Bob Dylan played a standing-room-only show in Fort Lauderdale last month as part of his 2018 tour

SHADE-O-METER RATING

5 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “10s ACROSS THE BOARD – LEGENDARY STATUS”

Who’s Bob Dylan? I’m sure that we all know who he is. What’s the Au-Rene Theater? It’s the main theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It holds about 2,600 people, and it has three levels. How was the venue? It’s first-rate. How was the parking? They have valet, or you can park in the garage for $12. The garage is about a block away. Does the venue serve liquor? Yes, and there are multiple bars. We got one double chardonnay for $19. How was the drink? Fine.

The latest chapter in the highly acclaimed Bootleg Series makes available the pivotal studio recordings made by Bob Dylan during six extraordinary sessions in 1974 that resulted in the artist’s 1975 masterpiece, Blood On The Tracks. The 2 LP configuration of More Blood, More Tracks assembles 10 of the most emotionally resonant alternate takes of each of the 10 songs appearing the original Blood On The Tracks plus a previously unreleased version of “Up to Me.”

Does the venue serve food? They have some snacks. How was the food? We got a chocolate bar. It was good; it costs about $3. Where were the seats? At the back of the mezzanine, a.k.a., the second level. How much were the tickets? About $110 each, including those annoying Ticketmaster fees. The flat price was $93.75 each (how did they come up with 75 cents?). Was the show sold out? Yes, completely. They even had a standing-room-only area. Was there an opening act? No.

How was the show? I’ve seen him several times before, and, concerning the sound of the whole band, there’s no one that sounds quite like them. The closest comparison I can think of is The Stones. The reason that The Stones sound different than everyone else is that the songs are driven by Richards on the guitar, as opposed to just about what everyone else does, where the rhythm section (the drums and bass) drives the song. It’s said that this is a dangerous way to play, but, if one can do it right, there’s nothing that sounds like it. The same thing is going on here with the Dylan band—He’s leading the songs from the piano. Regarding the songs, it’s common knowledge that Dylan’s not going to perform them as written, and this show was no exception. The set consisted of a mix of standards and the obscure. Standards consisted of “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (a fabulous subverted version of it), “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Like A Rolling Stone” (this one really got the crowd jazzed up), and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” The band consisted of either four or five members (I couldn’t quite tell because of the distance) and, particularly with the lighting, came off like the house band from a David Lynch film.

How was the crowd? Here’s where it gets interesting. No photography was permitted, and the ushers were swirling around like hawks over this one. The crowd mostly consisted of baby boomers, and we all know how they are when it comes to cell phones—those fingers had to of been itching like mad to satisfy the Facebook beast. And satisfy it they would, for they started with the phones during the last few songs. The ushers tried to stop it, but there was just too many at once. I can guess why Dylan prohibits the phones, but one wonders if it would be less distracting to just let them do it than to try to hold them back, because, ultimately, there’s really no stopping them. You also had a fair amount of ones who left halfway through the show, no doubt, because they weren’t getting the typical “rock concert” experience. Have they watched one live video of Dylan’s that was recorded over the past 30 years?

What could have improved the show? Really, nothing. Either you like him or you don’t, but the music was on point. And for those who are critical about Dylan’s voice, it is what it is. They should know what they’re getting into by now. Regarding the abundance of merchandise, I’m not sure that that aligns with Dylan’s no-nonsense image. What was surprising about the show? The way that Dylan interacts with the crowd. I thought that I remembered him at least greeting the audience in the past. There was none of that here. He never addressed the audience (not once), he either stayed behind the piano or very far upstage the entire time, there were no spotlights or video screens of him, and his exit consisted of one brief bow with the rest of the band. I can’t think of anyone in the history of show business who’s at this level that did something like this. Even Elvis and Michael Jackson—both were known for having little interaction with the audience—said at least a few words to them.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 S.W. 5^thAve., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

SHADE-O-METER RATING

4 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “SHE GAVE GOOD FACE – SHE SERVED IT”

What’s Onlywood? It’s an Italian “trattoria” (Notably, there are three Italian-dinning styles. Osteria, which is tantamount to American take-out, is the least formal. Trattoria, which is casual but still consists of table service. And ristorante, which is the most formal and emphasizes haute cuisine) in Key West. The restaurant is right off of Duval Street, but it’s rather easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Hence, there’s a slight air of the “hidden gem” going on with it.

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Was there an age restriction? No. What time did we go? Around 9:30 p.m. How was the maître d’? No complaints. What was the décor like? The lighting is low in the alley that leads to the restaurant, so there’s a haunted-house vibe that exudes as one enters. The décor of the restaurant itself is done in typical Key West style.

What was the seating like? The inside seating is more illuminated and less quaint than the al fresco area. What was the atmosphere like? Casual. In addition, many of the staff speak Italian. What was the crowd like? Mostly tourists.

How was the cruising? The days of Key West as a gay mecca are long gone. No cruising. When’s happy hour? Daily, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. What libations were ordered? One glass of white wine, which was $9. Were they served timely? Yes.

How were the drinks? There was nothing great, but nothing bad, about the wine. What was ordered? An Alla Caprese salad for $13.50, Fettucine alla Bolognese for $17.50, Fettucine Parma e Parmigiano for $15.50, and a 4 Maiali pizza for $18.50. Was the food served timely? Yes.

How was the food? The mozzarella in the caprese salad was advertised as homemade, and possessed a wonderful richness to it. The tomatoes in the dish were less impressive. The fettucine in the bolognese was homemade and egg-based. The noodles were excellent, but the meat was a bit bland. The noodles were the same kind in the parmigiana dish, and the sauce in this dish was authentic and first-rate. Regarding the pizza, the restaurant has an imported brick oven, and if there’s one standout to the place, it would likely be their pizzas. The sauce in the pizza pops in the mouth on the first bite, and the prosciutto and pepperoni in it was delicious. However, the pizza’s crust was bit of a disappointment, as there was no required crunch.

How was the service? Fine, but there was nothing special about it, either. What stands out about the place? The pizza and the al fresco dinning. What could be improved? The food needs to be a little more consistent. In addition, the plant on the table with the price tag kind-of blew the “trattoria” bucolic theme.

What was surprising? The music. It was all Italian, but each song was basically a rip-off of non-Italian artists. The music went from an early-rock Buddy Holly-ish song, to The Stones, to Bob Dylan and then to Abba.