I think I just probably came off the best two nights of back-to-back music in
my entire life:
Friday - I made the last minute decision to drive two hours from St. Louis to
see Bob Dylan at SIU-Carbondale. The Brian Setzer Orchestra opened up and were
very entertaining. The predominantly college crowd of approximately
7,000-8,000 people were obviously there to see Dylan however. I've seen Dylan
probably around 15 times dating back to 1977. In that time I've seen some
awful shows. This show is the best I've ever heard Dylan. His voice sounded
the best I've heard in a long, long time and he and his band were playing like
they were flat-out inspired. It was interesting to see the majority of college
kids going nuts, the older fans who have kept in touch with Dylan's music over
the years enjoying the new songs, and the minority of older people there to
see Dylan play his old songs completely at a loss to why he performs a number
of his songs so differently than the recorded versions. He played five songs
from "Time Out Of Mind", covers including "Rank Strangers" and "Not Fade
Away", and a few songs I've never heard him perform live before such as "My
Back Pages." It's fascinating to me how much he reinvents his music and keeps
it relevant today (Rolling Stones take note). I believe it was Dan Bentele who
questioned the relevance of "The Time's They Are A Changing" a few days back.
Dylan skipped that song on Friday but played "Blowing In The Wind" instead.
This should have sounded like an old tired warhorse but it was done completely
different and was truly an amazing thing to behold. In a time where NYPD
officers find it necessary to fire over 40 shots at an unarmed man and we're
involved in skirmishes left and right, the lyrics to "Blowing In The Wind"
sounded VERY relevant. Seriously, if you have a chance to see Dylan and have
been a fan of him in the past, do yourself a favor and go hear him. One of the
most inspiring shows I've r seen. At least until Saturday.....
Saturday - Mavis Staples was doing a special benefit concert in St. Louis for
the Black Alumni Association at Washington University. This concert was held
at the Sheldon which is the most acoustically perfect hall in St. Louis and
seats perhaps 600 people. She was there to pay tribute to the music of Mahalia
Jackson. Words can not express how powerful this show was. It was just Mavis
Staples and a keyboard player (primarily organ) whose first name was Tony who
she said has won a couple of grammys. I don't know his last name but the guy
was so ridiculously good that it was a joke (BTW it's not the person playing
keyboards on her CD). I'm a white guy who grew up Presbyterian in conservative
Orange County. I've never been to a Southern Baptist church before. I can only
imagine that this is what it is like but to the nth degree. I've seen the
Staples play and steal the show at the Long Beach Blues Festival some time
back but this was altogether different. To hear the crowd yelling out
exaltations while Mavis Staples was singing in a what can only be described as
divinely-inspired voice while backed by a man who played keyboards that
sounded like Booker T.and singing wonderful harmonies is as good as it gets. I
will never be more moved. God Almighty, this is the most amazing thing I've
ever heard. What a gorgeous voice with the richest lows you'll ever hear that
Mavis Staples has been blessed with. Her stories about growing up and being
mentored and befriended by Mahalia Jackson were poignant and beautiful. Once
she started singing these songs made famous by Mahalia Jackson and let go, it
was impossible not to be totally swept away. I'm questioning why I'm trying to
explain this when I can't possibly describe in words how good this show was.
All I can say is I'll never hear or see anything better than that.
-John
http://www.musicfolk.com/swoop
