Submitted by fernandots on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 22:58.
5
First time I saw Dylan live and I almost cried. People around saying that he can't play or sing is simply deaf. Dylan made an unforgettable night in Pittsburgh. Tangled up in blue, Ballad of a Thin Man and Spirit on the water: callense!
Submitted by fernandots on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 22:41.
5
Primera vez que vi a Dylan y casi lloro. La gente que dice que ya no puede hacer nada, simplemente no tiene oidos. Dylan hizo una noche inolvidable en Pittsburgh. Tangled up in blue, Ballad of a Thin Man y Spirit on the water: shut up!
Submitted by TOUGH MOMMA on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 16:21.
No Rating
hey benny tattoo why are you such of a rat basturd
you should have stood home and finesh eating your twinkie,
bob is forever young he could do whatever he wants.
so pop off son
Submitted by adrianniles on Wed, 08/13/2008 - 00:37.
No Rating
Great Show! Very young audience. That's good though, surely Bob Dylan would encourage youth participation. Some didn't get it, but most, I hope, will. I would presume to think that they understood Bob Dylan was throwing down lessons for the taking. The other bands gazing from atop their tour busses seemed to. There was a girl behind me that choked out the phrase "He doesn't even acknowledge the crowd". I responded with, "He doesn't have to He's Bob Dylan". I'm not sure why people feel the need to be adored by the artist themselves. Show up for the show, listen and enjoy, then leave.
Another one beside me belched, as if Mr. Dylan could actually hear him,"Invite Jack White onto the stage and sing a duet, It would be monumental". What? monumental? For who? Bob Dylan has played for the worlds most influential people is respected and adored by leaders of countries and faiths, is a Pulitzer Prize winner and artist, performed for Woody Guthrie in his hospital room on his death bed, but him performing a duet with Jack White would be monumental? Wow. Hearing these two comments was hard to take. Other than that it was an honor to watch a master of his trade at the top of his game.
i drove from new jersey to see him perform. it was worth it! i was really happy with how he played. i knew he doesn’t sound like he use to and expected his voice to sound haggard before arrival, but i was kind of disappointed with how raspy he sounded; there were points of his performance where i couldn’t understand a single word he was singing, though i knew the words to the song. but im not at all unsatisfied! im glad i had the chance in my life time to see him play.
First off, I arrived to the venue very early and saw every act of the day. I came to Pittsburgh the previous night intending on catching the Black Keys. Unfortunately, due to poor planning on my friend's part, we didn't get to see the show on Friday. By the time Saturday rolled around I was sick of a lot of BS with my friend and just got the show as early as possible rather than sitting around doing nothing in Pittsburgh.
The show was sold out - 10,000 people KIDS strong. This was one of the weirdest Dylan shows I've been to, as I'm sure about half of the people there (if not more) had never seen Bob before - and a bunch probably didn't even know (m)any of his songs. That being said, it was a pretty interesting festival. There was a 'free' side stage where college bands from the region performed, every ticket goer received a free T-Shirt and a free water bottle and there were water filling stations at the show - FREE WATER! There was also some sort of 'bike valet' which was probably good because of the large number of young folk there. This was supposed to be considered a 'green concert.'
It definitely had a 'block party' feeling by the college stage. It was very well organized and a good time. We didn't spend much time seeing the college bands but rather just went into the main area to see the headliners and claim our spot for Bob. I too wasn't interested in any of the other bands except The Raconteurs, but my friends liked this band called 'Spoon.' I figured I might as well see every show since I was there without much else to do. I'll keep the rest brief:
The first act was Duke Spirit from the UK. I kind of liked these people. Probably because the vocalist was smokin' hot blond girl who looked a little like Debbie Harry. Their sound was kind of like a mixture of Blondie + Pattie Smith - early punk-ish.
The next act was Black Mountain - a name I will never forget. This had to be one of the worst live bands I've ever seen. They were just awful. Listening to them made me feel like I shot up a bunch of heroin and I was walking around Hell (two things I've never done before.)
Gnarls Barkley was up next. I guess these guys are very popular, and the crowd loved them. I didn't really get into it, but after Black Mountain just about anything sounded like diamonds. Their front man is this big fat black guy who tore his shirt off in the middle of the show - it was really funny to see. They covered a song off of Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' - forgot the name of the song, but that was actually pretty impressive.
Next we had a band from Austin, TX called Spoon. Right before they went on I was lucky enough to receive a lollipop from someone next to me. Because of this, I enjoyed Spoon more than I probably would have otherwise. I'm not going to go out and buy an album, but it was fun. They ended their set with 'Rocks Off' by the Stones. They had a trombone, sax, and trumpet. The guitar player fucked up the opening riff pretty bad (off key) so that sucked strongly, but he soon corrected it and the cover was pretty cool.
Raconteurs were the final band before Bob. They were excellent. Jack White sings like no one else, is constantly moving around stage, and is all in all just an excellent performer and song writer. The crowd loved them and was going nuts - complete with crowd surfing and hands in the air.
Bob was set to take the stage at 9:30 and end strictly at 11:00, which is why we got the short set. As I said, this was the youngest crowd I've ever seen at a Dylan show. I, at 24 years old, felt like one of the older people there. I had no idea how Bob would be received because the rest of the bands played very loud, forceful rock with little melodic sensibilities or form. Let's face it, when Bob plays he plays 'songs' - he doesn't play to get the audience riled up, he doesn't play to blow the roof off the joint. His band weaves a tapestry of melody which creates a musically rich experience. The biggest criticism I think most people have is that this leaves little room for the band to 'go off' and jam the way we may want.
It was pretty cool to see the entire venue sort of change when Bob came on. The previous bands were sitting on the RVs watching, folks in the nearby apartments who had been coming and going off their patios watching the other acts all sort of crowded around for Bob, and the audience definitely had that 'star struck' vibe. Even if people didn't know much Bob, they picked up quickly that he was someone special.
There had been professional video taping and photography all day. The audience had also been allowed to take pictures. When Bob came on, this was stopped immediately.
I've never seen a Dylan stage so dimly lit. There was almost no use of the lights. During Ballad of Thin Man, only the floor lights were on. This was very odd, but obviously to prevent pictures from turning out good. I'd also like to say that the people with their cameras were really, REALLY annoying. Trying to take videos and tons of pictures - I kept getting my view blocked by these digital devils. I'm GLAD Bob's people kept the stage dark because it did help to discourage this activity.
Bob definitely put on the right kind of show for this crowd. Opening with Rainy Day Women was exactly what high school and college aged kids wanted to hear - probably was on the top of their list. Audience participation was at a max, and Bob was all smiles the entire time.
As the show went on, some of the kids began to leave - not a lot by any means - but there were definitely kids who didn't get it at all. This was great because everyone else got to move closer. It was also clear that more of the older folks arrived for Dylan's set, tho not many were up nearly as close as we were.
You could tell which of the kids were Dylan fans, despite them having not seen Bob before. They knew the songs and really dug the show. I know a lot of us get tired of the Modern Times songs, but for people who don't see Bob that much those songs are really desired. Ballad of a Thin Man was also really well received - I was surprised how many kids knew that one and cheered when it begin.
I was really excited to hear the new version of Tangled, as was the crowd. I think that moment was really when Bob captured everyone and won them over with his new arrangements. I knew immediately what song it was because of the boots, so it was pretty awesome watching people have a 'lightbulb' moment though out the first verse.
Bob's singing was excellent, as was his phrasing. He abandoned the technique he had been using on songs like 'Love Minus Zero' (very high sung lines) and also the 'choppy sort of rapping' he was doing on songs like My Back Pages from last year. He was still really spitting out words rhythmically and fast, but also singing lines low and clear. There were two points when the crowd 'thought' Bob had acknowledged where he was, but he really didn't. One was in High Water ("Water pourin into Vicksburgh/Pittsburgh" and again on Honest With Me ("I'm avoiding the South Side the best I can" - we were in a location in Pitts known as the South Side.)
Bob was all smiles and dancing the entire time - he definitely was looking at the audience, nodding, and striking his little poses. The crowd loved it, and I think Bob loved seeing lots of new, young faces out there. He didn't introduce the band or speak to the crowd, but he made it clear he knew we were there.
Show ended with Rolling Stone, and people were loving it. People were putting their arms around each other and singing along - it was truly an exciting moment for the audience. I'm glad Bob played it because it really made people happy. It was refreshing to go see a show where people left really satisfied - not complaints about the set lists or the band, but just amazement at getting to see Dylan perform. While we criticize his current band and what not, you could really see how good they actually are if you stood in my shoes (for 8 long god forsaken hours, not able to sit for fear of losing your spot, only getting to use the can once at the beginning of the show, and not eating or drinking all day except for 1 run by my buddy for the free water, but I digress...) and saw all these other bands perform followed by Bob. The other bands were good, but Bob's band really is solid, and notch above. Some of the kids undoubtedly didn't get into it because they don't like this kind of music, but the vast majority were thrilled to see such an unprecedented level of talent, and it was all too clear due to the diversity of the bands.
Ok, I'm done. Those are my thoughts I'm sticking to em! I'm not going to proof read - so I apologize for my mistakes. I just got home and I'm hungry - need to go hunting for some food.
Comments
Disculpen, pero esta en ingles
First time I saw Dylan live and I almost cried. People around saying that he can't play or sing is simply deaf. Dylan made an unforgettable night in Pittsburgh. Tangled up in blue, Ballad of a Thin Man and Spirit on the water: callense!
I'm sorry, but it's in spanish
Primera vez que vi a Dylan y casi lloro. La gente que dice que ya no puede hacer nada, simplemente no tiene oidos. Dylan hizo una noche inolvidable en Pittsburgh. Tangled up in blue, Ballad of a Thin Man y Spirit on the water: shut up!
hey benny tattoo why are you
No Rating
hey benny tattoo why are you such of a rat basturd
you should have stood home and finesh eating your twinkie,
bob is forever young he could do whatever he wants.
so pop off son
south side show
No Rating
Great Show! Very young audience. That's good though, surely Bob Dylan would encourage youth participation. Some didn't get it, but most, I hope, will. I would presume to think that they understood Bob Dylan was throwing down lessons for the taking. The other bands gazing from atop their tour busses seemed to. There was a girl behind me that choked out the phrase "He doesn't even acknowledge the crowd". I responded with, "He doesn't have to He's Bob Dylan". I'm not sure why people feel the need to be adored by the artist themselves. Show up for the show, listen and enjoy, then leave.
Another one beside me belched, as if Mr. Dylan could actually hear him,"Invite Jack White onto the stage and sing a duet, It would be monumental". What? monumental? For who? Bob Dylan has played for the worlds most influential people is respected and adored by leaders of countries and faiths, is a Pulitzer Prize winner and artist, performed for Woody Guthrie in his hospital room on his death bed, but him performing a duet with Jack White would be monumental? Wow. Hearing these two comments was hard to take. Other than that it was an honor to watch a master of his trade at the top of his game.
bennytattoo
No Rating
time to stay home bob with the grandkids
i drove from new jersey to
i drove from new jersey to see him perform. it was worth it! i was really happy with how he played. i knew he doesn’t sound like he use to and expected his voice to sound haggard before arrival, but i was kind of disappointed with how raspy he sounded; there were points of his performance where i couldn’t understand a single word he was singing, though i knew the words to the song. but im not at all unsatisfied! im glad i had the chance in my life time to see him play.
10,000 kids, 1 old(er) dude
This review was originally posted on http://www.theneverendingpool.com
It can be read in full context, there.
First off, I arrived to the venue very early and saw every act of the day. I came to Pittsburgh the previous night intending on catching the Black Keys. Unfortunately, due to poor planning on my friend's part, we didn't get to see the show on Friday. By the time Saturday rolled around I was sick of a lot of BS with my friend and just got the show as early as possible rather than sitting around doing nothing in Pittsburgh.
The show was sold out - 10,000 people KIDS strong. This was one of the weirdest Dylan shows I've been to, as I'm sure about half of the people there (if not more) had never seen Bob before - and a bunch probably didn't even know (m)any of his songs. That being said, it was a pretty interesting festival. There was a 'free' side stage where college bands from the region performed, every ticket goer received a free T-Shirt and a free water bottle and there were water filling stations at the show - FREE WATER! There was also some sort of 'bike valet' which was probably good because of the large number of young folk there. This was supposed to be considered a 'green concert.'
It definitely had a 'block party' feeling by the college stage. It was very well organized and a good time. We didn't spend much time seeing the college bands but rather just went into the main area to see the headliners and claim our spot for Bob. I too wasn't interested in any of the other bands except The Raconteurs, but my friends liked this band called 'Spoon.' I figured I might as well see every show since I was there without much else to do. I'll keep the rest brief:
The first act was Duke Spirit from the UK. I kind of liked these people. Probably because the vocalist was smokin' hot blond girl who looked a little like Debbie Harry. Their sound was kind of like a mixture of Blondie + Pattie Smith - early punk-ish.
The next act was Black Mountain - a name I will never forget. This had to be one of the worst live bands I've ever seen. They were just awful. Listening to them made me feel like I shot up a bunch of heroin and I was walking around Hell (two things I've never done before.)
Gnarls Barkley was up next. I guess these guys are very popular, and the crowd loved them. I didn't really get into it, but after Black Mountain just about anything sounded like diamonds. Their front man is this big fat black guy who tore his shirt off in the middle of the show - it was really funny to see. They covered a song off of Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' - forgot the name of the song, but that was actually pretty impressive.
Next we had a band from Austin, TX called Spoon. Right before they went on I was lucky enough to receive a lollipop from someone next to me. Because of this, I enjoyed Spoon more than I probably would have otherwise. I'm not going to go out and buy an album, but it was fun. They ended their set with 'Rocks Off' by the Stones. They had a trombone, sax, and trumpet. The guitar player fucked up the opening riff pretty bad (off key) so that sucked strongly, but he soon corrected it and the cover was pretty cool.
Raconteurs were the final band before Bob. They were excellent. Jack White sings like no one else, is constantly moving around stage, and is all in all just an excellent performer and song writer. The crowd loved them and was going nuts - complete with crowd surfing and hands in the air.
Bob was set to take the stage at 9:30 and end strictly at 11:00, which is why we got the short set. As I said, this was the youngest crowd I've ever seen at a Dylan show. I, at 24 years old, felt like one of the older people there. I had no idea how Bob would be received because the rest of the bands played very loud, forceful rock with little melodic sensibilities or form. Let's face it, when Bob plays he plays 'songs' - he doesn't play to get the audience riled up, he doesn't play to blow the roof off the joint. His band weaves a tapestry of melody which creates a musically rich experience. The biggest criticism I think most people have is that this leaves little room for the band to 'go off' and jam the way we may want.
It was pretty cool to see the entire venue sort of change when Bob came on. The previous bands were sitting on the RVs watching, folks in the nearby apartments who had been coming and going off their patios watching the other acts all sort of crowded around for Bob, and the audience definitely had that 'star struck' vibe. Even if people didn't know much Bob, they picked up quickly that he was someone special.
There had been professional video taping and photography all day. The audience had also been allowed to take pictures. When Bob came on, this was stopped immediately.
I've never seen a Dylan stage so dimly lit. There was almost no use of the lights. During Ballad of Thin Man, only the floor lights were on. This was very odd, but obviously to prevent pictures from turning out good. I'd also like to say that the people with their cameras were really, REALLY annoying. Trying to take videos and tons of pictures - I kept getting my view blocked by these digital devils. I'm GLAD Bob's people kept the stage dark because it did help to discourage this activity.
Bob definitely put on the right kind of show for this crowd. Opening with Rainy Day Women was exactly what high school and college aged kids wanted to hear - probably was on the top of their list. Audience participation was at a max, and Bob was all smiles the entire time.
As the show went on, some of the kids began to leave - not a lot by any means - but there were definitely kids who didn't get it at all. This was great because everyone else got to move closer. It was also clear that more of the older folks arrived for Dylan's set, tho not many were up nearly as close as we were.
You could tell which of the kids were Dylan fans, despite them having not seen Bob before. They knew the songs and really dug the show. I know a lot of us get tired of the Modern Times songs, but for people who don't see Bob that much those songs are really desired. Ballad of a Thin Man was also really well received - I was surprised how many kids knew that one and cheered when it begin.
I was really excited to hear the new version of Tangled, as was the crowd. I think that moment was really when Bob captured everyone and won them over with his new arrangements. I knew immediately what song it was because of the boots, so it was pretty awesome watching people have a 'lightbulb' moment though out the first verse.
Bob's singing was excellent, as was his phrasing. He abandoned the technique he had been using on songs like 'Love Minus Zero' (very high sung lines) and also the 'choppy sort of rapping' he was doing on songs like My Back Pages from last year. He was still really spitting out words rhythmically and fast, but also singing lines low and clear. There were two points when the crowd 'thought' Bob had acknowledged where he was, but he really didn't. One was in High Water ("Water pourin into Vicksburgh/Pittsburgh" and again on Honest With Me ("I'm avoiding the South Side the best I can" - we were in a location in Pitts known as the South Side.)
Bob was all smiles and dancing the entire time - he definitely was looking at the audience, nodding, and striking his little poses. The crowd loved it, and I think Bob loved seeing lots of new, young faces out there. He didn't introduce the band or speak to the crowd, but he made it clear he knew we were there.
Show ended with Rolling Stone, and people were loving it. People were putting their arms around each other and singing along - it was truly an exciting moment for the audience. I'm glad Bob played it because it really made people happy. It was refreshing to go see a show where people left really satisfied - not complaints about the set lists or the band, but just amazement at getting to see Dylan perform. While we criticize his current band and what not, you could really see how good they actually are if you stood in my shoes (for 8 long god forsaken hours, not able to sit for fear of losing your spot, only getting to use the can once at the beginning of the show, and not eating or drinking all day except for 1 run by my buddy for the free water, but I digress...) and saw all these other bands perform followed by Bob. The other bands were good, but Bob's band really is solid, and notch above. Some of the kids undoubtedly didn't get into it because they don't like this kind of music, but the vast majority were thrilled to see such an unprecedented level of talent, and it was all too clear due to the diversity of the bands.
Ok, I'm done. Those are my thoughts I'm sticking to em! I'm not going to proof read - so I apologize for my mistakes. I just got home and I'm hungry - need to go hunting for some food.