Bob Dylan and The Band was already a match made in heaven. Throwing Neil Young in there works wonders. A benefit for Bill Graham, the rock promotor who worked with this trio of artists for much of their careers, sees the three titans perform on the same stage. Kezar Stadium is the coming together of three powerhouses. Well, two. Dylan and The Band had already worked well with one another and adding Young into the mix was a bold and refreshing move. Crucial to the flow of Kezar Stadium and the collaborative efforts of three artists rightly considered the all-time greats is a consideration of how their music fits together. No main player steals the spotlight for too long in this performance. They are all equals, and to suggest anything less would be harsh.
What each member adds to the other’s song is fantastic. Lotta Love has Dylan bounding through with vocal work overlapping Young and The Band. Everything comes together as it should which is remarkable considering the flow of unique voices, the power they hold, coming to a head on stage. But there is beauty in this collaboration which manages to avoid the too many cooks problem often heard on the various artists headlining a stage with their contemporaries. It is a shorter set than one would expect but it has all the hallmarks of a collection of legends coming together, however briefly, to bring new light on a cause close to their hearts. Kezar Stadium benefits greatly from the trio sifting through their best works. Lookin’ for a Love is a tremendous moment for this live performance, with Young alone leading the charge for this one.
Young sets a high bar with his performances here and it comes at a rough time for Dylan. Forgetting lyrics, suggesting left-field songs, and not quite being up to scratch on I Want You, the all-over-the-place pieces of his work are still enjoyable. There is an earnestness in their performance. An essential desire to pay tribute to one of his close on-the-road colleagues, yet a fluffed experience. Young has to take over for parts of these and it marks an interesting change as the gig goes on. Young was overshadowed on his first performance but shoves his way through to the forefront while Dylan is incapable here of producing much brilliance. His sparks of wilder vocal performances are lost and in its wake is an off-kilter performance. His mind is elsewhere. Dylan was piecing together Desire and coming off the back of Blood on the Tracks at the time. No wonder.
It ends as it begins, with fascinating choices and an air of awkwardness. A stiffness to this performance at Kezar Stadium is unexpected but accepted. Will the Circle Be Unbroken has Dylan floundering, forgetful in a piece reliant on all its moving parts being at the top of their game. It happens. We cannot chastise the man for dragging the end of Kezar Stadium. He more than makes up for it with Knockin’ on the Dragon’s Door, another flub from the man who insisted these songs be played. Neat works all in all but the potential for so much more can, frustratingly, be heard the more the gig plays on. This is a trio of musicians who moulded the future of music and the sound they provide here is a plain imitation of that.
