The highlight of the show for me was Elvis Costello. Everything about him said "artist."
His words, the vocal treatments, his body movements and stage presence, the way
he played (attacked) his guitar with changes in tempo and dramatic pauses, it all
smacked of a creative person expressing himself. It was especially powerful when
compared to Dylan's repetitive voice modulation and assembly line cranking out
of inferior versions of old songs -- very unartistic.
One of my favorite Costello songs was "The River in Reverse." He had a message.
(Dylan, who used to be the man with a message, is now reduced to an idol on
stage who is applauded mostly for what he did in the past.)
At the end of the show I got my camera back. Here is a final picture of the Dylan
encore, All Along the Watchtower.
When I got home I checked the website. I've never been in small
claims court, and I thought it might be fun to take the Nutter Center
and/or Bob Dylan to court over the camera issue. Apparently they
changed the camera policy a half hour before the doors opened. That
might weaken my case a little. The website used to say that cameras
were allowed as long as they didn't have a detachable lens over
three inches long. I was looking forward to the concert precisely for
the opportunity to take some pictures.
Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello
At the Nutter Center on the Wright State University campus.
This is the shot that caused me to lose my camera. They kept it until after the show, but they didn't erase the pictures.