Dire Straits didn't receive much love from critics. Most scribes recognized frontman Mark Knopfler's guitar prowess but knocked him for singing too much like his buddy Bob Dylan. Then Dire Straits issued the 1985 single/groundbreaking video "Money For Nothing," which included the infamous hook "I want my MTV." The song, viewed as pandering by haters, hit No. 1, and it suddenly became very hip in certain circles to hate on Dire Straits — even though the band remained one of the best blues-and-groove rock acts of the 1980s. Fast-forward a couple decades: Knopfler the folk/country/rock solo artist is not quite a critical darling but he's finally getting his propers with the 2000 album Sailing to Philadelphia, largely viewed as a minor masterpiece. But don't fear, Dire Straits enthusiasts, recent sets have found Knopfler peppering the solo material with classics like "So Far Away," "Romeo & Juliet" and, yes, "Sultans of Swing."
Mark Knopfler w/Jessica Hoop, 8 p.m., Wed., July 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. $75.50, $65.50. rutheckerdhall.com.
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2008.