Bob Dylan in Denver

I grew up in the 1960's listening to Bob Dylan's music, but I first saw him perform live in the old Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh Pa. It must have been '79 or '80--'81 at the latest. It was the "Slow Train" tour and Dylan was on fire for the Lord (or a Lord), inspired, defiant, and brilliant. I've seen him repeatedly since then, in various parts of North America, and through thick and thin. During the 1980's, there was a lot of thin. But towards the end of that decade, there were faint glimmers of light--a song here, an album there. And in the early '90's, Dylan decided he had either to quit or go down swinging. Thankfully, he chose the latter and, ever since, he has been honing his sound and (with the stable anchorage of bassist Tony Garnier) perfecting his live performance. Last night's set in Denver was ferocious with songs like “Cold Irons Bound” and “Ballad of a Thin Man” among the big guns booming. The amazing guitar work of Austin's Charlie Sexton (recently returned to the line-up) was an added treat. If you haven't seen Dylan live in the last decade or so, or if you’ve never seen him live, you must go see him now. He is a force of nature. Go and hear the old lion roar.