Bob Dylan In Concert

Back in 2015, Marilyn and I began, although we didn't realize it at the time, what we have come to call the "Geezer Rock Concert Tour".  It began when we went to see Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, and it has gone on to include Tom Jones, Brian Wilson, and Huey Lewis and the News.  Last night, the Tour expanded to include perhaps the greatest American musical icon of the last fifty years, Bob Dylan.

Dylan has been touring and performing for going on sixty years, and in fact, he calls his performances the "Never Ending World Tour", but we had never seen him live, and when this concert at Heinz Hall was announced, I figured that I was going to jump on the chance to see him perform, because, hey, this is BOB DYLAN we are talking about here, and how many more chances am I going to get to see him?

From reading about Dylan's concerts in recent years, you have to know what you are going to get going in....you are not going to get a "greatest hits" show, he'll sing what he wants to sing, and he will "rework" some of those classics to the point where they will sound different, and in some cases, a lot different from the recorded versions with which you are familiar.  You also know that you will get no snappy banter or interaction with the audience.  Finally, we've all heard Bob Dylan in recent years, and the voice is now raspy from 76 years worth of cigarettes and God knows what else.

So, how was it at Heinz Hall last night?

Dylan performed with a five piece band and no back up singers.  He did all the singing himself.  In some instances, I was surprised at how well his voice did sound, but in many cases, the often imitated Dylan voice was rough and raspy to the point that it was hard to understand.  He performed a number of his Dylan standards, but all of them were reworked in a way that they were almost unrecognizable, and he was almost halfway through the song before you realized what song it was (examples: Tangled Up In Blue, Desolation Row).  Others, while they may not have been just like the originals, were more recognizable (It Ain't Me, Babe, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blown' In The Wind).  

He also performed a five Sinatra-type, Great American Songbook numbers, which he has been recording in recent years.  Kudos to him for trying something different, and while Bob Dylan is many things, one thing he is not is a Frank Sinatra/Tony Bennett style crooner.

Over his lifetime as a performer, it has been the WORDS of Bob Dylan that have won him acclaim, and, incidentally, a Nobel Prize for Literature, but I also love the MUSIC of Bob Dylan.  The beats and rhythms of his songs are wonderful, and to that end, his five piece band last night was terrific.  Even when it was hard to understand Dylan's voice, the music that the band (with Dylan on piano; he never touched a guitar or a harmonica last night) was producing was wonderful.

I am not sure what I expected last night.  For sure, Dylan is not a young man, and he was never one to give bombastic Springsteen-style concerts.  In some respects, the performance last night was somewhat workmanlike - sing a song, change the lighting, sing another song, punch the clock and get out of there.  As Scott Mervis said in his Post-Gazette review this morning "Dylan does what Dylan does - he has earned that right - and God knows he loves to mess with us."

It certainly was not the greatest concert I ever attended, but it wasn't like watching Willie Mays With The Mets either.  From a personal point of view, my biggest thrill of the night was hearing Bob Dylan sing It Ain't Me, Babe and Blowin' In The Wind.  No matter how it sounded, watching an honest-to-God icon performing two of his most iconic songs was worth the price of admission.

Much of our Geezer Rock Tour has been in the company of friends Dan and Susan Bonk, and that was the case last night as well.  Back in the days of our youth, none of us probably ever imagined that a Bob Dylan concert would be preceded by dinner at a linen tablecloth downtown restaurant, and take place in a posh place like Heinz Hall.  

The times, they have indeed a-changed.

Bob Dylan, Nobel Laureate

The world yesterday learned of the decision of the Swedish Academy to Award the Nobel Prize for Literature for 2016 to Bob Dylan.  Dylan, the first American to win this honor since Toni Morrison in 1993, can be described as many things...musician, singer, songwriter, Chronicler of a Generation (a trite title which Dylan himself eschews), a "song and dance man" (his own description), lyricist and poet, and it was that last description that the Academy used in making this award.  Sara Danius, Secretary of the Academy, in making the announcement, described Dylan as "a great Poet in the English speaking tradition" and credited him with "having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."  She also suggested that people seeking reasons why they award was bestowed could start by listening to the seminal album, "Blonde on Blonde", and that, by the way, is what is currently playing in the background as I type out this post.

Of course, such a non-traditional awardee is being greeted with some skepticism and even derision by some in the literary world, proving that Bob Dylan at 75 years of age and after over fifty years in the public eye is still capable of shaking windows and rattling walls.

Congratulations, Bob Dylan, and thank you.

Hail, Seattle, and Other Super Bowl Thoughts

Well, that was one dud of a game yesterday, wasn't it?  I mean, really, what can be said about it?  But I'll throw some random thoughts at you anyway....

• Denver's first three possessions consisted of eight plays and produced a Seattle safety, a punt, and an interception.  It was four and one-half minutes into the second quarter before Denver made a first down.  I was thinking "this is like the Steelers vs. the Vikings in Super Bowl IX."
• The safety on the first play of the game gave an indication of what was to come, and the kick return for a TD to open the second half effectively ended the game.  The "Denver Super Bowl Champion" hats and t-shirts were already on the planes to Third World countries once Percy Harvin crossed the goal line.
• I thought that Peyton Manning looked every one of his 37 years by half-time.
• That DB Kam Chancellor for the Seahawks - WOW!  And he's only the second best DB for Seattle!
• I could go on and talk about key plays here and there in the game, but why bother?  I mean, how can you single one or two specific plays in an ass-kicking like this? The game was never, not once, in doubt for the Seahawks.

Some other thoughts on events surrounding the actual game...

• That fur coat on Joe Namath for the coin toss - tremendous.  Broadway Joe is still Broadway Joe!
• The weather sure wasn't a factor.  Expect the Super Bowl to return to New York in the next 8-10 years.
• It wasn't until late in the second half that Fox began to show shots of celebrities in the stands (Hugh Jackman, Michael Douglas, Paul McCartney).  This is unusual for Fox, and, thankfully, none of these people were stars of lousy Fox Network sitcoms.
• I was unfamiliar with his work, and I am not about to go out an buy  a bunch of his records (can we still call them "records"?), but I was impressed with Bruno Mars and his halftime show. Very talented and quite entertaining guy.  I only wished that he didn't relinquish a part of his 14 minute show to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
• Loved it when, at one point in the third quarter, Troy Aikman essentially said "this game is over."  The Suits at neither the NFL nor Fox had to be happy about that.
• For the umpteenth year in a row, I turned the TV on shortly after 6:00, thus missing the entire four hour pregame drivel.  This is great for one's mental well being.

The commercials. I liked...

• The Chevy Silverado commercial with the bull saying "Hello, ladies."
• Radio Shack, "the 80's called"
• "Gwen quits" for GoDaddy.com
• The Tim Tebow T-Mobile "no contract" commercials
• Bob Dylan for Chrysler.  Great commercial!
• The Budweiser Puppy Love and Returning Hero commercials
• The one with the woman running the tanning salon.  I think it was for GoDaddy.

Did not like....

• David Beckham in his underwear. Those tattoos are awful.
• The VW engineers sprouting wings
• The Steven Colbert pistachio commercial. Kind of creepy.
• Heinz Ketchup "if you're happy and you know it".  I'm sure all those Heinz employees recently let go are glad the company spent $4 million on that lousy commercial.
• The bear in the store eating Chobani Yogurt with a Bob Dylan song playing over it.  Just when I was going to write about how disappointing it was to see Dylan sell out like that, he redeemed himself with that Chrysler spot.
• That two part Bud Light commercial early in the game.  Bud Light usually has some of the best Super Bowl commercials, but those two were big swings and misses this year.

As for my predictions, I called for a Seattle win - check. I said fewer than 50 points would be scored.  Actual total was 51, pretty close.  I said it would be a close game.  Well, you can't win 'em all.

I finished the NFL Post Season with an 8-3 record.  Pretty good.

Congratulations, Seahawks, a most deserving Super Bowl Champion.

Pirates pitchers and catchers report to Bradenton in nine days.

Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan!!

Happy Birthday today to Bob Dylan, 70 years young today.

Now, treat yourself to a live version of a Dylan classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5he1tHbGAc&NR=1

Opening Day and Other Thoughts

Cleaning out the Mental In-Box on Opening Day while listening to the great Bob Dylan on the iPod:

• Opening Day for the Pittsburgh Baseball Club. Today, all things are possible. Not probable, but most certainly possible.


• Perhaps the most memorable quote from Spring Training came from Bob Nutting when he told that team that starting in 2011 "incremental progress will not be acceptable." Personally, and maybe I've just been totally beaten down by this bunch, I would be thrilled to see even "incremental progress" by the Pirates in 2011. Lord knows we haven't seen any such progress during the PNC Park era.


• I am guessing that that "incremental progress" quote will be thrown back at Nutting more than once as the season progresses.


• Setting a moderate goal, I said back in December that if Clint Hurdle could coax 70 wins out of this team, he should be Manager of the Year. That would be a 13 game improvement over 2010, so what the hell.... 70 Wins or Bust in 2011!!!


• When I am looking for a specific game score or result, the crawl at the bottom of the screen on ESPN is terrific. When I am not looking for a specific score or result, the crawl is extremely annoying.


• Just finished reading "True Grit" by Charles Portis. Had I read this novel when it first came out in 1968, I'm not sure that I would have thought "Wow, this would book make a great movie."


• Next on my reading list: "Branch Rickey" by Jimmy Breslin, and "Rawhide Down" (about the assassination attempt on President Reagan) by Del Quentin Wilber.


• Speaking Bob Dylan, my issue of the AARP Magazine (insert appropriate smartass comment here) arrived yesterday, and it includes a feature story commemorating Dylan's 70th birthday on May 24. Yes, Bob Dylan will be 70 years old next month!!


• Tonight is Fantasy Baseball Draft Night. I have the first pick in the North Park League draft, which I earned by finishing last in 2010. Just like in real baseball, all things are possible on Draft Night. I can tell you that Albert Pujols will be my first round selection tonight. After that, who knows?


• Readers of this blog know my abysmal track record making sports predictions, but last October 26, I predicted that the NBA Finals would be contested by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls (you can look it up). As of this morning, the Lakers are #2 in the West and the #1 team in the East is none other than the Chicago Bulls. Still a lot of grass to mow until the Finals, but How 'Bout Them Bulls?


• Purchased the DVD set of Mad Men Season 4 yesterday. Looking forward to settling in with that.


• Bad news is that Mad Men Season 5 won't start until 2012. Will jumping an entire season mean jumping the shark for this great series?


• Welcome news for North Hills residents in the PG today. Cinemark will be building and opening a new, modern 12 screen movie theater complex in McCandless. Finally, modern comforts and amenities for movie goers in the North Hills, and good-bye to the dumpy Rave (formerly Showcase) Cinemas on McKnight Road. The bad news is that this complex won't be open until Fall, 2012.


• I am looking out my window as I type this and watching it snow. Wish I could say "April Fool's" to that one, but it is all too true.


• Enjoy the Bucco Opener today. Eighteen - and counting - seasons of ineptitude can't stop you from being a fan. Let's Go Bucs!!!

A Pop Cultural Passing

I know that eyes will roll and people will say, "he's doing obituaries again", but I couldn't resist this one.

The PG reports today the death of Suze Rotolo at the age of 68. You may not know the name, but there is a real good chance if you are of a certain age that you have seen, and may even own, a copy of her picture. Ms. Rotolo was the one time girl friend of a very young Bob Dylan and that is her pictured on the album cover - dare I say an "iconic" album cover - of Dylan's breakthrough album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." This is the album that featured Dylan classics Blowin' in the Wind, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, and A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.

The Dylan-Rotolo relationship lasted about four years, and if nothing else, it sure produced a neat picture.