Bob Dylan at Troy (2/22/99) and Amherst (2/24/99)

by Seth Rogovoy

(AMHERST, Feb. 25, 1999) -- Bob Dylan's "Never Ending Tour" bookended the Berkshires this week, with a show at the R.P.I. Field House in Troy, N.Y., on Monday night and another at the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday.

What the two shows revealed is an artist experiencing a full-blown resurgence. Dylan is more in command of his own performance than he has been since his 1974 "Before the Flood" tour with The Band. As a result, Dylan is now packing audiences into medium-sized arenas, audiences which are pretty much evenly divided between long-time fans and a whole new generation of younger acolytes, in some cases the children or even grandchildren of the original Bob Dylan fans.

Nearing 58 and a grandfather himself, Dylan appeared haler and heartier than ever. While up close the lines of the many miles he has travelled show literally and figuratively in his face, that visage was transformed when band and audience united in a rollicking frenzy as Dylan intoned his way through favorites like "Tangled Up In Blue," "Maggie's Farm" and "Highway 61," appearing and sounding a good 30 years younger than he is.

At Troy, Dylan was stentorian and prophetic, digging into the legendary "Basement Tapes" sessions for heartbreaking renditions of "Tears of Rage" and "I Shall Be Released," and investing Sixties anthems such as "The Times They Are a-Changin'," "Masters of War" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" with newfound poignancy.

At Amherst, Dylan seemed a bit looser and more relaxed. He nodded to the evening's Grammy nomination in a version of "Make You Feel My Love," and dug out the old concert staple, "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)." Dylan closed both shows with the good-time rockabilly classic, "Not Fade Away," itself an apt suggestion of rock 'n' roll resiliency.

The brilliance of his earlier songwriting has left Dylan with a deep reservoir from which to draw -- perhaps the deepest and richest of any songwriter/performer of the century. What is just as impressive, however, is that Dylan continues to add to this catalog. Each concert featured selections from his most recent studio album, "Time Out of Mind," and mortality-obsessed numbers such as "Love Sick," "Cold Irons Bound" and "Million Miles" added dark-hued, intimate tones to the concerts.

Dylan's energy seemed unflagging throughout. He occasionally let a smile take over his poker face, and exercised a few deep-knee bends and hip shakes much to the glee of fans up front. Dylan's backup group of the last few years, a relatively anonymous crew, has put together the best arrangements his tunes have been given since his work with The Band. His vocals are crystal clear and on top of the mix and, while he has apparently lost some of his upper register, Dylan makes the most of what's left of his bottom, infusing it with great passion and emotion, singing his well-worn lyrics as if he is thinking them for the very first time.

At both shows, the song "Tangled Up In Blue" was an audience favorite. Near the end of the song, Dylan sang the resonant line, "Me, I'm still on the road, heading for another joint," which was met with cheers, no doubt as much an affirmation of solidarity as a tribute to the legacy of this giant of the rock era.

Natalie Merchant warmed up concertgoers at both Troy and Amherst with a selection of songs drawn primarily from her recent solo career. The former lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs, now a godmother of the LilithFair, folk-pop multitudes, Merchant was a low-key sister to her fans, dancing around awkwardly much like a teen-ager might do in the privacy of her own room.

Merchant's songs were infused with a very 1970s folk-jazz sensibility with a soulful undercurrent. She also explored her more theatrical side, nodding to her glam-rock roots with a note-for-note cover version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." At Amherst, she indulged her penchant for the Seventies even moreso, attempting a spontaneous version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama."

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