“Gonna Change My Way of Thinking” from his 1979 album Slow Train Coming crackled with energy from Dylan’s roadhouse band, and the bard himself was in surprisingly strong vocal form that lasted well into the set.RELATED:Bob Dylan - still a work in progressGetting in on the actA nod to Bob in Tel AvivThe three-quarter’s full audience was older than at most stadium shows but had a generous representation of younger fans, most likely seeing their first appearance by the legendary troubadour. Following short opening acoustic sets by local rocker Asaf Avidan and veteran American singer/songwriter Rickie Lee Jones, Dylan and his band appeared to rapturous applause.
Shir Aloni, a 25-year-old videographer, exclaimed, “I’m so excited I can’t believe I’m here.”Dylan, 70, performed a varied cross-section of career favorites and obscure nuggets including “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and a radically reworked but stunning “Tangled Up in Blue.”While Dylan’s voice has certainly roughed a step or two over the years, there was an added depth of character to his vocals that boosted the songs’ resonance.During his frequent harmonica solos, he crouched in a prizefighter’s stance.During the song “Things Have Changed,” Dylan sang, “I used to care but things have changed.” It sure didn’t seem that way on Monday night in Ramat Gan.