Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour Waterbury Palace 11/11/23

 First time at this opulent venue to view what may be the end of the “Neverending tour”. Waterbury is known for jittery neon signage that beckons (warns?) of sketchy wings and gyros, so I was delighted to get a seat for this sold out performance. The theater has a beautiful old school lobby, chandeliers, and an ornate ceiling that transports the fan to anywhere but Waterbury. I rarely see shows listed for this venue and find it hard to believe that third string productions of Annie can keep the lights on. What do you do if you are an 82 year old folk singer with thousands of song writing credits, years of social activism, and a Nobel prize? Pen a new album and take it on the road. Dylan comes out promptly at 8pm and rolls through 90 minutes of music that leaned on the recent Rough and Rowdy Ways record. The setlist went like this: Watching the River Flow, Most Likely You Go Your Way, I Contain Multitudes, False Prophet, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Black Rider, My Own Version Of You, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, Crossing The Rubicon, To Be Alone With You, Key West, Gotta Serve Somebody, That Old Black Magic, Mother of Muses, Goodbye Jimmy Reed, and closed with an excellent version of Every Grain of Sand. Dylan came out and played piano for the entire show, the days of guitar and harmonica are over, but the piano allowed him to drive the proceeding from center stage. The band was bass, guitar, drums, keys, with some members taking on other instruments for effect. I have seen Bob many times over the years, with the Dead at Foxborough, twice at Lake Compounce ( poured both times), with Paul Simon at The Meadows, with Joni Mitchell at MSG, at a new Gampel Pavillion at UConn, with the Jerry Garcia Band at the end of the New Haven Colliseum era, and at The House of Blues in Vegas. I even know someone who was at the 5 hour marathon Toads Place show, which counts.Dylan shows and records have been a constant in my musical journey and am a proud and continual fanboy. We all know Dylan detractors, “ I can’t understand him”, “ you’re never sure what kind of show you’ll get”. To this I say, listen harder, familiarize yourself with the catalog, and realize that daily performances for over 60 years is a special thing.