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indie-snob>+!#
Bob dylan & his band @ riviera (3-6-04)
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 There was a time in my childhood where I made fun of Bob Dylan. He was "dad music"; he was old, tired, and frankly a bit too talkative for a young indie snob. But, he grew on me, and once I started to be able to appreciate music on a more objective level, I saw the beauty and mystery that's held inside Dylan. His early records speak to his own generation more than any other band has been able to do since. For me, I only find such cohesive healing with bands like Xiu Xiu, Bright Eyes and Tilly and the Wall, bands I relate so well to that I feel that I'm a part of them. And while I can't imagine being a part of a generation heavily influenced by beat culture, the music speaks to me in a different way: honest, raw, emotional and powerful. Dylan's voice has never been the greatest, but his songwriting is legendary. So when Dylan comes for a series of four tiny Chicago shows, I had trouble passing them up. I had trouble getting tickets to any of them, but luckily, friends came through offering me tickets to both this show (at the 2500-person Riviera) and the Aragon show (holding around 4500 people). Naturally, I let my parents go to the bigger show and kept this ticket for myself (okay, so I only had one to this show). My parents came home that night complaining of how terrible the sound was, how horrible Dylan's voice was, and how utterly ridiculous the hat he was wearing looked. Part of me didn't want to believe it, not for a ticket that was costing me $50, but another part of me knew it was true. But I set out the next day, joining my friend in line behind people who had been camping since the previous night. It seemed a bit excessive, but to those 40 and 50-somes, Dylan meant the world to them. And after the hour wait in the freezing cold and the hour and a half wait once inside, Dylan came out with his band. The pot came out, as did the coke, and these old men danced like idiots to what honestly was some of the worst band music I've heard. Have I mentioned that I think everything Dylan has done recently is crap? Except for the few minor exceptions on Time Out of Mind, it's amazing how Dylan's songs went from being so amazing to so mediocre. The band churned out new song after new song, as Dylan's current vocal range is far more suited for them. When the occasional oldie would come out, I found myself horribly disappointed. "Like A Rolling Stone" was turned into a monotonous boring insult. "Girl From the North Country" turned into the most horribly tired love song I've ever heard. There was really nothing to fall in love with anymore. But, as far as I could tell, the hardcore Dylan fans were in heaven. It may have been from snorting coke from a Ziploc bag all night or so decisively taken with the man that nothing could faze them. But, I was fazed. It was, I suppose, the show I was expecting but hoping I wouldn't encounter. I wanted to see Bob Dylan in a small venue (and it was quite intimate), but it felt so wrong hearing the songs I love being butchered by the man who wrote them. I think I'll stick with the covers I still get to hear of the old songs. Grade: D If you're looking for some good Dylan covers, the White Stripes have turned up a mean "Love Sick" in their day, Bright Eyes, M. Ward and Jim James often close with "Girl From the North Country" while on tour, and Dear Nora released a split with the Mates of State doing the same song with female vocals. All are lovely.
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