New York - Sound of the City - Live: Bob Dylan at the United Palace Theater

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Live: Bob Dylan at the United Palace Theater

in Bob Dylan, Featured, live

Monday, Nov. 24 2008 @ 4:00PM

Bob Dylan
United Palace Theater
Friday, November 21

The banners of Rev. Ike (the Prosperity Pioneer!) hanging in the jewel-box lobby of the United Palace Theater-cum-cathedral, where Bob Dylan and his band played on Friday, welcomed the 67-year old singer like a visiting colleague. "When you discover who you are, it doesn't matter who you've been," one read, which is certainly true enough of the fairly literal Wandering Jew character Dylan has portrayed on the Never-Ending Tour for the past 20 years.

Dylan came out swinging, strutting center stage over the last beats of his introduction. The band cooked into "Gotta Serve Somebody," its first airing in five years. Dylan growled. He danced with awkward authenticity, gripping his harmonica. There were Bob-squats.

But soon returned the Robo-Bob of the Tour's most recent vintage, repeating more than half the songs and nearly all the ambiguous blues-rock grooves from his Prospect Park gig in August. (Though a country swing through a rare "Tomorrow Is A Long Time," Dylan on guitar--and soloing!--was lovely. Ditto "Make You Feel My Love.") Dylan mangled his vocals a bit (he was lost two lines into "The Times They Are A-Changin'") and, in his improvisations, occasionally took the tone of an obstinate child. On "Things Have Changed" and "Desolation Row," he snapped rhymes into monotonous syllables, as if out of sheer stubbornness.

"Even the President of the United States must sometimes have to stand naked," Dylan chugged on the banjo-aided "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding"), and the place freaked. But for who? Bush? Obama? Bob, of course. The times are always modern (always changing, too, or just changed), the end is always nigh, and the President always needs undressing, in prosperity, depression, or whatever the hell is about to occur. Bob here now! --Jesse Jarnow

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3 comment(s) / Post a Comment

B says:

it was great

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 25 2008 @ 2:06AM

rich says:

Completely speechless!!!!! That's how I would describe it. (and I hope Bobby is reading this). Though I was not a part of "His Generation", I only feel disappointed that my birth skipped a generation. However, I have been listening to Dylan's music for the past 20 years. And I want to thank my friend Paul for turning me on to Dylan. It was a different change of pace, from the heavy metal ozzy scene. It gave me an awareness that songs such as Bob Dylan's. and even the Beatles transcends time. So my disappointment turned to joy when I saw him in person(for the first time i might add.) that I had to nudge my friend next to me and say, "hey that's Bob Dylan") Thank you Bobby for letting me to share in the experience, I appreciate the myriad of emotions that emanate from your music. God Bless you, Baruch Ha Shem, Y'shua Meshiach.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 25 2008 @ 3:24PM

Bev says:

Oh boy I missed this concert but have seen many in my 56 years! Oh Bob would I ever love to meet you! As we all are; you are a character I would very much love to add to my other one's I have met in my life. Someday....
So when are you comeing to RI next? I just love seeing you here. And I reside here also. You always seem to put on quite a performance here. And I never made the Newport folk festivals!!

Look forward to seeing ya soon babycakes!!

In the meantime keep on a truckin' or going to another 'joint'.

love,

bev

Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 26 2008 @ 1:56PM