Sunday, October 18, 2009

Forever Young

Last evening I braved the crowd and the heat to attend a concert at the Arizona State Fair. I have been waiting for this particular show since its announcement two months ago. How could such a legend in American music play a show for just the price of admission to the fair - $10? If I chose to have a reserved seat, it was only $20. I opted for the twenty bucks.

I arrived about 30 minutes before showtime, took my seat and waited with great anticipation. It's not everyday you get to sit and listen to the words and music of such a master. As I sat excitedly waiting, I took a look at the crowd assembling. Wow, I don't see anyone under the age of 30 - bitchin'!

The house lights went down, the crowd quietened. The stage lights came up and the music began. It was a song familiar to all. The crowd was in full voice and tears came to my eyes. Yes, there he was in all his glory - the man, the music, the song - Bob Dylan opened the show with The Times They Are A-Changin'.

It was 1973 when I first saw Dylan in concert. At that time he was accompanied by The Band. As concertgoers entered that small hall in Memphis, everyone was handed a stick of incense and were told there would be an announcement when to light it. That night, like last night, was magical.

After an hour or so of Dylan and The Band playing, the hall went dark. You could see the beams from flashlights - they were obviously resetting the stage. About 10 minutes went by and a voice came over the PA asking us to light the incense. The hall quickly filled with the scent of strawberry as the music from a sitar began to play. Dylan walked onto the stage, approached the mic and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my friend, George Harrison". The crowd went wild.

George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, The Band and Bob Dylan all on the same stage? Was I dreaming? No, I was living the dream. It was one of those experiences that was all too surreal, where your body is numb and your mind is focused on the moment. Unforgettable.

It had been a very long since I had had the pleasure of being sung to not sung at. Dylan truly connects with his audience as if you are the only person there. He's such a gentle soul, humble to the audience's response. Today, I am reveling - reliving last night and that night 36 years ago - because today I am feeling Forever Young.

17 comments:

  1. $20 to see Dylan??? A couple of years ago my wife and I paid over $200 each for floor seats to see him. Fabulous show with a fantastic backing band. You're one lucky lady...both last night and HOW many years ago?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @ dufus - I had a friend that also paid $200 to see Dylan a couple of years ago in Aspen. His band last night was off the chart. Yes, it was 36 years ago last February, I was only 19. Do the math!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I was there last night. Great music for $10. Good to see a sensible audience in such a large venue.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holy Moly!! That is way cool!! And, yes, I am showing my age!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. @ burning_cactus - I agree. I was quite relieved that there wasn't an area set up for a mosh pit.

    @ Lee - Let's all show our age. Ready, set, go!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. How could it possibly get any better than that? What a magical evening that must have been!

    ReplyDelete
  7. @ CatLadyLarew - Oh, it was! Can you hear me singing? I haven't stop since the concert ended.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've never been to a Dylan concert. Kind of a shame too considering I've been to quite a few. At the time of the Memphis concert I was only 70 miles from there. Oh well...

    ReplyDelete
  9. SO ENVIOUS. What a great concert to enjoy. I thought the band was forever broken up? Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah yes, real live songwriters. Where have they all gone?

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ Don - Hopefully, he'll be coming soon to a city near you. Trust me, it's well worth the time and money.

    @ ManOverBoard - Sorry, what I meant was the band not "The Band". Nevertheless, the band last night was impressive.

    @ Knucklehead - I dunno, man. Somebody do something!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. No matter how many years go by, some bands/people still have the same magic that they did years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ah the sounds from the good old days. What a deal too, only $20.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would pay $20 to NOT see Bob Dylan.

    ReplyDelete
  15. $20 for Dylan?? That is a good deal.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can really relate to your feelings about Dylan. My wife and I have been Dylan fans for as along as I can remember. We own all of his albums plus a few bootlegs, and we'll travel hundreds of miles just to see him in concert. He is our greatest national musical treasure, a talent that hovers over other talents, guiding them with his amazing gift. Oh, and he just released a Christmas album. It's sorta weird, but he's never been very conventional.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by The Screaming Me-Me!!!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...