Tonight Michelle and I and my parents will be catching a set by a young up-and-comer, Bob Dylan, in the historic splendor of The Toledo Zoo's Amphitheatre. This will be the fifth time I've seen our Mr. Zimmerman perform, and I've been all a-twitter all day.
The first time I saw Bob play was in 1986. I was seventeen and only tenuously familiar with Dylan's oeuvre. To prepare myself for his show at Pine Knob, I went out and purchased Biograph and his most recent record, Empire Burlesque. I then went home and tried to digest all four cassettes, as if I was cramming for an exam. Probably not the best way to develop an appreciation for an artist.
In the end, of course, all that cramming was for naught, as Dylan was virtually incomprehensible throughout the evening. Support act/backing band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers proved to be the highlight of the evening, delivering their sure-fire hits in an easily-recognizable manner.
By 1989, the next time I saw Bob, I had become far more familiar with his work. Unfortunately, he appeared to have become substantially less so. Apparently, though, I was witness to his first-ever acoustic performance of "I'm in the Mood for Love," a song that I knew best from Alfalfa Switzer's definitive rendition. Steve Earle opened, and in my youthful arrogance I dismissed him as some dumbass country guy.
Following that underwhelming experience, I took thirteen years off from live Bob. It might well have been longer, but his records had gotten a lot better, and rumor had it that his live shows were full of a renewed energy. Besides, my next chance to see him was at a rodeo. That week, my brother and I, in a week of beer-fueled mayhem, took in Lyle Lovett, Bob Dylan and ZZ Top at the Reliant Astrodome. The acts came on after the rodeo was over, so we did have to sit through some ropin' and ridin' (and one night, Martina McBride) before the rockin'. Still and all though, the rumors were true - Bob was back.
Last time I saw Zimmy was in 2004 at UT's Savage Hall. Great band, great set, and Bob played keyboards. As chronicled in his book, he's come around to a new way of singing. As near as I could gather, it's mathematical somehow, but that wasn't the most lucid chapter in the book.
What will tonight's show bring? I'll let you know.
