Concert Review: Bob Dylan, 3/12/24, Moran Theater, Jacksonville, FL
"Give me that old time religion, it’s just what I need."
Last week, I was able to check one of the proverbial bucket list, as I got to see one of my favorite artists in Bob Dylan perform live in concert in Jacksonville, two and a half hours away from where I live in Tallahassee, Florida.
Dylan’s setlist for that March 12th show (Jack Kerouac’s birthday too, which I appreciated as someone who enjoys these little coincidences of time) followed the model he’s been adhering to for, well, the entire Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. It was heavy on songs from that most recent album, which has certainly earned its place amongst his greatest albums.
One thing I’d heard about Dylan live, especially at this state of his career, is that he has this ability to reinvent or reinterpret his back catalogue, transforming his songs sonically into something different and yet that seems like it always belonged. This was certainly on display in the Jacksonville show with “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” which became a marimba-infused slow burn of a track. “My Own Version of You” off of Rough and Rowdy Ways was also given a musical reinterpretation, going from a song that lilted along on the album to something churning and driving. I think this is why, amongst our great musician-poet-troubadours, Dylan stands out. His words can stand up to this kind of reinvention or reshaping.
The strength of Dylan’s voice was certainly apparent, distinctive yet clear as he sung each song. Songs like “False Prophet” and “Key West (Philosopher Pirate),” just to highlight a couple, were clear from that lyrical/singing perspective. His delivery was distinctly Dylan, which hasn’t been the most clear or crisp, but it still sounded very forceful and in command.
I thought Bob’s voice sounded remarkably strong for someone of his age and who has a very distinctive and challenging vocal delivery. It made me think that, when this Rough and Rowdy Ways tour finishes up he’ll be right back to the Never Ending Tour because he still sounds good.
My personal favorites were “I Contain Multitudes” (not surprising, given that its my favorite song on Rough and Rowdy Ways), “Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine),” the aforementioned “Key West” and the show-closing combo of “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” and “Every Grain of Sand.” You have three songs off the most recent album, a track of the classic Blonde on Blonde that sounded both different and yet so familiar, and a closer from Shot of Love and the much-maligned straightforward Christian phase. That’s something that only Bob could pull off, in my estimation.
Would I like to have heard more of his “greatest hits”? Yeah, I can’t lie and say I didn’t mind not hearing “Visions of Johanna” or “Like a Rolling Stone” or any of the other masterworks the man produced. But there’s something so cool about seeing Dylan, someone with this legendary back catalogue of songs that… I mean, they earned him the damn Nobel Prize in literature! But even with that, Dylan chooses to do and play exactly what he wants. For this tour, that meant mainly the tracks off of Rough and Rowdy Ways. How can you not respect and appreciate that?
The backing band—made up of Bob Britt, Tony Garnier, Donnie Herron, Doug Lancio, and Jerry Pentecost—were great too, providing Dylan with a great compliment but never overpowering or taking away from the man himself. You can tell this is a tight, professional outfit from how they can clearly follow Dylan’s leads and cues to the way they move through the setlist at a rapid and deliberate pace.
Nightly Moth, the great Bob Dylan online impresario and purveyor of recordings, was able to post a recording that someone was somehow able to make of the show (which is really mind boggling), so you can hear what I’m talking about!