Knopfler’s Playing Dazzles, Leaves Them Wanting More

It’s not often these days that one comes out of a concert wishing that the frontman had pulled more of a star trip, but that was the case with an otherwise almost flawless performance from former Dire Straits singer-guitarist Mark Knopfler on Sunday at the Greek Theatre.

On his first tour in 10 years, Knopfler dazzled at times, particularly during a lengthy guitar solo at the end of the epic “Telegraph Road.” Those occasional solos though, highlighted by the effortless finger dexterity that has made him a guitar legend, left the audience wishing he wasn’t so generous as a bandleader.

Backed by a veteran six-piece band, Knopfler gave all of his musicians a chance to shine--sometimes to the point of overkill, as on the understated “Romeo & Juliet.” Guitarist Richard Bennett did an acoustic solo leading into the elegant version of the Dire Straits tune. The gesture was nice, but when Bennett took the solo at the end as well, fans who had come to watch Knopfler display his prowess were a bit frustrated.

Similar instances came up repeatedly during the show, but the few occasions in which Knopfler did let loose on guitar, such as the climax of Dire Straits’ first hit, “Sultans of Swing,” were enough to satisfy the crowd. Although Knopfler did the requisite Dire Straits hits, including “Money for Nothing” during the encores, much of the show was devoted to last year’s underrated “Sailing to Philadelphia.” During that album’s graceful title track, Knopfler was joined by Jackson Browne, who sang the vocal part James Taylor handles on the disc. Bonnie Raitt also made a guest appearance, trading licks with Knopfler on a pair of songs, including a bluesy track Knopfler said he had written that day in the dressing room.