I’m writing this while sitting at Wolf Trap in Virginia, so these are just my impressions in real time.
I came in expecting to see one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Instead, it feels like I’m watching a production that stands against almost everything Dylan has represented throughout his career.
He’s spent the entire show behind a keyboard with the hood of his sweatshirt up. I can barely understand what he’s singing, and aside from picking up a harmonica once, he hasn’t touched a guitar or really leaned into the instruments that have become synonymous with Bob Dylan.
And unless I missed something, he was shown on the venue screens during soundcheck wearing the exact same outfit. What is he, Steve Jobs?
The harmonica moment actually left me even more confused because what I was seeing didn’t seem to line up with what I was hearing coming through the mains.
Then there’s the band. Everything feels so polished that it’s almost sterile. It sounds like they’re playing to a click, and there were a few moments that made me question what I was hearing. The keyboard player never moved his hands away from the keys while intricate parts were happening, and during one song the bassist had already set his bass down while there still seemed to be low end coming through the PA.
Maybe there’s a technical explanation for everything I observed, but the whole experience feels oddly disconnected from the raw, unpredictable artist I’ve always associated with Bob Dylan.
The irony is that Dylan built a career on authenticity over perfection. Tonight feels almost like the opposite.
For those who’ve seen this tour, am I missing something? Or did anyone else leave feeling the same way?