long, and I was soon graced by the presence of a living legend.
Dylan’s performance was simply unique. He sounded almost exactly the same as he does on record.
I’m a Dylan fan, but I am not his biggest fan. While I did not know all of the songs he played, it was still entertaining to be able to sit and listen.
In my mind and in my experience, there are two types of concerts. One is where you are jammed in with a bunch of other people where you stand the entire time, typically singing along until you can no longer speak. The other is just sitting and listening to the musician performing in front of you. One option is not necessarily better than the other.
Dylan’s concert was option number two. Everyone who was in attendance sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the show.
The only thing I didn’t like about the concert was that he did not say two words to the audience. Literally, he said nothing. It didn’t really surprise me, though He has always been quite coy, to my understanding.
With that thought being pushed aside, the overall concert was a complete joy.
Dylan played a 16-song set list, including one encore song.
What was great about his set was the fact he played both new and old songs.
Usually, when artists are touring for an album they just released, they tend to play tracks that are only from that album.
He did a great job of varying the songs he played from some of the 35 total albums he has released.
Dylan is music. He has written some of the best pieces of music out there including “All Along the Watching Tower,” “Rainy Day Woman” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” It was an honor to even be sitting in his presence.
Review by Savannah Sawyer, Features Editor.
Well said.