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Jakob's Dad in Binghamton By Abby Bertumen "Watching the River Flow" was highlighted by an energetic jam session among Dylan and his band--with Dylan, knees bent and looking determined, pounding out riff after riff with remarkable dexterity. Through his acoustic set, Dylan's talent for poetry in song shined.The crowd was transfixed at the intensity with which he sang "Masters of War," in a low, cynical voice reaching almost a growl with, "And I hope that you die." He followed with the gem "One Too Many Mornings," this time in a quiet, reflective tone characterized by the heart-wrenching whispered refrain, "It's been one too many mornings and a 1,000 miles behind." Dylan's performance of these songs were so personal, the emotion alone was enough to give pause--as if in shock from hearing the tunes they had worn out on record alone in their rooms come alive with a new-found poignancy. Also, the versatility of Campbell, Garnier, Kemper and Baxter as a backing band was far-reaching. Just a song earlier, they had rocked the stage with the distinctive guitar and drum beats of "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again." Now, they provided a subtle, almost hypnotic, rhythm to the acoustic tunes. Dylan completed his acoustic set with "Tangled Up in Blue," whose opening drew prolonged cheers from the crowd. Again, Dylan added a freshness to his classic tune by vocalizing the sentiment of searching and uncertainty the "Tangled" narrator always seemed to have. Dylan completed the initial set with a fun "'Til I Fell in Love with You" and a touching "Every Grain of Sand." Again, the synergy of Dylan and his band was evident. Their collaboration on "Every Grain of Sand" was exquisite, with the song beginning with a moving and beautiful instrumental. Also, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. During "'Til I Fell in Love With You," Dylan started moving and dancing. Towards the end of show, Baxter and Garnier stood next to each other and swayed their guitar and bass necks in unison. Before the last song Dylan, who talked little throughout the entire show, took the time to introduce his band and express special gratitude to those seated behind the stage. And with memorable exuberance, he launched into "Highway 61 Revisited," which had the crowd begging for an encore even before the last chord was struck. For the encore, Dylan started with "Love Sick." The lighting on-stage was particularly effective, with floorlights and overhead lights alternating with each dramatic guitar chord. It gave a ghostly and mysterious effect as Dylan's voice began softly with the verses and raised indignantly in the song's bold proclamation. The crowd was determined for more, and so Dylan emerged once again and played "Blowin' in the Wind" acoustically--in superb harmonization with Campbell and Garnier. He sang the tune in a way as a testament to its agelessness, pausing in front of the microphone before beautifully posing the opening question--singing it clearly and carefully, but with a certain urgency of the need to find the answer--like he had wrote it the day before. Dylan ended this remarkable show with a light-hearted cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away." And had the houselights not gone up after this last song, the crowd's applause and calls for encores might not have faded away until the next morning. Look for Abby in Club Semester's Sexiest Woman in Ithaca Contest.. |
