For the aging audience members who probably still remember a
relevant Woodstock, and younger converts seeing him in the flesh
for the first time, the last of Bob Dylan’s three shows at
the Wiltern felt more like a reunion between old friends than a
rock concert with a larger-than-life cultural icon.
Thank, for one, the newly renovated Wiltern Theater for
providing a perfect intimacy within its adorned walls. The
71-year-old historical venue was given a $1.5 million makeover
during the summer, doing away with seating in the lower level and
providing a multi-tiered general admission floor. Dylan took
advantage of the ideal setting, offering up an unpredictable
performance as thrilling as it was reflective.
Expectedly, the road-weary Dylan physically showed his age.
Dressed in a black suit with red lining and flanked by younger and
more agile players, he looked like a man who has indeed toured
incessantly, traversing the world and back again. On Thursday
night, which was part of a run labeled the “Neverending
Tour,” Dylan played as much for himself as for the fans,
losing himself in his own songs, belting them out in new
arrangements.
That road-weary edge is exactly what gave the performance its
emotional punch. Armed with a gravelly voice that sounded as
wonderful as ever, he delicately felt his way through familiar
classics like “Don’t Think Twice, It’s
Alright” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” He energized
the audience with his keyboard playing on “Seeing the Real
You at Last” and “Bye and Bye,” and electrified
the Wiltern with the raging Stones cover “Brown Sugar”
and fan favorite “All Along the Watchtower.”
Constantly pulling out new tricks and altering the tone of the
concert from song to song, he treated fans not to a greatest hits
show but to the performance of a man in his prime. He even charmed
the crowd with a few modest dance moves.
After the encore, the musicians on stage stood side-by-side,
soaking up the raging applause that enveloped them. Dylan stood
motionless, head tilted with a slight grin on his face. He stayed
that way for a while, without an apparent sense of time or
place.
At times during the night, his mere presence on stage provided
enough energy to keep fans delirious with awe. Similarly, the way
Dylan looked as he stood on stage before vanishing proved the
relationship more symbiotic than one-way. In typical Dylan fashion,
he was just too cool to brazenly reveal his happiness.
But inside the intimate walls of the Wiltern, it was a little
harder than normal for Dylan to hide his grin.