Though older, Dylan thrills fans

Evan Hannay Guest Writer

As a lifelong Bob Dylan fan, the prospect of seeing two concerts in one week sent me into sensory overload. When I saw that the “Poet Laureate” of rock and roll was coming to New Britain Stadium in Connecticut and then to Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls at the end of August, I knew I had to go to both. Many of my friends responded to the news dubiously with responses such as, “Dude, he’s so old,” or, “Is Bob Dylan still alive?,” but after the concerts I can say that the Dylan of “my” generation, although not exactly spry, looks great.

The ballpark tours, which began last summer with Dylan and Willie Nelson touring together, are an essential part of the new Dylan era that began with the release of his album Time out of Mind (1997), Love and Theft (2001), and the documentary No Direction Home (2005).

I arrived at the Connecticut concert on Aug. 29 with my sister and mother with much anticipation. All the tickets are standing room only, and the constant rain gave the whole affair a communal atmosphere.
The stadium, although a fairly intimate setting, was packed to the brim with people. Dylan did not make his entrance until 9:05 p.m., after three opening acts. For the grizzled veteran concertgoers surrounding me, this was no surprise.

The concert opened with an obscure track from his 1990 release Under the Red Sky and a few songs from Love and Theft. His voice was somewhat broken at times and he can no longer play the guitar due to back problems, but his spirits definitely picked up when he launched into some of his more well-known tracks. Highlights included classics such as “Forever Young,” “Tangled up in Blue,” and “Positively Fourth Street.”

The culmination of the night, in my mind, was the thunderous encore performance of “Like a Rolling Stone” that put me in the great state of mind to continue my personal Dylanpalooza tour in Wappingers Falls three days later, on Sept. 1.

The buzz was high on Vassar’s campus preceeding the Dylan concert. Except for the lack of rain and the profusion of Vassar students and faculty, the atmosphere was exactly the same as the concert in Connecticut. Dylan appeared from the shadows, accompanied by a sarcastic “biographical” introduction. He opened with the same three songs, and his voice faltered somewhat, once again, at the beginning.
Although he played neither “Forever Young” nor “Tangled Up in Blue,” he did play great renditions of “Visions of Johanna” and “It’s Not Dark Yet,” two of my personal favorites, and ended with encore performances of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower.” The Vassar contingent seemed to enjoy the performance thoroughly.

Both on the stage and in the studio, Dylan continues to impress. Having gone from ’60s folk hero to born-again Christian, Dylan seems to stand so far above the currents and ripples of time that eras seem to pass to the rhythm of the melodies that emanate from his famous harmonica.
The dexterity with which he continually reinvents himself is remarkable, and his persistent popularity is a testament to his (perhaps stubborn) refusal to compromise his creativity for the wishes of the public.
Dylan’s latest revival has achieved near-mythical status, with appearances in iPod commercials, Victoria’s Secret ads, a new XM radio show, Rolling Stone covers, and the release of his newest album, Modern Times.

Many of the tracks on the Modern Times album released on Aug. 29 were recorded at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie. Many of the tracks have a bluesy, country feel that marked Love and Theft.
Most of the new songs seem to exist in a fantasy realm between sleep and dream, but Dylan makes an effort to respond to the present in veiled contemporary references to the situation in New Orleans, and my favorite tracks are “When the Deal Goes Down” and “The Levees Gonna Break.” Even though he rose to fame almost half a century ago, Dylan’s voice and poetry still resound thunderously.