Monday, October 11, 2010

Bodhisattva Man/Working Musician


I have been to see Bob Dylan play two times.
Once was in 1976 and he played at Tully Gym which is, yes, a gym, at FSU and I was phenomenally pregnant with my first almost-born. It was hot. A very dear friend of ours had committed suicide the day before. We learned the news right before the concert. I was wearing a garment I had made with a length of material and some elastic.
It was the Rolling Thunder Review that Dylan was playing with. He looked like this:

There was a bomb scare. Dylan announced it from the stage and told everyone that they could leave but that he was staying.
No one left.

I spent most of the concert walking around the lobby, too pregnant to sit in the seat in the heat of the gym and watch Dylan and Baez and Kinky Friedman and who can remember who all else. I walked in the lobby in circles, holding my belly, rubbing my own lower back, thinking, "Floyd is dead. He hung himself. But he was supposed to come for dinner that night. Floyd is dead. He hung himself..."
Etc.

That was 1976.

Flash forward to 1999. Dylan was back in Tallahassee, this time at the Civic Center.
We were as close to the stage as we could be. No seating. This pissed me off. I felt like I was too old to stand up for an entire concert. Really. I was what? 45.
Dylan came onstage, craggy and hunched over, searching the ether for his music. I guess. Who knows what Dylan is doing? Ever?
He started playing.
Something happened inside of me and I began to yell (and I am not proud of this), "It's Bob Dylan! It's FUCKING BOB DYLAN!"
I yelled that quite a bit. I am sure the people around me were highly entertained and charmed as well.

I couldn't help it. I honestly could not control myself.
And guess what? It was Bob Dylan.
Fucking Bob Dylan.

And he wasn't preening and he wasn't laying back on his laurels and he wasn't interested in bullshit. He was being what he is, which is a musician and his band was as tight as any band I've ever seen or heard and his guitar player did not take his eyes off of Bob because obviously, Bob decided at the moment of creation how each and every song would go.
He growled, he spat, he played guitar, he shoveled out songs and threw them at us, he didn't wait around to see where it landed, he didn't care. He was digging up dirt and blood and tears and bone and the very viscera of his soul, doing what he had been put on this planet to do and if we liked it, great, if we didn't, whatever, he had done his job and I loved every second of it.

A few days later, when Mr. Moon and I were talking about the concert, I said that I'd never seen a performer make so little eye contact with his audience.
Mr. Moon paused and then said, "He was looking at me all night."
"What?!"
"Yeah. Really."
Since Mr. Moon's head was above everyone else's, I suppose this should not have come as a surprise.

We do not have floor seats tonight. They were all "presold."
Fuck presold.
Oh well. I'll probably be on my feet the entire concert no matter where our seats are.
I wonder if I'll be screaming, "It's Bob Dylan! It's fucking Bob Dylan!"

I'm a grandmother now. In fact, I'm taking care of my grandson for a few hours today before the concert.
So what? Dylan's a grandfather and if he can make the music to inspire me to such profane and holy heights, why the hell shouldn't I scream his name?

Look- as with Lennon, if you weren't there when Dylan's comet burst through the atmosphere, you have no idea. Take my word though, he, too, changed this world and some of us are still reeling. He didn't break the rules, he invented them. And then he broke his own rules. And he'll be doing that tonight, once again, I am sure.
His guitar player better be paying attention.
I know I will be.

And I am awed and in wonder that I'm still here, he's still here, and we'll be there tonight.
I'm anxious- I haven't been to a concert in years. Years.
But I'm not missing this one.

Hell fucking no.

It's Bob Dylan. Fucking Bob Dylan.
It's 2010.
I'll be there.

I'll let you know how it goes.

16 comments:

  1. I believe that sharing amazing music with like minded people is a spiritual experience unlike any other.

    Have a beautiful time at church.

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  2. Fabulous, have a great time!

    I too was born in 1976... an important year :)

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  3. Hope you have an incredible time :)
    I saw him during my college years... inspirational and soul warming and like coming home.

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  4. I love your passion, Mrs. Moon. I hope you screamed, danced and experienced as much as you could take.

    xoxo

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  5. Go Mary!!! Scream and laugh and sing and dance. Gotta embrace the good when we can and this is certainly good.

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  6. rock on mrs. moon!!!!
    and return to reveal every moment..
    xoxoxoxoxo,
    rebecca

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  7. When I saw Mr. Dylan, he didn't talk to the audience once...no eye contact, like you said. But that music...what a gift.

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  8. I hope the concert doesn't disapoint. I saw him a few years ago, when he was touring with Paul Simon. He actually opened, played the requisite 45 minutes, then Paul Simon came on, they played a few songs together. "Wake Up Little Susie" was one of them. It was very uninspiring...
    He may have been Bob fucking Dylan, but one can't dine out on that forever.

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  9. Y'all have a sublime time. I know you will. Bob fucking Dylan is right on.

    Love you!

    By the way, I heard some years back that Bob liked to stop in at his grandson's school and play for the kids. Of course the little kids had no idea who this man was, so they started calling him Weird Guitar Guy. I thought that was just perfect. Out of the mouths of babes, man.

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  10. He is my favorite. I have been to see him about 5 times. I stood right at the stage in Asheville. He is probably the best lyricist of our times. And his band rocks out. I am really glad that you are going and that you like Bob. I remember saying to C.--it's like seeing Jesus for me. He is that great to me.

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  11. Yay, have a super time, and shout all you want!

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  12. I'm so jealous. And even though I'm a decade younger than you, I claim him as my musical hero. I WASN'T there when the comet was let loose, but I've received it, nonetheless. I can't wait to hear about it from you -- I'm so excited to hear about it from you!

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  13. Geezmaneezz! Another comment lost. Since I posted one this morning and now it is gone. And I suppose I am not the only one.

    By now you should be clapping and dancing. Hope you and Mr Moon have a grand old time.

    x0 N2

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  14. Yes, why the hell shouldn't you be screaming his name. I think I can hear you right now. Glad you didn't have to wait another 23 years.

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  15. The Rolling Thunder Review in Tully Gym. That must have been great except for the pain in your back and a distracting baby in the front. Does Tully Gym exist anymore? I remember going to a few activities there but by the time I was of concert going age the new LCCC was being built and Tully lost out. Can't even remember where it was in Tallahassee I've been away so long!?!? Sorry to hear Bob seemed to be going through the motions... Seen a few acts like that these days, where they have a few hits from the past (or even a vast library but seem dim compared to their previous brilliance. Nothing like seeing a band or musical performance at the height of their game. RTR must have been the deal!!

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  16. Lisa- I most certainly agree. Dance is prayer. My favorite sort.

    Jo- Oh. You baby.

    Corinne- I'm glad you got to see him when you were younger.

    Karen- Unfortunately there wasn't as much passion as I would have loved. But it was passionate enough.

    Kathleen- It was good and it was head-shakingly mysterious.

    rebecca- I tried!

    Nancy C- Yes. Mr. Dylan doesn't need idle chatter to charm.

    Lucy- Mmmm. I think maybe you CAN dine out on being Bob Dylan forever.

    Ms. Bastard-Beloved- I thought of that story all night long. Thanks!

    Syd- I completely understand. And I think he may be one of the best lyricists of all times.

    Lora- I was sort of afraid of the couple next to me. They were weird.

    Elizabeth- You know what true gold is. I love that about you. Among other things.

    N2- We did some clapping. I wish I knew what was happening to your comments!

    Michele R- Ha!

    Scott- Yep. Tully's still there but now it's just a gym. And yes, The RTR was great but I just wasn't in the shape to appreciate it.

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