Live Review: Bob Dylan 50th Anniversary Concert

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan's self-titled debut record, cherished Australian contemporary musicians Josh Pyke, Holly Throsby, Kevin Mitchell, Patience Hodgson and Kav Temperley took centre stage at the Sydney Opera House to pay homage to the legendary folk singer.

Alternating between one another, Josh Pyke opened up the set with It's All Over Now, Baby Blue before introducing his replacement. Holly Throsby took the stage with the trembling power of her voice, which escaped into the chamber of the Opera House as she bellowed the words of Girl From The North Country.

Next up Kevin Mitchell strode onstage with his guitar decorated in red and green Christmas lights. Without the aid of the band, Mitchell delivered the first folk anthem of the night, playing Blowin' In The Wind to appreciative applause. Mitchell was then joined by Patience Hodgson to perform a duet of If Not For You before Hodsgon was left to dance about in a free-spirited fashion whilst singing Visions Of Johanna, taken from Dylan's most celebrated record, Blonde On Blonde. Kav Temperley finally appeared and it was hard not to be taken aback by the richness of his vocals as he recalibrated the usually jovial It Ain't Me, Babe into a haunting and methodical ballad.

Each artist provided an entertaining sense of showmanship, but ultimately it was the music of Dylan that made the night so memorable. Mitchell's smooth crooning of Lay, Lady, Lay, Temperley's feverish retelling of Hurricane, Pyke's faithful albeit stripped back cover of The Times They Are A-Changin' and Throsby and Hodgson's duet of Hard Times all resonated meaningfully with the audience.

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 was easily the most rousing song of the main set. With Temperley taking care of the vocals, Mitchell and Hodgson danced amongst the isles with tambourines in hand as the crowd whooped along. Childhood friends Pyke and Throsby quickly countered with a striking and intimate version of Don't Think Twice, It's All Right. Ending the evening with a bang, all five performers took to the stage for an encore of Like A Rolling Stone. The crowd rose to its feet and clapped the beat for the entire duration as the celebration of Dylan's music reached its crescendo.

An invigorated audience left the Opera House wistfully humming favourite Dylan songs of old, provided by five musicians who did justice to the legacy of Bob.