CALGARY -- One thing that has always been a constant in Bob Dylan's career is his inconsistent live performances.

Ask any local Dylan fan who has seen him more than once and they'll admit buying a ticket for a Dylan show can be a crapshoot.

Last night, however, the risk paid off. Dylan was in top form, relatively speaking, during his highly anticipated show at the Saddledome.

About 7,000 fans watched the legendary singer-songwriter perform songs culled from his massive canon of work.

The fact is, Dylan has never possessed the strongest, most ear-pleasing voice, but he has certainly sounded worse for wear. His vocals may have been gruff and croaky for most of the evening, but Dylan could also express such a tender wail that it could make your heart bleed.

Such was the case during the breathtaking version of Visions of Johanna from his album Blonde on Blonde.

Clad almost entirely in black, including his trademark cowboy hat, Dylan was his usual cool self -- acknowledging the audience with a nod or two, but no stage banter.

Backed by a tight, superb-sounding four-piece band, which included renowned Texas guitar gunner Charlie Sexton -- Dylan began his set with a lively, top-tappin' rendition of Somebody Touched Me.

The gospel-like track was a fitting start as it was a prime example of Dylan's mastery of different musical genres.

He then launched into I Want You and It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). But it wasn't until the driving Memphis Blues that Dylan and his band hit their stride.

You could say Dylan rocked out, even if his idea of rockin' out is a little hop here and a foot stomp there. This was perhaps the biggest, and maybe the only, flaw with last night's concert.

While musically astonishing, it wasn't much to look at on stage. It's not to say his laid-back stage presence wouldn't work in a more intimate venue, such as the Jack Singer or Jubilee. But he just doesn't have the kind of stage show that reaches to the far end of a big arena like the Saddledome.

Still, Dylan appeared to be rejuvenated. The numbers crackled with energy and slower, bluesier numbers, such as Ballad of a Thin Man, were vibrant.

While some may argue Dylan had his heyday in the 1960s, his impact on popular music has lasted for decades. This was apparent last night, in the diversity of the audience.

Grey-haired couples sat next to teenage girls in low-slung jeans and thirty-something professionals clapped approvingly alongside tie-dye-wearing twenty-somethings.

Despite the age differences, they all knew the words to Lay lady Lay.

However, with such a wide range of songs to choose from, the crowd was treated to some lesser-known songs when all some of them wanted to hear were his hits, Like A Rolling Stone and Times, They Are A-Changin'. It was obvious people were becoming restless a little more than hour into the show.

As cheesy as the on stage greeting of "hello (insert city name here)" is, it would have been nice to hear Dylan utter a few words. Babblative, he is not.

The simple lighting and stage set up (the only backdrop was a black drape with a hippy eye design, later replaced by a white, pleated theatre curtain) was subtle enough to keep the attention on the man.

For those, like myself, who had never seen Dylan before, the show was a wonderful opportunity to see one of music's most enduring figures. For others, it may go down as his best Calgary performance.(More on Bob Dylan)