What can you say about seeing Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson perform? Not much. It was a beautiful night outside in St. Paul. Willie was laid back, Dylan’s band was tight and seemed to have a good time.
Perhaps Dylan Hicks — who I normally find more than a little arrogant but who at least has some talent as a musician and a music writer to compensate — said it best in his preview of the concert in the City Pages last week.
Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman in one of the finest states in the entire Midwest, wrote hit songs for Peter, Paul & Mary, the Byrds, and Olivia Newton-John, and also turned the Beatles onto marijuana, but failed to create global equality or keep Johnson from escalating the war in Vietnam. Then he took time off to recover from a motorcycle spill or to kick hard drugs or to shake irritating hippie sycophants, one of the three. He was briefly a member of punk-rock collective USA for Africa. Despite Down in the Groove and that Victoria’s Secret commercial, he’s one the greatest artists America has produced. Willie Nelson wrote “Crazy” for millions of karaoke enthusiasts, and also turned the state of Texas on to marijuana. He has the coolest beat-up guitar in popular music and plays it very well, too. He was briefly a member of punk-rock duo Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias. His latest album is a well-intentioned but disappointing reggae effort. Despite participating in Toby Keith’s pro-lynching “Beer for My Horses,” he’s one of the greatest singer-songwriter-guitarists of our time. Black tie required. $49.50. 6:30 p.m.
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