Bob Dylan/Leon Russell at the Waterfront in Bangor, Maine

I took my son to see Bob Dylan last night. I went with diminished expectations as to how the show would be. Dylan's voice has suffered in the last couple of years after all. Still I wanted to see him one more time and my sixteen year old son surely wanted to be able to say he had seen him.

Leon Russell was the opening act. Russell's career has had a resurgence since Elton John, classifying him as one of his early heroes and mentors, brought Russell into do an album with him. Russell had a very good band. Aided by a cane he walked very slowly to his piano from which he did not move until the show was over. Struggle as he might with mobility Russell still rocks the keys. His voice is raspy and one could struggle to understand each word but fans at a Dylan show would be a rare set to complain about that. Russell played some of his hits such as Delta Lady and A Song For You. Russell's band was great. They rocked and the show was truly very entertaining. Russell's take on Wild Horses had a very neat arrangement and his cover of The Beatles I've Just Seen a Face was great. This was a man with great talent that I would go see again...without Dylan. A great intro act

So with limited expectations we waited for Bob Dylan to take the stage. Opening with Rainy Day Women the crowd was rollicking right away. What became noticeable to me right away was Bob seemed happy. He was spitting the words out with sharpness at the end of each verse. He seemed to be having fun. The song rocked. Three songs later the opening notes of Tangled Up in Blue were heard and Bob having now left the keyboard was center stage telling us the ballad. People say that song is never the same twice in concert and I believe it as Dylan plays some verses and others not on any given last night. Last night we did not hear about how uncomfortable he was when she bent down to tie the laces of his shoes but the song was still great. Dylan's voice has gotten raspier but the truth is he was as understandable as I have ever seen him and his singing had a bite to it.

Later on A Simple Twist of Fate Dylan was at his best with the band tight as can be. When the harmonica came out Dylan fans reeled and rightly so. This seventy year old man still plays the harmonica with the vitality of a much younger man. Songs such as Things Have Changed and Mississippi had Dylan had his story telling best.

Dylan brought out Don't Think Twice early in the show and did a great job. Late in the set the highlight of the night for me, unexpectedly so, was Ballad of a Thin Man. The sound set up in such a way to make Dylan's words echo he sang with a snarl and bite, spitting out the lyrics about Mr. Jones.

Listening to The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll my son asked who was William Zanzinger. I told him to look it up when he got home as Dylan put a nice arrangement on this classic song.

Bob came back for an encore with Like A Rolling Stone which was good but as my son said not the arrangement he expected and perhaps was the only disapointment of the night but he quickly corrected that with a blistering All Along the Watchtower with Charlie Sexton playing his guitar into submission on the solos.

Inevitably for my son the highlight was Highway 61 which is his favorite Dylan song. From a very young age, perhaps 7 or 8 he could sing the whole first verse and would do so to the dismay of his Mother. Mom did not think singing about Abraham having to run when he saw God was such a great idea. Still hearing Dylan sing it was quite a moment for him. Dylan showed great energy here and all night, drawling out and echoing SIXTY ONE off the waterfront at the end of each verse.

After Watchtower Bob and the whole band came out front and standing arm in arm seemed happy and as if they could play longer. The crowd waited a bit as the lights stayed down, wondering if he would play another encore. Having seen his set lists from previous stops on the tour I did not expect it but as I told my son one never knows, the tour is ending he seemed to be having fun.

Of course he did not, as John Updike said in his story about Ted Williams Gods do not answer letters.

Still this was a great night and a great show. Thanks Bob.