Heading in to Bob's stunning show. And we got Bob and we got multitudes and we got more. Meanwhile he pulled off his lifelong ambition, he separated the dancer from the dance. The most striking aspect of the gig was the fact that it was meta, if not anti rock n roll. We were way past all that. First impressions: the minimalist stage setting. The 30s art-deco-ish lighting. The jazz like layout of the musicians. Yeah sure Bob is centre stage but hidden behind an upright piano. No spotlights. No icons. None of that jazz. We're above the show. Magpie stealing all the shiny stuff. Hovering over a century's entertainment. Popping down to pluck all that's precious. And that's what Bob did. He was at 81, finally free. He didn't feel the need to deface his own work. Tonight at 3Arena he was going to embrace. And that he did. And it was magical. From the first notes. And Dylan's voice at 81 was startling. vital and always bleeding meaning. And we had so many Bobs it was disconcerting. We had balladeer, burnt out Bob, crooner, poetic Dylan, love song maestro. Ah stop it, stop it stop it Bob. This is too much. Way too many yous. Bob Dylan, do you know something? You contain multitudes. And more. As did the band. The usual suspects. With Tony Garnier hitting what must be 30 years. This band is effortlessly stunning. You gotta be if you're with Bob. If you are going to raid a musical century's lost ark, then you gotta know those Indiana moves. You gotta take out the Nazis. And these band dudes, they know the score. And all the scores. They just don't make a big deal about it. No grimacing guitar. No cliche. it's just all in a day's work; just presenting genius. Yes you heard me right. Genius. This gig deconstructed the whole rock n roll icon show. While joyously putting rock n roll in its place in the musical cannon. Alongside jazz and blues. And chanson. And performance poetry. And whatever you are having yourself. Dylan at the end of his game, at the height of his game, showed us all the pieces. Stop looking at me and listen, he so divinely sang. We won't play that silly encore game. We'll just the end the show like adults. Bob, I get it. I get it. I really do. But bad news for you. It just makes you so much more fascinating. Keep it going you angel headed hipster. We need more lights in the night
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