For years Bob Dylan has turned the stage into his domestic living room, a home in full view of all, a refuge in which he constantly returns. He has given up to ten performances in the last two weeks of his Spanish tour, which this Friday of Sant Joan continued at the Teatre del Liceu, packed to the brim to hear the proposal that accompanies the Minnesota man on his Rough and rowdy ways tour, and which arrived with some surprises more than expected and the feeling that the artist had a great time with the Barcelona public on a stage converted into a nightclub.
Dressed in rigorous black like his band, Dylan appeared on a night that the anecdote will remember for the absolute absence of cell phones, which gave the show a greater intimacy that was ultimately beneficial for the band and the public.
For the moment, he spared the usual lighting from the screens, harmful for last night's circumspect show, which enlarged the details, gestures and flexions of the artist, closely surrounded by his band in the central part of the stage while a dim red light illuminated the curtains. red that enveloped the stage. It was the only lighting, giving the place an atmosphere between a cocktail bar and the gates of hell.
At the same time, with the prohibition to use the mobile phone, the musician made it clear that the public was nothing more than a guest in his domain, in which he performed with his rough and aged voice a concert without great successes, grim for neophytes (more very few among an audience of 40 and up), grateful for those who were looking for something new from the old poet.
The musician says on his latest album that it contains multitudes, and he is not exaggerating. With a 60-year career and 40 published albums, he navigates on a vast sea of music and experiences that he doesn't seem to want to rely on, according to the songs he sings. And it is that none of the classics that made the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature famous sounded last night. Neither Like a Rolling Stone, nor Blowin' in the wind nor All along the watchtower have space on this tour.
There were no changes in the architecture of the repertoire, a list that he has performed invariably since the new chapter of his endless tour began last April, made up of all the songs except one from Rough and rowdy ways, published in 2020. All the songs from this new work (except one) sound at the concert, accompanied by revisions in a folk key of songs published in the 70s, and recently presented on the Shadow kingdoms album, including one known as Watching the river flow (written in 1971 , 52 years ago) or Most likely you go your way (and I'll go mine).
These two songs served to start the night with the protagonist seated at the piano, although he did the rest of the performance standing up. It was followed by I contain multitudes, a theme with a farewell air that, like the rest of those that played last night, sounded in a more rhythmic and vivacious version, most of it in a blues key except for some forays into folk like To be alone. with you or Every grain of sand. or even some foray into rock like in Gotta serve somebody. Everything was well received by a devoted audience, who applauded furiously at the end of each song and seemed to hold back so as not to start dancing and applauding, lest they disturb their admired Dylan. This is what happened in tunes like False Prophet, where he bitterly remembers that he goes “where only the lonely can go”. The same thing happens in Crossing the Rubicon or Black ride, the black rider who has seen it all and tries to make you look back. Dark songs turned into blues charged with rhythm by the work and art of a band that he introduced one by one, something that doesn't always happen in his concerts.
It was after I've made up my mind to give myself to you sounded and an unexpected and fleeting "I love you" was heard that was worth millions to the public. He then introduced Tony Garnier on double bass, Donnie Herron taking over violin, mandolin and steel guitar, drummer Jerry Pentecost and guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio.
Although the surprise came from the versions, of which he always performs one per concert, always in 14th place. On this occasion, the chosen one was Tweedle dee, Tweedle dum, by Middle of the Road, a song that she performed in a country version and that she had already played in Madrid. What had not sounded, neither here nor anywhere on this tour Stella blue, from the Grateful Dead, a formation to which Dylan has declared public admiration. In a concert where details count for so much, such a gift speaks louder than any few words the Minnesota bard can say, who ended the concert by leaving his refuge behind the piano and hesitantly coming to the edge of the stage to wave alongside the band.
