14th Time Around

I made a last minute decision to go see Bob Dylan last night for the 14th time. He performed at upper Manhattan's United Palace, an Egyptian-styled art deco theater. Sitting down, the smells of popcorn and incense mixed. Dylan was amazing, playing much more harmonica than I'd seen him play in past shows. For several songs, that was his only instrument as he stood center stage like a ring leader or medicine show doctor. His band was excellent as well, reacting to his melodic twitches and knowing when to heighten the tension and when to let it release. I thought he was in good voice all night and particularly enjoyed "Stuck Inside of Mobile with The Memphis Blues Again," his rewritten version of "Man In The Long Black Coat," an intense banjo-based "High Water (For Charley Patton)," and an absolutely thundering electric blues version of "Ballad Of A Thin Man." One of the best of the 14 Dylan shows I've seen and one of the best I've seen in 2009. And in case you were wondering, no, he did not play any Christmas songs.