Riffs: Bob Dylan's venues, they are a-changin'

Bob Dylan's 115th different venue. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI)

The Never Ending Tour isn’t just a clever name for Bob Dylan’s seemingly endless string of concerts. “The poet laureate of rock-and-roll roll, the voice of the promise of the ’60s counterculture, the guy who forced folk into bed with rock” has been circling the globe pretty much non-stop since the late ‘80s. That includes plenty of stops in the D.C. area. And just as Dylan continues to change the arrangements of his songs, he switches up venues regularly. Saturday night he’ll play at the Smith Center on the campus of George Washington University. It will be his 12th local concert since 2004 at his 10th different venue. A rundown below, with reviews of each show that was reviewed.

2010
Nov. 13, Washington, D.C. at Smith Center (George Washington University, review coming Monday)

2009
Nov. 11, Fairfax, Va., at Patriot Center (George Mason University)
“...his singing was clear and direct -- and his manner determined.” -- Chris Klimek

July 24, Aberdeen, Md. at Ripken Stadium

2008
Aug. 10, Baltimore, Md. at Pimlico Racecourse (Virgin Mobile Festival)
“No croaking tonight, just the playful rephrasing that's become the norm over the past decade.” -- David Malitz

2007
Sept. 28, Columbia, Md. at Merriweather Post Pavilion
“...the turnaround was so magnificent that the idea of the first few songs as a sort of prank seemed almost plausible.” -- Joe Heim

2006
Aug. 19, Frederick, Md. at Harry Grove Stadium
“But these days, the man sounds less like a rock-and-roll icon and more like Cookie Monster with a head cold.” -- Chris Richards

Nov. 17, Fairfax, Va. at Patriot Center (George Mason University)

2005
June 14, Bowie, Md. at Prince George’s Stadium
“...his voice sounded as cutting as it did when the song was first released 42 years ago.” -- Joe Heim

2004
April 2, Washington, D.C. at 9:30 Club
“Though his voice was froggier than ever, he and his band mates -- guitarists Larry Campbell and Freddy Koella, bassist Tony Garnier and drummer Richie Hayward -- compensated with sound and speed...” -- Joe Heim

April 3, Washington, D.C. at Bender Arena (American University)

April 4, Washington, D.C. at Warner Theatre

Aug. 12, Aberdeen, Md. at Ripken Stadium