Bob Dylan Delivers Sleepy Set

There's no denying how influential Bob Dylan is to millions of peacenicks-turned-business executives and their long-haired 13-year-old kids. It's likely that reason alone packed the folk icon's show at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. To be able to say you've seen Dylan play "Highway 61 Revisited," "All Along The Watchtower" and "Like A Rolling Stone" live — for historical purposes — is fucking great. But take away that context, and this sold-out show was mind-numbingly boring.

Dylan's not a performer. He doesn't move, he doesn't talk, he didn't even play guitar. He stood by his keyboard all night singing song after song, mostly numbers off his new record, Modern Times, or turning old favourites such as "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" into nearly unrecognizable bar blues. This might have worked in a worn down old bar, but it was enough to put more than a few people to sleep in a giant arena.

But could you have expected anything else? At the very least, Dylan sticks to his guns. The Minnesota-born musician has never compromised and he's not about to start. Dressed all in black and accompanied by an equally mundane (albeit talented) group of musicians, Dylan didn't bother setting up a big screen so his fans in the back could see him. There were no flashy lights or giant pigs floating around the arena. It was just Dylan standing in front of a blue curtain, playing the songs that make him happy. With tickets going for a hefty price, some fans must have been disappointed. But if you thought the guy who wrote "Masters Of War" would suddenly introduce laser beams and singing doo-wop girls into his live show, you obviously have no idea what Dylan's about.

Luckily, a few discernable classics crept into the set. Bitter '65 single "Positively 4th Street" and show opener "Maggie's Farm," from Bringing It All Back Home, were both crowd pleasers.

Dylan's unending quietness was contrasted by the Foo Fighters, whose opening acoustic set resonated with the aging audience. Backed by Petra Hayden on violin, the Foos played most of the songs off their new acoustic live disc, Skin And Bones, including "Everlong" and "Big Me." Until the Dylan tour, the Foo Fighters were playing acoustic shows at small venues, including Toronto's Hummingbird Centre, and Grohl said they weren't sure how the set-up would translate to an arena setting. Fortunately, with about eight people on stage, including Pat Smear, non-electric versions of "See You" and "Best Of You" came off just as strong as they do at regular volume.

It was clear the kids were into the Foos, but Dylan fans were also bobbing their heads throughout the set. While the band were able to maintain the energy of their electric songs, they weren't as loud or aggressive as usual, something the older crowd seemed to enjoy and recognize. After each tune, the applause grew and, by the end, young and old gave the Foo Fighters a standing ovation.

The only downside to Grohl's performance was his incessant rambling. He's usually pretty funny, and hearing him crack jokes is all part of a Foo Fighters show, but during one breakdown where he introduced his band, he wouldn't shut up. However, if I knew at this point that Dylan's communication would be so non-existent, I might have appreciated his banter more.

In fact, Dylan could learn a few things from Grohl, especially how to make a graceful exit. After Dylan finished playing "Summer Days" from 2001's Love And Theft, the lights went dark like they did after every song. But this time they never came back on. An awkward pause followed, with the audience not knowing if the headliner left the stage or was just taking his time to play another song. After about five minutes it was clear that he wasn't coming back, so the audience began cheering for an encore (which he'd eventually deliver).

It's no secret Dylan's a strange guy, and he proved it at this show. However, like Roger Waters, Robert Plant and all the aging legends, just seeing one of the most important artists of the 20th century in person, was almost worth every sleepy moment.