SHARING THE SHOWS
I had never seen Bob Dylan live, but he’s a common bucket list item. So when Johnny invited me to see him, I said, “Of course!” Sadly, Johnny couldn’t make it due to family obligations, but I’m always happy to hit a show solo.
This was the last week of classes, and I’m happy that I’m scheduled to go back to in-person teaching next semester. Three and a half of semesters of teaching to video screens is more than enough for this cat. After my hours ended, I walked down to the 3321 Bistro in Cleveland Park for some finger-lickin’ fajitas. I chatted with my server, a sweet young woman named Diary, who filled me in on a Bottomless Sunday Brunch. I’ll be sure to bring my appetite for that. Some of the Metro trains have been down, so my transfer at Gallery Place was delayed by 22 minutes, but I’ll still take that over having to fight the fifth circle of hell that is DC rush hour traffic. After a quick pass through the vaccine card check line, I made it into the Anthem at 7:53, with seven minutes to spare. What is normally the dance floor was filled by seats. Since I had a measly GA standing ticket, I was relegated to a heightened platform, but no matter. I could hear them, I could kinda see them, and I was pleased to see that despite Mayor Bowser’s decision to drop the mask requirement, about ¾ of the concertgoers were masked. I doubled up in this case. I didn’t recognize any of the songs Dylan played (staples like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” didn’t show up, but there seemed to be a standardized setlist, like there is when most bands tour, which is on this link. Dylan’s known for his songwriting, and his “I Contain Multitudes” indicate he clearly knows his Walt Whitman. It was a good show, not great, but good. It was mellow, and I bopped my head a bit, and apparently I couldn’t make out his version of “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” But I did have the experience of seeing Dylan, and what I did love is that it started on time and it was only ninety minutes, so this introvert was happy to exit the venue at 9:30. As much as I love my jam bands, occasionally, some of their two-set shows feel a bit…drawn out. At any rate, the ride back is always a good people-watching experience, especially when the platforms are packed with drunken Caps fans, which reminds me of the Caps game my friend Ellen and I attended when I visited her back in 2014. The post-show ritual of snacking and Netflix is one I enjoy immensely. Some pumpkin pie and Simpsons were great for mellowing me back out. As far as I know, this will be my last show of 2021, and a show usually does get me to a place of introspection. These past couple of years have been difficult for everyone in COVID, myself included, but I’ve found hitting the occasional show has helped bring me some sense of normalcy, although lately, I find going outside of DC for a show isn’t all that enticing, because, well, I’ve got all the shows I need right here. Anywho, here’s to (hopefully, a better) 2022 for all of us.
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April 2024
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