A History Of Bob Dylan: A Musical Journey With Cal Williams Jr ~ Adelaide Fringe 2025 Review

[MUSIC/Folk ~ SA ~ WORLD PREMIERE] Tin Shed at The Wheatsheaf Hotel,  Fri 14 Mar, 2025. A history of Bob Dylan. One might ask, which Dylan? There are so many to choose from and the title of this show is as bold and ambitious as the man himself. Dylan is a major challenge for any musician but Cal Williams Jr is no stranger to Adelaide audiences and certainly has pedigree amongst his peers so there was a certain expectancy in the room. We are greeted with a projection of a Dylan quote: "Be groovy or leave man". Sage advice. Throughout the performance the screen rolls out iconic images of '60s Dylan. Cal Williams Jr arrives from the back of the venue strumming and harping unplugged singing Blowing In The Wind, weaving though the crowd to the stage, setting the tone for the evening. Most of the first set features early Dylan songs with Williams talking tales of Dylan's involvement in the civil rights movement. Williams has a lonesome melancholy about his voice that wraps itself nicely around his fine finger picking style, a style he goes some way to explain with reference to the Appalachian blues players and the '60s British folk scene. After a short interval Williams is able to show off that finger picking style in full with instrumentally expansive takes on both Spanish Boots of Leather and Girl From The North Country. Following a brief sidestep into Dylan's electric era, featuring a blistering Maggies Farm, we find ourselves back in the early Dylan acoustic era and once again we are serenaded with an unplugged version of Blowing In The Wind as Williams waltzes his way back out of the venue. It is a big ask to cover all of Dylan's history as a solo performer in one show, so it's no surprise that Cal Williams Jr  concentrates on a particular era. However some representation of the later decades would have rounded off a more holistic evening. So, A History Of Bob Dylan? Not quite but if you love Dylan's early acoustic albums (and who doesn't?) you are in for a treat from one of Adelaide's finest players. 4 stars Peter Mciver A History Of Bob Dylan continues at Tin Shed at The Wheatsheaf Hotel from 8pm until Sat 15 Mar. Book at FringeTIX or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #ADLfringe #ClotheslineMag