Expecting Rain

After reading reviews of the latest shows in the states, I'm getting the impression that a fair number of the shows are happening in fairly smallish venues and are drawing relatively small audiences ie not selling out etc. I hate the thought of Dylan palying to half full houses. Here in Europe it tends to be bigger venues/arenas and they are usually pretty full. Recentish USA shows I attended in the last few years have also been packed - am thinking 3 nights in Chicago in 2009, Paso Robles 2007, Vegas 2008. What does anyone think? Is his audience declining all of a sudden? And does this expalin doing Europe with Knopfler as it makes it easier to fill big venues? Do we Bob's people think he is losing his audience. It's all a bit worrying.

Well, just tour Europe more often. Or play smaller venues.
No, really now, Bob's popularity ebbs and flows, see early to mid-1990s.... small venues.

In an interwiev/statement - maybe from the 70s or early 80s, I don't remember when - he said something like: if I fill only half the venue, it's to be.

Every show that I attened (Toledo to Rochester Hills) had near-capacity crowds.

The Memphis venue was probably not completely sold out but it was full, and capacity was just under 5,000. The Ryman in Nashville seats about 2,500 and it was completely sold out. Evansville seats about 8,000-9,000 but it was maybe less than half full. However, Evansville is not a lareger city (like the 2 aforementioned) so I couldn't imagine it coming close to selling out.

Scranton was fairly packed, but there were cheap seats you could have gotten where you can sit on the grass behind the venue and listen and that looked somewhat empty.

Last year in Bethlehem there may have been a lot of empty seats on the bleachers, but the ground floor was packed enough. It was a large gym where he played.

He may have announced this summer’s U.S. tour a little late. Some of the venues, like Jones Beach, have a Summer Schedule that is released with publicity and anticipation in the late Spring Bob's date there was not announced until mid June.

The Jones Beach thing was last minute for sure. There was a Billy Joel tribute band scheduled and when that cancelled Bob slid right in. Maybe the Billy Joel thing was always up in the air and they told Bob to wait it out, otherwise he would have scheduled something much earlier some place else.

Sounds like the audiences aren't as sparse as I was fearing.

The HOB show in Boston sold out w/i a half hour (according to an employee I spoke with). Although not a huge venue, tickets are long gone.

I haven't noticed much of a decline. Economy's not so great and ticket prices are very high but generally Dylan appeals to the educated, most of whom are still making money. There IS a problem with the bots taking down the best seats and that may affect the entire business.

Its also important to note the US unemployment remains near 10% for nearly the fourth year... it hasn't done that in a very long time. The economy is anemic... for many people its hard to justify the money for a show... a weeks worth of groceries for the family or one ticket to see Dylan in concert...

I agree that Dylan fans in general may be better educated but in this economy even the better educated are vuolnerable. The signs I see at the moment lead me to believe we are heading back into a downturn similar to 2007 - 08 and that isn't going to be good.

Yes, the economy is terrible, and Dylan tickets aren't cheap.





I don't know about the others but the Chicago shows were at small venues (the Halloween show was fantastic BTW : )

When I saw him in 2006 at a large arena it seemed to be at least 1/3 empty, which doesn't create a very good vibe.

They're still cheaper than most other performer's tickets of Bob's status (when he's not touring on expensive double bills, that is....)

That's true... Bob doesn't appear to be out to gouge anyone... When I saw him in 2005 with Amos Lee and Merle Haggard the balcony tickets were $41 and that included tax. It was the best value for the money ticket I have ever purchased... The ball park tours they've kept the ticket prices reduced AND children under 12 were free with paying adult/parent. Can you imagine, in the year 2060 telling people you saw Dylan live as a child?!

BD tix. are very cheap. Compare them to other artists' pricing.

They aren't a lot for an artist of his stature, but as someone who remembers when a concert was maybe two or three times the cost of a first run movie, all concerts are outrageous (and movie prices have far exceeded inflation themselves, but nothing like the rape-o'rama of the concert industry). There's hardly anyone I'd pay those prices to see, outside of Bob Dylan-why settle for less than the best?

hardly cheap, to say nothing of "very cheap"; I don't care what the other ripoffs are charging. I seldom buy. My Jayhawks seat will be far cheaper, though, and I'm expecting a better show (as well as a rarer show).

The recent Jayhawks show I saw was 30 Euros, that not excatly cheap for a small scale club show either. Since nobody is selling records anymore, everyone grabs the money where they can and that's live shows at the moment. Having said that: Jayhawks were excellent. Like Bob they do stick to mostly the same setlist though, avoiding any major surprises.

I don't mind paying a little more for a smaller venue. I also don't mind paying a little less for GA.

TBH the smaller the venue the better I like it. Usually a better atmosphere as it`s more intimate and there are more real fans too.

The Mann Center in Phila. Pa. last summer sold 15000 plus seats........

No, this is from Billboard:

Mann Center, Philadelphia: 5,910/6,421 (92%)

This is from Billboard for the 2011 Summer Tour

Santa Barbara Bowl, nta Barbara
3,769/4,059 (93%)

Lakefront Arena, New Orleans
3,390/4,000 (85%)

Mud Island, Memphis
4,147/4,700 (83%)

Fraze Pavilion, Kettering
3,828/4,307 (89%)

Meadow Brooks, Rochester
3,976/7,701 (52%)

Mann Center, Philadelphia
5,910/6,421 (92%)

U.S. Cellular Pavilion, Guilford
3,385/5,795 (58%)

It 'd be interesting to compare stats from a decade ago...probably not hugely different, I would guess.