Bob Dylan: Electric Again At The PPAC

Nobel laureate, 78-year-old Minnesotan Bob Dylan, graced the stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center on November 20. The theater was packed to the gills as Dylan delivered quite possibly his best performance in decades. There was no hat, no mumbling and no bullshit.

The show began with pre-recorded, instrumental Vaudevillian jaunt (the standard fare at Bob Dylan concerts for the past 20 or so years) in complete darkness as Dylan and his band took the stage. Dylan surprised fans both new and old as he picked up a guitar for the first time in over a decade. Tony Garnier shined on bass as he nears the end of his 30th year as Bob Dylan’s bass player and band leader. Multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron took on mandolin, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, violin and viola duties. Herron, alumni of Americana band BR-549, was the unsung hero of the show, providing texture and accompaniment that was tasteful and so well placed you’d only notice if it wasn’t there. Charlie Sexton, a Dylan band staple both in the studio and live, on top of being a highly acclaimed producer and artist in his own right, traded rhythm and lead guitar duties with Bob Britt, a master guitar who joined Dylan for the first time since the Time Out of Mind sessions. Drummer Matt Chamberlain was also a fresh face on stage. The studio veteran replaced long-time Dylan drummer George Receli. Bob Dylan was visibly happy with his band and showed a renewed fervor throughout the night. The updated lineup seemed to give him new energy and direction — a refreshing look for the fans who have seen Dylan in the most recent phase of his career.

‘Phase’ is a very pertinent word regarding Bob Dylan. It has been years since Dylan has played any of his older catalog in the fashion in which they were recorded. “Highway 61 Revisited,” “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” “Ballad of a Thin Man,” and “Simple Twist of Fate” were all performed with an unmistakable likeness to that of the recorded version. Bob Dylan has, again, reinvented himself.

“Girl From the North Country” and “Lenny Bruce” were highlights of the night and the crowd was right behind Dylan. The first time he picked up the harmonica, the audience went wild. He moved mostly between sitting at the piano and singing, and singing center stage, commanding the audience with one hand raised like Sinatra, and the other on the microphone stand. His words were crystal clear and the band was tight.

After a long round of applause and complete darkness, Dylan and the band returned to the stage for an encore. He surprised the audience once again when he picked up the guitar again during the encore performance of “Ballad of a Thin Man.” Without fanfare, Dylan stepped back and took a brief solo during the song, which wowed the audience, before entering into a stunning rendition of “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” to close the set.

The band lined up with Dylan, took a bow and disappeared, in complete darkness, into the bowels of the theater.

Setlist:

Things Have Changed

It Ain’t Me Babe Highway 61 Revisited

Simple Twist of Fate

Can’t Wait

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Honest With Me

Tryin’ to Get to Heaven

Make You Feel My Love

Pay In Blood

Lenny Bruce

Early Roman Kings

Girl From the North Country

Not Dark Yet

Thunder on the Mountain

Soon After Midnight

Gotta Serve Somebody

Encore:

Ballad of a Thin Man

It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry