Bob Dylan concert review

Bob does Bob. That seems to cover it. He has a storied history of doing the opposite of anything someone hopes he’ll do. No exception here. He provides zero point zero fan service, to ensure his self indulgent creative impulses are fed. I get it. He’s earned the right. However, it strikes me as a form of subterfuge, as most casual fans who attend his show with the hopes of singing Like A Rolling Stone (or any others from his storied songbook), will walk away completely dumbfounded. Sadly, they shouldn’t be (I’m speaking to myself here) as he hasn’t played a full concert of his classics in the original note and composition since 1978 (as far as my research has confirmed). Stunning, is fair, but sadly, it shouldn’t be. He doesn’t give a monkey’s rear end about the fan, never really has. I know, suck it up and bask in the glow of his awesomeness. Well, its hard to do so when you’re having to take a forensics approach to trying to discern if there’s at least one stanza or lyric you know within any of his rearranged songs, that would give you and ounce of hope that he might actually play a song you remember. The entire evening felt as though the audience was holding onto their pent up exhilaration, waiting to explode the moment a single, recognizable offering from the classic Dylan red meat menu was brought to the table. No morsel was offered. Not a scrap. Not even a fragment of food, outside of a minute moment where everyone recognized the words Joker and the Thief the moment he brandished his harmonica. Pure pleasure for my 12 yr old son who continuously asked if this was actually Dylan hiding under the white hoody he wore the entire show (which I found hysterical). Like everyone else at the show, he wasn’t provided with even a moment of singing along with the historic musical figure he had come to admire in the G rated version of A Complete Unknown. I wonder…how many first time Dylan concert goers have been showing up at Bob’s shows the past 48 yrs, aware they would have no renderings from the artist they thought they paid to see.? Oh well, at least Bob feels good about maintaining his cultural relevance and hasn’t become bored with singing along with millions of fans.