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In Summerfest Guide

By Molly Snyder Edler OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Molly Snyder Edler

Published July 2, 2009 at 12:32 a.m.

Tags: summerfest, bob dylan, willie nelson, marcus amphitheater

I grew up listening to my parents' scratchy Bob Dylan albums, which predisposes me to appreciate the gritty-voiced folk and rock legend. However, I became slightly disenchanted after witnessing a few of his conversation-less live shows, so when I entered the Marcus Amphitheater tonight, I harbored a mixed bag of emotion and very few expectations.

The cool temperatures and thick gray clouds made it difficult to believe it was July, but opener Willie Nelson warmed the stage with his heartfelt words and performance.

Nelson ripped through fan favorites and a few covers, including "Whiskey River," "Still Is Still Moving To Me," "Crazy," "Georgia On My Mind," "All Of Me," "Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To be Cowboys," "On The Road Again," "City Of New Orleans," "Hey Good Lookin'" and "Always On My Mind."

Dylan provided a bevy of classic tunes, too, like "It Ain't Me Babe," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," "Desolation Row," "Highway 61," "Like A Rolling Stone" and "All Along the Watchtower."

The multigenerational crowd -- many wore jackets and hats to protect themselves from the chilly lake breeze -- was more responsive to Nelson's set, with the exception of Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" which inspired a mellow sing-a-long.

Unfortunately, Dylan maintained his reputation for ignoring the audience and did not address the crowd except to introduce his band. The most disappointing aspect of the concert, however, was that Dylan and Nelson did not play together -- not even for an encore that many assumed to be inevitable. It was particularly surprising considering it was the first night of the duo's summer tour.

Also, it was annoying that the video screens remained dark throughout the show. Rumor has it that Dylan prohibits the use of the screens, but for those in the grass seats, it was impossible to decipher if Dylan was really even on stage. For all we knew, he was lip synching or had a Stetson-wearing double.

Dylan's latest studio album, "Together Through Life," was released on April 28, 2009, and received good reviews. The first week of its release, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making the 68-year-old Dylan the oldest artist to nab the top spot.

One has to wonder who Dylan is going "Together Through Life" with, considering he is twice divorced. He was married to Sara Lownds from 1968 until 1977 and to Carolyn Dennis from 1986 to 1992.

The 76-year-old Nelson released the album "Naked Willie" earlier this year. The album features stripped-down remixes of songs from 1966 to 1970, including "Bring Me Sunshine" and "Sunday Morning Come Down."

It's a long story as to why I sat in the lawn seats tonight, but despite my gripes, watching the two salt-of-the-earth rockers from the grass seemed appropriate. Of course, listening to Nelson from grass seats opens itself to a slew of bad puns, especially considering he was arrested in 2006 for marijuana possession, appeared on the January 2008 cover of "High Times" magazine and traveled to Amsterdam with Snoop Dogg where they recorded a live version of "SuperMan" that became a YouTube sensation. (Even his concert T-shirts have a pot leaf on them.)

If life had unfurled differently, I might have waved my freak flag tonight and inhaled up there in The Amp's grasslands, but instead, I breathed in the second-hand stuff and dutifully sipped my beer. Sorry, Willie.

10 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by VeryTangled on July 4, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. (report)

This is a case of unrealistic expectations. For a very long time Bob has denied photography, ask any local newspaper; and doesn't appear on projection screens either. It's his gig so he gets to set the rules, it's nothing new. Same with the 'duo encore' concept, it has never been a part of the show, and people who expect it just haven't been paying attention for the last decade. (When he does do it, it usually comes off as awkward and mediocre.) When I attend a Dylan concert my only expectation is that it will be an evening like none other, sometimes it turns out that it's incredibly good, sometimes just okay, but always an educational and well-spent evening, even if he doesn't do the typical "Good Evening (fill-in-the-town)" pandering. He puts the effort into the songs, not the public relations. -VeryTangled

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Posted by Festhead on July 3, 2009 at 11:15 a.m. (report)

Some audio/stills from the show" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2piUwq9e-s8

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Posted by stuman on July 2, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. (report)

After eight weeks off, Bob Dylan and his band seemed well rested for the first show of the summer tour. To say it was high energy would be an understatement! The show started with a rousing version of Cats in the Well with Bob playing guitar. It Aint Me, Babe was next, followed by one of my all-time favorites, Ill Be Your Baby Tonight. These were great versions, with Dylan playing some great leads. In fact, I think this was the best he has sounded on guitar in many years! I couldnt even believe what I was hearing! Dylan switched to the organ next and ran through a barrage of old and new favorites including Desolation Row, Po Boy, Highway 61 Revisited, and I Dont Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met), all of which received exciting new arrangements that made them sound like new songs all over again. Its amazing how Dylan transforms his songs. Its like hes saying that the music can change any way you want it to, but the lyrics are the constant - the lyrics can stand on their own, no matter how you change the arrangement of the music. Who else could do that?! More rearrangements followed with Love Sick and Summer Days, as well as a rollicking version of Jolene from the new disc Together Through Life. If this is how the tour starts, I would advise you to get your tickets now, if you havent already done so. Dylan rocks!

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Posted by Southern_Ex_pat on July 2, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. (report)

THAT WAS NOT DYLAN!!!!!! THAT WAS AN IMPOSTER!!!!!!!

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Posted by ActionDan on July 2, 2009 at 11:03 a.m. (report)

This 'review' confuses me, as it doesn't really review the concert. It's more of a laundry list of complaints that have nothing to do with the music. Would it have been nice for the video screens to be on for the people in the cheap seats? Sure, but they weren't. Did you hate concerts before they had video screens installed, too? Probably not. You're upset that Dylan didn't address the crowd? Who cares. He doesn't have a song entitled "Hey, thanks for coming out tonight.... you're a great crowd!" Leave that corny schtick to Paul Simon, please. It's refreshing to not be bothered by the artist yammering on and telling stories. George Strait played it just like Dylan on Monday. Just songs. It's a concert, remember. Dylan and Willie have toured together three tours now, and they've only played together 3 or 4 times, I believe. The show is not structured that way. It's unfair to bash the show for that reason. Do your homework. A concert should not be reviewed from the lawn. Period. Why review a concert from the area of the venue with the worst sound and view? Unacceptable, considering OMC surely could've put you in prime seats. Looking forward to hearing a review of the actual concert, but it seems y'all missed the boat.

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