On the Dylan Show

Saturday night I attended my first ever Dylan concert. When telling friends and family over the last several weeks I've received a variety of responses. Some (typically more familiar with his newer work) expressed excitement and envy while others warned me about Bob being 'washed-up,' a shell of his former self.

Before I write a proper review, I must state my position. Yes, I like newer Dylan records as well as the classics. Yes, I tried to lower my expectations before the show because I fully recognized that I was seeing a 68 year old man in concert. Yes, I had fun, but no, I probably won't go again. No regrets, though, honestly.

Bob moved gingerly around the stage, spending the majority of the night clinging to his keyboard as if it were a walker. His physical deterioration, however, didn't take away from the radiant enjoyment performing continues to give him. Dylan transitioned effortlessly from song to song, moving from newer songs to classics and all those in between. The band sounded great, albeit excessively loud to shift the focal point away from Bob and toward the band itself, this is also apparent in their stage formation.

After a shaky start, it became clear where the nights' highs and lows would be placed. Dylan plays his newer work with gusto and clarity. Some of my favorites included 'Cold Irons Bound' and 'Jolene.' However, his performances of classic Dylan selections left much to be desired. Some were so disheveled I needed to repeat the lyrics back to myself just to identify the song. See 'lay lady lay.' Others, 'Like a Rolling Stone' in particular, were painful attempts to recreate original recordings. During this rendition, Xtina and I had simultaneous feelings of being trapped inside a pbs fundraiser where living members of one-hit bands from the '60's are reunited to play staggered versions of their hits to adoring blue-haired fans.

Despite the upbeat performance, I feel saddened when I think about his lost abilities. I don't feel that Dylan could physically sit on a bar stool and play 'Mr. Tambourine Man.' His voice simply doesn't have the dexterity it once did. The few times Bob picked up the guitar Saturday night, it was for songs with only the simplest chord changes. This deterioration must be happening quickly. One of my favorite Dylan albums is this years release, 'Tell Tale Signs,' an album of b-sides and outtakes from the last decade-or-so of albums. And while you can tell the difference between a 90's track and a recent track on this record, I can't imagine present-day Dylan performing anywhere near this caliber.

It's a... Cat!

Obviously, my interest in blogging as waned. Facebook is so much simpler and easier. Tonight I have a rare closing shift so I'm bumming around the apartment, looking at websites, needlessly eating junk food and listening to gordon lightfoot and old son volt albums on lala.

Boulevard Lakefront Tour is Sunday. Xtina and I are committed to the 100 mile ride. It'll be my longest ride of the year but I think I'm up for it. I've been volunteering for the event for a couple of weeks. Someone there thought it would be a good idea to put me in charge of route signage. We'll see how that goes.

I'm finally getting that cat I've been talking about for so long - and what a cat it is. Poe will make a lovely addition to the family. I've never been a cat owner before, I'm sure there's nothing to it, right? In no time I'll be posting photos of Poe in a box and dressed in costume. That's right, I'll be one of those 'cat people.'

sunny afternoon

Summer appears to be here and I'm taking advantage of it by sitting out on the back patio with a tall glass of iced tea. Being home in the afternoon is one of the major perks to working early mornings.

Xtina has started her year-long nursing program.

Sunday morning is Bike the Drive, that Friday is critical mass. The Sunday following is Tour of Austin. I'm astonished by the quantity of organized cycling available in the city - I attend only a fraction.

I'm already complaining about the heat.

the early shift

Today marked a new milestone in my bicycle obsession: an intentional bike commute in the rain. Yesterday I was able to install real (read: not clip-on) fenders all by myself without getting frustrated or screwing anything up. I was surprised at how easily everything came together after all the months of agonizing at which type of fenders to purchase. I also bit the bullet and bought an expensive pair of rain cycling pants. And how did the ride go - I'd be lying if I said it was didn't mind the rain but it sucked much much less than an unintentional ride in the rain. Maybe this year I'll ride through the winter as well.

The ride to work was great, though. I had to count inventory this morning which meant a 3:30am ride through the city. I don't think I'd ever ridden so late into the night. It was exhilarating! The city is alive at that hour: dreary-eyed late night latin bar-goers stumble onto Milwaukee avenue under the watchful eye of chicago's finest, hard-hatted laborers smoke cigarettes with greasy hands outside the steel mill on cortland street passing over the still river, the lights on marcey street not yet lit giving the nearing skyline even more dominance over its surroundings. I'm considering starting a series of overnight rides through the city. I think it'd be hard to get a large enough group to ensure safety though many neighborhoods.

Xtina is almost done with city college. She can't wait to get back to "smart people school." We've seen six or seven houses with our realtor, who was just featured in the latest publication of the Chicago sustainable business alliance, but all of them, regardless of price, seem to have at least one fatal flaw: caving-in facade, mold, wiring stolen from the walls, or my favorite - gas leak (motivated seller). Looking is fun, though, if not a little frustrating.

Erin has got me all nostalgic for Grand Rapids but I'm not sure when I'll be able to return. Work is crazy right now. I'll get back eventually.

I am no longer 'on a boat'

but I feel like I am.

I got home Sunday night and have been feeling what can only be described as Vertigo ever since. I'm doing fine, though. I'm sure I'll get over this 'land sickness' soon enough.

Yes I had a good time and yes I experienced a great deal of liberal guilt - it was very clear that people like me don't go on cruises.

Looking forward to:

First round of walk-thru's with our kick-ass realtor
Neko Case show on the horizon
First 6-pack of two hearted purchased in the city
Discovering I have a free airline ticket accumulated through frequent flyer miles
Flaming Lips at Pitchfork!

cold as ice

I've just returned from my first bike tour of 2009 - "Vuelta a Albany Park." Comprising only 20 miles the ride was more a neighborhood tour than a 'bike tour. The event was part of a series of year-round neighborhood bicycle tours organized by a local amateur historian, among other things. Given the temperature, I layered for the outing and managed to stay warm enough except for my feet and the roads were dry enough not to have to worry about ice. I'm hoping I can continue to do these every month. Let the 2009 season begin!

Xtina had her first adventure with the local Polish supermarket today. Typically we're Whole Foods people but after working at a place and learning it's inner-workings, you begin to see things in a different light and I think we're opening up to different options. Xtina was delighted to discover she can pass as Polish - it must be fun to be able to pass as a local.

Friends coming into town in just two weeks, vacation in three weeks - It'll be nose to the ground until then.

Wednesday

It's Wednesday again and that means I'm enjoying a day off. I've already done some reading and caught up on emails. I'm currently reading a book that is completely blowing my mind. It's called "You Are Here: personal geographies and other maps of the imagination" and it's totally up my alley. The book is filled with outright inspiring images - I just read an essay in it called "Personal Geographies of Appalachian Trail Hikers" which I found particularly interesting. It's gotten me thinking about my own "personal geography" and how perhaps what I love most about living in Chicago is the expansion of that area of my psyche. If I want to hop on my bike and be somewhere culturally, ideologically and thematically hundreds of miles away from me I can do so in minutes - there are miles and miles of space with which I have no relationship. Particularly, I think about the evolution of personal geographies and collective personal geographies. For instance, when I visit lincoln park I can stand on a site that's been home to a native american burial ground, a new Olmstead park, the site of countless labor disputes, a meeting place in a working-class neighborhood, a riot scene during the '68 democratic national convention and at the same time all the unseen personal feelings associated with place that are given birth and die without ever seeing light.

Of course, it's been unseasonable warm as of late and I've been to riding to work again. The problem is that when I leave the house at 6:30 it's much cooler than the daytime high and it may be freezing at that time and nearly sixty in the afternoon. Monday morning I rode in and fell on a patch of ice onto the dirty, oily street. I later learned that the street was all wet in that particular section because of an open sewer only feet away from where I landed. Thank you City of Chicago.

I just worked out a deal with my employer that gives me every Wednesday off to volunteer. I'm pumped. I've applied applied for one organization already. If you have any good ideas on where I can spend my time, let me know.

The Art Institute is free all February. I think I'll head down there this afternoon.

we can make this happen

I'm in the midst of a cold, cold winter. It's been above freezing (34) just one afternoon in several weeks. Still, I'm feeling guilty about driving to work as many of my colleagues are still riding in. Sheesh. I said I could last through the winter this year but I was horribly mistaken.

In other news, I ate meat yesterday. I didn't even feel bad about it or anything. I'm carrying this line of fresh pasta made by a 'mom and pop' operation on the west side of town and they happen to make rotolo, layered flavored pastas with cheese and spinach sprinkled with prosciutto. It came in and i simply couldn't say no. It was delicious!

Now I'm home enjoying an episode 'Man Vs. Wild,' watching Bear bathe in siberian snow while I wait for xtina to come home.

I bought Bonnie 'Prince' Billy tickets this morning and I'm super psyched about the show - and about peter and erin coming in to see it. I also bought Neko Case tickets for the Chicago Theater. I figure I've never been there and I'd love to see her in that setting. With so many concerts coming to town, I'm not sure where to stop. I almost bought Morrissey tickets. I almost bought antony and the johnsons tickets.

Only eight more weeks 'til vacation.