Connecticut Post, September 30, 2007: Difference between revisions
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Rock royalty | Rock royalty Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello came to Bridgeport Sunday night, and an appreciative crowd of about 7,000 flocked to the Arena at Harbor Yard to welcome them. | ||
Seeing Dylan in concert can be a hit-and-miss proposition especially if you haven't seen him perform live in many years. His once-nasal voice is now completely gravelly and he almost blurts out his lyrics in grunts, but this is Dylan and nobody ever confused him with | Seeing Dylan in concert can be a hit-and-miss proposition especially if you haven't seen him perform live in many years. His once-nasal voice is now completely gravelly and he almost blurts out his lyrics in grunts, but this is Dylan and nobody ever confused him with Sinatra. | ||
What the fans came out for was to see him perform the songs they grew up with in the '60s and '70s, when he was the "Voice of a Generation," in the words of Jack Nicholson. In that regard, he didn't disappoint, starting his 110-minute set with the classics "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," "It Ain't Me Babe" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." | What the fans came out for was to see him perform the songs they grew up with in the '60s and '70s, when he was the "Voice of a Generation," in the words of Jack Nicholson. In that regard, he didn't disappoint, starting his 110-minute set with the classics "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," "It Ain't Me Babe" and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." | ||
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Also mixed in were a few cuts from his latest album, "Modern Times," where his "new" voice is a better fit for the old-style tunes on that disc. | Also mixed in were a few cuts from his latest album, "Modern Times," where his "new" voice is a better fit for the old-style tunes on that disc. | ||
Having seen Dylan a couple of times in the past five years, it strikes me that his singing gets better as his concerts progress. I don't know if it's just a matter of getting acclimated to his sing-speak style, but by the time he led the audience down "Highway 61 Revisited," it was easy to see why Dylan's still a draw. " | Having seen Dylan a couple of times in the past five years, it strikes me that his singing gets better as his concerts progress. I don't know if it's just a matter of getting acclimated to his sing-speak style, but by the time he led the audience down "Highway 61 Revisited," it was easy to see why Dylan's still a draw. "I Shall Be Released" was another late-show highlight. It also helps that Dylan always surrounds himself with world-class musicians and this tour is no exception. On previous excursions, he had multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell as his not-so-secret weapon. Filling that role now is Donnie Herron, who plays violin, mandolin, and steel guitars. | ||
Costello, on the other hand, I expected to shine, and he did. From the opening chords of his classic " | Costello, on the other hand, I expected to shine, and he did. From the opening chords of his classic "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," through some of his lesser-known songs, Costello was in top form and the audience loved it, rewarding him with a well-deserved standing ovation as he left the stage. | ||
Costello even recalled his [[Concert 1983-08-05 Bridgeport|last visit]] to the Park City, which was nearly three decades ago. | Costello even recalled his [[Concert 1983-08-05 Bridgeport|last visit]] to the Park City, which was nearly three decades ago. | ||
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"It's good to be back in Bridgeport," he said midway through his set. "I think the last time I was here I played a [[Bridgeport Jai-Alai Fronton|jai-alai stadium]] whatever that is." | "It's good to be back in Bridgeport," he said midway through his set. "I think the last time I was here I played a [[Bridgeport Jai-Alai Fronton|jai-alai stadium]] whatever that is." | ||
Costello also managed to sneak Bridgeport into the lyrics of his new song, " | Costello also managed to sneak Bridgeport into the lyrics of his new song, "Sulphur To Sugarcane." | ||
If there was anything negative to say about Costello's set, it was that it was too short. Clocking in at just 45 minutes, I could have listened to him all night. On his first solo tour in 12 years, Costello was every bit as entertaining as when he's backed by his band. | If there was anything negative to say about Costello's set, it was that it was too short. Clocking in at just 45 minutes, I could have listened to him all night. On his first solo tour in 12 years, Costello was every bit as entertaining as when he's backed by his band. | ||
One of the highlights of a Costello show is his humor, his Irish wit regaling the crowd with off-the-cuff quips and colorful anecdotes and, unfortunately, his brief time on stage limited this repartee. He did get a laugh talking about his 10-month-old twin sons — his wife is jazz singer-pianist | One of the highlights of a Costello show is his humor, his Irish wit regaling the crowd with off-the-cuff quips and colorful anecdotes and, unfortunately, his brief time on stage limited this repartee. He did get a laugh talking about his 10-month-old twin sons — his wife is jazz singer-pianist Diana Krall — and how they're on tour with him. | ||
"I think it's safe to say we're raising them as carnie kids," he quipped. "They're on the tour bus with us, smoking cigars and playing cards." | "I think it's safe to say we're raising them as carnie kids," he quipped. "They're on the tour bus with us, smoking cigars and playing cards." | ||
Opening act | Opening act Amos Lee was a revelation during his 35 minutes on stage, a perfect complement to the headliners. His roots rock was often augmented by a sweeping organ sound, reminiscent of Dylan's '70s work with Al Kooper and Costello's forays into Americana with his longtime keyboardist Steve Nieve. | ||
Lee, a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, was equally assured when leading his four backing musicians in his electric guitar-driven numbers. Getting the opening slot for two bona fide rock legends could have been a daunting task, but Lee pulled it off with style. | Lee, a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter, was equally assured when leading his four backing musicians in his electric guitar-driven numbers. Getting the opening slot for two bona fide rock legends could have been a daunting task, but Lee pulled it off with style. | ||
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{{tags}}[[Arena At Harbor Yard]] {{-}} [[Bridgeport]] {{-}} [[Bob Dylan]] {{-}} [[Amos Lee]] {{-}} [[Frank Sinatra]] {{-}} [[I Shall Be Released]] {{-}} [[Larry Campbell]] {{-}} [[(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes]] {{-}} [[Sulphur To Sugarcane]] {{-}} [[Diana Krall]] {{-}} [[Steve Nieve]] | |||
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'''Connecticut Post, September 30, 2007''' | '''Connecticut Post, September 30, 2007''' | ||
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[[Sean Spillane]] reviews [[Bob Dylan]], Elvis Costello and [[Amos Lee]], Sunday, [[Concert 2007-09-30 Bridgeport|September 30, 2007]], Arena At Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, | [[Sean Spillane]] reviews [[Bob Dylan]], Elvis Costello and [[Amos Lee]], Sunday, [[Concert 2007-09-30 Bridgeport|September 30, 2007]], Arena At Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Connecticut. | ||
{{Bibliography no images}} | {{Bibliography no images}} |
Latest revision as of 03:56, 28 January 2020
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