Let us make a few facts clear: Bob Dylan played a solid show this past Friday at the Mullins Center. He sang and played with energy, even occasionally soloing on guitar and organ. Fears that old age has left the man slow and in poor voice have proved to be unfounded. The band is the same one Dylan has been touring and recording with for the past 10 years, so they have a tight dynamic. The set list consisted of a solid combination of fan-favorites, popular classics, and recent material. The crowd sang along with joy, and the Mullins Center smelled of patchouli and marijuana.

Bob Dylan, without question, was in top form Friday night. The issue wasn’t that this was one of his “off” nights – a problem many fans often take as a given. The issue was that every Bob Dylan fan who was able to shell out the money for the $60, or the student-discounted $30, ticket was given an adequate, tasteful show bereft of spontaneity. The songs had been re-arranged in the sassiest blues-rock manner possible, practically daring fans to say they weren’t being played with energy. They were. But it felt like they weren’t being played with even a modicum of the creativity or restless spirit Bob Dylan has made his name with.

Dylan, as usual, spoke little throughout the performance. Usually this makes him seem mysterious and a figure of purity. Many reviews highlight this aspect, connecting it to his enigmatic past or claiming the idea is to connect purely to the poetry of his music, and to ask more of him is to be a selfish fan.

However, in a stadium setting, this aspect of his performance only served to further isolate the songwriter. The new arrangements meant that, with the possible exceptions of “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” his songs were left de-fanged. It felt like music designed for Baby Boomers which had lost the spark of vitality it takes to approach artists of that generation critically. This was the spark lacking in Dylan’s performance Friday.

Technically, it was a very successful show, but think about this: If you were to walk up to the merchandise table in the lobby of the stadium where one of your favorite artists was performing, how would you react if you found that no t-shirt was being sold at less than $35?

If you were to go see one of the most groundbreaking, fascinating figures in popular music in concert, how would you feel if every song was arranged in the blandest, most serviceable blues-rock arrangements possible?

Don’t call it artistic death; call it artistic stagnation.

This is one negative account of the concert. The Mullins Center was packed last Friday with many satisfied fans. If you are looking for a positive review, talk to someone who loves their favorite artist unconditionally. If you’re looking for a spark of life in the music, go back to the recordings.

Mark Schiffer can be reached at [email protected].