A Bright Silhouette Where the Stage Lights Dim
by sdallmayr on 4/17/25Rating: 5 out of 5I saw Bob Dylan and his Band in South Bend, Indiana, on April 14th. Well, it was me, and the rest of the sold out Morris Civic. This is relatively rare in South Bend in and of itself, and I feel like it's how it ought to be. I'm a bit weary of repeating myself on Dylan's reviews. If you don't count "Desolation Row,""It's All Over Now, Baby Blue,""When I Paint My Masterpiece,""Watching the River Flow"and "It Ain't Me Babe"(and honestly, "Every Grain of Sand") as some of Dylan's most eponymous messages and themes, I don't understand. He and the band play soundscapes, spoken word art, but most are easily recognizable. I am not the first to say how absolutely, genuinely cool the arrangement of "Masterpiece"is, like a haunted spy theme from a misty dirt road filled with tumbleweeds in a western movie set. But "Desolation Row"and "Baby Blue"are a huge treat. On the other hand, Dylan's still planting flower riffs by the sides of the streets he navigates. The band is the backdrop to this kind of modern jazz overlay. Dylan and the band move with the stream of his playing. The light splays everywhere. Dylan has been playing shows for a long time. He lights the space, the time, the now of where we are, where he's been, and where we go together is up to all of us. Fun moment when he sang the lyric from "Key West"about the Gulf of Mexico and there was a ripple of cheers and applause from the audience. I love the no phones rule. Can you stop watching the world through your screen for two brief hours of your life and just be here now? Can you be with the eternal troubadour on his never-ending tour? How many selfies must one soul take before it learns to be free? Anyway, the band has been with him for years, but this was my first time seeing Anton Figg. What a strong backbeat - I know I just finished praising the no phone rule but I sure do miss the Late Night Figg Cam right about now. Of the Rough and Rowdy Ways songs, I really dig the concept and ideas behind "I Contain Multitudes"and "Mother of Muses."I'm low key obsessed with Mnemosyne, kind of right up my alley. Anyway, see you round the bend, Mr. Dylan. And thanks.