Bob Dylan’s simple line of “I have no apologies to make” — from his song “I Contain Multitudes” — might have seemed an appropriate summation of his concert Monday night in Pittsburgh.
Oft heralded as America’s greatest songwriter, Dylan did things his way in a sold-out show at the Benedum Center on his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which kicked off back in 2021.
At 83, Dylan has earned the right to follow his prerogative, no matter the accolades (like winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016) or the recent attention (the Oscar-nominated biopic “A Complete Unknown” starring Timothée Chalamet).
Over the course of about two hours Monday, Dylan opted to skip past the majority of his best-known songs, bypassing generational anthems like “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” and big hits for other artists like “All Along the Watchtower” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
Instead, Dylan played nine of 10 songs from his 2020 album “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” five songs from the 1960s, two from the ’70s and one from 1981 – with even five of those older songs recently re-recorded for his 2023 album “Shadow Kingdom.”
And the adoring and respectful crowd — other than the odd few bellows of “Go get ‘em, Bob!” and “We love you, Bob!” — didn’t seem to mind, relishing the chance to witness a living legend in person. With a strict no-phone/camera policy in place, the audience was left to soak in the memories, and a memorable night it was.
As the lights rose, Dylan sat behind his piano at center stage, his back turned to the crowd, so he could play electric guitar on “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” with a lengthy instrumental intro. Midway through, Dylan swiveled to play the piano, accompanied by his crack band — guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, bassist Tony Garnier and drummer Anton Fig, all dressed in black — on a spartan stage, illuminated only by several yellow lights.
Another lengthy intro opened “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” with Dylan again turned backwards on electric guitar, switching to piano and then standing up for the final notes. His varied vocal delivery shone on “I Contain Multitudes” before the jangly, bluesy “False Prophet” with the apropos lyric of “I sing songs of love, I sing songs of betrayal.”
The harmonica came out for the first of three times on “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” which had an arrangement echoing Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” followed by a haunting version of “Black Rider.” On “My Own Version of You,” Dylan’s rapid-fire vocal drew applause in a sparse performance that focused on the piano with lighter accents from the band.
Dylan banged away on the piano as the quintet boogied about as loud as it got on the night on “To Be Alone With You,” before a particularly bluesy “Crossing the Rubicon.”
Then came the double barrel of evocative imagery with “Desolation Row” — which might have drawn the biggest response afterwards — and “Key West (Philosopher Pirate).” There was no political talk — Dylan sang “I play both sides against the middle” in the latter — but that same song’s “down by the Gulf of Mexico” line elicited an audible, positive response.
A rollicking “Watching the River Flow” amped up further when Dylan returned to his electric guitar, before a soulful, piano-driven performance of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” — which sadly featured some people taking the first line of “you must leave now” literally — and another harmonica feature.
Related
• Review: The Linda Lindas display youthful energy in sold-out Pittsburgh concert
• Interview: Everclear's Art Alexakis on 30th anniversary of 'Sparkle and Fade' and more ahead of Pittsburgh show
• 2025 Pittsburgh area concert calendar
The gentle “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You” led to a simmering “Mother of Muses” before a bluesy romp through “Goodbye Jimmy Reed.”
“Thank you so much,” Dylan, who hadn’t addressed the crowd, said before he introduced the band for the finale. “… This is a great place to play.”
“Every Grain of Sand” felt hymnlike and appropriate as the closer, considering its religious inspiration and its place as the last track on Dylan’s “Shot of Love” album. A big harmonica outburst near the end guaranteed more appreciation from the audience.
With that, the band lined up in a row behind the instruments, soaking in the applause for a moment. Dylan adjusted his jacket, and then the lights went dark.
This long-winding Rough and Rowdy Ways tour — which included a stop on Nov. 15, 2021, at UPMC Events Center in Moon — continues Tuesday in Williamsport, while Dylan’s most recent area appearance came on Sept. 14, 2024, during the Outlaw Music Festival at the Pavilion at Star Lake, which had a much different setlist.