re: Is Bob Dylan worth seeing at his age?

Here's my take (and it's the same with Willie):

If you've never seen him, and you want to say you've seen him before he dies.. then yes. By all means.

If you're wanting to go see him to see an awesome show, then hell no.

I saw Townes Van Zandt a few months before his death. I wasn't even really a fan then. He was just playing a show that had some other acts on the billing I wanted to see. Due to his health conditions at the time, he was awful. My friends and I talked after the show about how awful he was.

All that being said, years later I can say, "Yeah. I saw Townes Van Zandt in concert." And that's awesome.

I saw him and Willie both in concert at an outdoor baseball stadium. Talk about assault and battery in your ear drums. Willie was rough. Bob made people leave.

quote:

---

Covers of his songs are invariably better than the originals.

---

Not necessarily true for "Knocking on Heaven's Door".

Picked my dad up a couple tix. Didn't get in until about 10:11. By then, best tix were row w orchestra. My dad grew up with Zimmy, so I hope he enjoys it.

Anybody else get any tix?

Seen him twice in early to mid 2000's.

Loved it. First time I was 16 and Warren Zevon had just died so he played a couple of his tracks.

If you haven't seen him and are a fan, do it. He's so damn cool and surrounds himself with talent.

If I hadn't seen him twice already I'd go.

Worst case the show is mediocre, but you got to see Dylan. Best case, well you know what that is. It's a win win if you ask me.

+ infinity
last saw him 15 years ago. not good

quote:

---

Posted by Nativebullet i would hold off. I hear his latest shows have been terrible.

---

Hold off? For when? He's miraculously going to return to his old self?

no no no no no

I saw him about 3 years ago in Atlanta simply to say I saw dylan. He played like 6 or 7 songs and it was terrible. Just a tiny old man muttering out incomprehensible words.

I guess it really just depends on how much value you place on simply being able to say you've seen bob dylan in your life.

I've seen Dylan 4 times over about a 10 year period. The first time was with the Dead in the 80's. The last time was at Jazz fest in the 90's.
The Dylan/Dead was Awful. Had to strain just to figure out what song was being played and couldn't understand a word he was singing.
Next time I saw him much better in a theatre in NYC. Much clearer and I chalked up the Dead thing as being ill advised.
Then saw him again in a big production and again, couldn't understand a word he sang. then I really enjoyed the Jazz fest show.
So, I think small venue with good sound it key.
Having said all that his voice is shot now and he knows it. I haven't seen him recently but he seems to know his limitations and uses his gravel voice as it is and doesn't try and pretend it's 1970.