VOL. XV, NO. 6
JANUARY 18, 1974
Bob Dylan Hits Chicago
With 'the Same Old Style'
With 'the Same Old Style'
By BONNIE HEIDEN
On the weekend of January 3 and 4 Bob Dylan was back in Chicago for two performances.
The question was what was Dylan's new message for the 70's? Was his style of singing different? To get the answer these people took buses, hitchhiked, and traveled hundreds of miles to see him.
After he withdrew himself in 1966 at the height of his fame and told the world to get lost, people came to see if he was the same Dylan. What they saw is what they wanted to see. He didn't change a bit - same person and the same music, but it sounded better than ever.
When Dylan finally walked calmly onto the stage, he was the same Dylan everyone remembered. He was warmly accepted by the crowd with applause and screaming. The mood changed as Dylan and the band started to play. Everyone was silent and listened diligently. The audience cheered him not like a teeny‑bopper group, but with the healthy gladness of friends greeting a long‑absent friend.
On the weekend of January 3 and 4 Bob Dylan was back in Chicago for two performances.
The question was what was Dylan's new message for the 70's? Was his style of singing different? To get the answer these people took buses, hitchhiked, and traveled hundreds of miles to see him.
After he withdrew himself in 1966 at the height of his fame and told the world to get lost, people came to see if he was the same Dylan. What they saw is what they wanted to see. He didn't change a bit - same person and the same music, but it sounded better than ever.
When Dylan finally walked calmly onto the stage, he was the same Dylan everyone remembered. He was warmly accepted by the crowd with applause and screaming. The mood changed as Dylan and the band started to play. Everyone was silent and listened diligently. The audience cheered him not like a teeny‑bopper group, but with the healthy gladness of friends greeting a long‑absent friend.
Dylan and the band played 28 songs all vintage Dylan, except for a few songs from his forthcoming album, "Planet Waves."
Only mail orders were accepted for tickets, because Dylan felt this was the fairest way. This gave everyone of different ages the same chance - not just the same bunch of teenagers that spend nights waiting in line.
When Dylan and the band decided to go on tour they worried that they wouldn't be accepted for their kind of music. Most people are used to rock stars like Alice Cooper and David Bowie. Plus, they hadn't forgotten Dylan's last tour in 1965 when his lead guitarist Hobble Robertson was booed off of the stage in Europe. But when they came to Chicago, their feelings changed. They once again felt welcomed and loved.
Dylan has been a millionaire since he began singing, so the reason for making this tour is not for the money. He says he wants to hear good music and see his fans for a few more times. After the concerts in Chicago, Dylan and the band will travel to 21 different cities to do the same. Some examples are Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston, and Miami. Hopefully he will be warmly welcomed there too.
Only mail orders were accepted for tickets, because Dylan felt this was the fairest way. This gave everyone of different ages the same chance - not just the same bunch of teenagers that spend nights waiting in line.
When Dylan and the band decided to go on tour they worried that they wouldn't be accepted for their kind of music. Most people are used to rock stars like Alice Cooper and David Bowie. Plus, they hadn't forgotten Dylan's last tour in 1965 when his lead guitarist Hobble Robertson was booed off of the stage in Europe. But when they came to Chicago, their feelings changed. They once again felt welcomed and loved.
Dylan has been a millionaire since he began singing, so the reason for making this tour is not for the money. He says he wants to hear good music and see his fans for a few more times. After the concerts in Chicago, Dylan and the band will travel to 21 different cities to do the same. Some examples are Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston, and Miami. Hopefully he will be warmly welcomed there too.