I've had the good, and sometimes bad fortune of seeing Bob Dylan perform many times on his so-called "Neverending Tour," going back to the early '80s when I first saw him in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Since then, I've seen the man, the myth, the legend in various types of venues, from 20,000-seat arenas to a 16,000-seat amphitheater to a sweaty, thousand-seat club (one of the best Dylan shows I've ever seen).

But I haven't seen him in Albuquerque, which is where Dylan Rutter (yes, as in that Dylan), saw the bard of rock 'n' roll on July 21. Dylan Rutter grew up around Dylan's music, but he's relatively new at writing about it, which ain't easy.

He's a student at Texas Tech — where I studied journalism — and a staff writer for its Daily Toreador. He's also new at reviewing, so I thought I'd give him this forum to wax poetic about the show. I'll give him a few pointers later.

Here's what he had to say (with a few minor changes here and there):

By Dylan Rutter

Bob Dylan played an amazing concert at the Hard Rock Pavilion in Albuquerque, N.M., on July 21. It wasn’t sold out, but the smaller audience added a more personal feel to the large outdoor venue. 

The crowd waited with great anticipation until and his band finally came out. He was wearing a black cowboy suit, trimmed with red lining from his collar to his legs, and one of his signature wide-brimmed hats. The band wore matching gray suits.

Typical of Dylan, he didn't speak as they began to play, slightly late, around 8:05 p.m. , starting the show strongly with “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,” which quickly got the eager crowd moving and singing along. 

There were a few slight mistakes and slip-ups along the way, but when the band was in sync, which was most of the time, it created a momentum that swept across the crowd like wildfire.

He sang “Visions of Johanna” like an old love song; at a slower, hypnotizing pace that emphasized the emotion in his ragged voice. “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” was played smooth and relaxed. “Tangled Up In Blue” was another standout.

Others had more more energy, like “Beyond Here Lies Nothin,’” with Dylan on guitar, a rare treat these days.

The show's first half was more of a slow build. Once the set reached the midway point with “Summer Days,” Dylan and his tight band really kicked into gear, the crowd matching their energy with cheers, dancing and singing. 

There truly were many great moments throughout the show. Dylan was clearly in high spirits, smiling most of the time as he sang, treating us to several harmonica solos, some guitar (something he used to play a lot through most of his career) and some very loose, confident keyboard playing. He often toyed with the crowd,  playing keyboards with one hand, smiling at the crowd and striking a few classic Dylan poses.

He also channeled his inner crooner on some songs, which added great character to the show. Whenever he approached the microphone with just a harmonica, the crowd knew it was in for a treat. 

The most powerful song of the night, the one with which he closed the regular portion of the set, was “Ballad Of  A Thin Man,” with Dylan on harmonica and vocals. It was played at a half-time-like tempo, with dark, somber lighting projecting giant shadows of Dylan and the band. The echo effect on Dylan’s voice was the icing on the cake. Every time he said, “Do you … Mister… Jones," it shot chills down my spine, and probably a few thousand others'. 

He returned for the first encore, offering a simple, “Thank you friends,” then lit into “Like A Rolling Stone,” which the crowd went nuts for. Dylan introduced his band before the last song of the encore, the only time he really acknowledged the audience, quickly jumping into “All Along the Watchtower.”

It seemed like that was going to be it.  A few people began gathering their things and making their ways to the exit as the crowd continued to roar its approval. A second encore, an amazing version of “Forever Young,” ended the show on a perfect note. The show ended with the band walking wordlessly to the middle of the stage for a bow.

It was entertaining from start to finish. There were some mistakes, but they didn't take away from the show, they added to it, giving it a more human feel than a pre-programmed one. And for a few hours, it seemed everyone there, from the graying hippies to the college kids, were forever young.