Archivist Bill Pagel Seals the Deal: Now Owns Both Homes Bob Dylan Grew Up In

The former Zimmerman home, Hibbing. Photo: Iron Range Resource Bureau

Bill Pagel is now the proud owner of both houses that Bob Dylan grew up in. A long time collector and Dylan archivist, Bill took possession of the Duluth Central Hillside duplex — first home Bob Zimmerman lived in as a toddler — nearly a decade ago.

That he would eventually own both homes was practically a given. He was living in the house next door to the former Zimmerman home in Hibbing, patiently waiting for the price to come down to something within reason. A few weeks ago he acquired the home.

The former owners, Gregg and Donna French, had owned the home since 1990. Throughout the years they’ve talked to 1000s of fans, musicians and authors who have visited the house. They decided that it’s time to move on.

Celebrating Dylan’s birthday with cake on the front yard of his first
boyhood home till he was six. Young Bobby Zimmerman lived upstairs
in this duplex.  Photo 2016, Duluth Dylan Fest.

This past week as he was moving in a fellow from Canada drove up on a motorcycle and shared an anecdote that might correct a myth about Bob’s relationship with his father Abe Zimmerman. The motorcyclist said that when Abe was alive he had some of his son’s albums in the window of his hardware store. Clearly he had a father’s pride on display there.

Gregg French, who has known Bill Pagel for many years, said that he can think of no better person to become the next caretaker. Bill plans on restoring the home and returning it to the color it was when Bob Dylan, who at the time was known as Bob Zimmerman, lived there from 1948 through 1959.

Bill Pagel

I learned about the sale on a very hot day this past month as three friends from our Duluth Dylan Fest committee helped move a 1930s stove up a flight of stairs. Bill has been in the process of restoring the Duluth house so that the furnishings match the decor which was there with Dylan was a youth. He already owns the actual high chair Bobby Zimmerman used. By using photos from the period he is attempting to match all the other features.

Bill Pagel has been collecting for over 50 years and has exhibited many pieces from his collection in New York, Chicago and Duluth, Minnesota. Currently objects from his collection, including some of Bob Dylan’s handwritten manuscripts, are being shown in Chicago at the American Writer’s Museum and here in Duluth, Minnesota at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum.

Future plans are for both homes to eventually be part of a museum project in Northern Minnesota.

EdNote:  Bill is currently trying to locate another collector who purchased many pieces of the original furniture including Bob Dylan’s bedroom set from the Hibbing home in 1988. He would appreciate hearing from anyone who may have a lead in locating this person. Contact: 
Billp61@boblinks.com 

* * * *
Related Links
Here’s the Duluth News Tribune account of the recent sale: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/entertainment/music/3905347-Collector-purchases-Bob-Dylans-childhood-home-in-Hibbing

Here’s the Rolling Stone version of the news.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bob-dylan-superfan-hibbing-minnesota-858270/

Here is what the Central Hillside home looked like in 2010 when he bought it:
https://www.superiortelegram.com/entertainment/man-who-bought-dylans-duluth-home-fixing-it

For those unfamiliar, Bill Pagel created and maintains BobLinks.com, one of the most popular websites in the world for Dylan fans due to his archiving of Dylan’s concert information, setlists, reviews and links to other Dylan-related sites. The site has surpassed 40 million visits since 1995.
To see a list of the 187 countries from where people have visited BobLinks visit this page. 

Damiano Center's Kids' Kitchen Is More Than a "Safe Place"

Last Saturday I shared Six Things I Didn't Know About Damiano Center, things I have only recently discovered. One of the features of Damiano Center that I wanted to elaborate on and give special recognition to is their Kids' Kitchen, a special area that is more like the set of a television show than a kitchen.

Kids' Kitchen was started because a growing number of children were coming to the Damiano Center unaccompanied by an adult. Damiano Center staff saw this as a major unmet neighborhood need.

My own first exposure to the Kids Kitchen was at a Twin Ports Social Media Breakfast held there a few years ago. Even then, however, I only knew it as a space for kids. Here's some of what I learned more recently.

The space is serves children ages 6 to 18. Most are within walking distance, but that is not a requirement. Any child from anywhere in Duluth is welcome if they have transportation. Even children five and under are welcome if accompanied by an adult. And actually, parents are welcome to help with managing the activities that take place there.

The space is filled with books, games, art projects and other activities for children of all ages.

Though Kids' Kitchen was initially designed to make sure that all children in our neighborhood have access to quality, healthy food, it is much more than that.

A Kids' Kitchen benefit that's not widely known is the employment it provides teens during the summer. These are paid positions, through their Summer Food Corps program, which help teens gain work experience and leadership development that can prepare them for future careers. One of these responsibilities include gardening. The center has a community garden where the youth help maintain and harvest foodstuff. They also get involved with food service, child care and more. (See Ashley for details.)

Volunteers are welcome in all the programs at non-profit Damiano Center. My wife, Susie, who has been a Kids' Kitchen volunteer, says, "It's such a perfect fit for my interests! I have long been a vegetable gardener, interested in healthy food, and an artist who especially enjoys working with kids who have not had so many advantages in their lives."

Kids' Kitchen works to reduce childhood hunger and malnutrition by providing nutritious meals as well as nutrition education. It's a safe place and a fun place for kids after school and during the summer.

Kids' Kitchen hours are from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday. Meals served at 5:00 p.m.

What I like is how many things the children learn just by becoming exposed to them in this space. The following pictures each tell a story.

The book shelf looks as yummy as the food.

Bob & Angel from Zenith City Books donated $1000 of books for the kids.

Games

Creativity

History 

And Values

It's all good!

Ingeborg von Agassiz's O Giver of Dreams Delivers as Promised

It began with a remark I heard from someone close to the music scene in 2016. I'd asked who locally was doing the most interesting work today. "Without question, what Ingeborg von Agassiz is doing," Marc Gartman replied. I made a mental note to catch her act sometime, but it wasn't in the cards as I am not the night owl I once was.

Eventually I learned that I already knew Ms. Agassiz as the artist Emma Rustan, whose work I'd previously written about on a couple of occasions here. (e.g. Art Crawl review in 2013)

This spring saw the release of Ingeborg von Agassiz's first CD, evocatively titled O Giver of Dreams, accompanied by a rave review from Tony Bennett in the Duluth News Tribune. The review was titled Album review: Ingeborg von Agassiz astounds on debut LP, and it opens with: Let's just skip to the headline: Ingeborg von Agassiz' debut album is one of the best locally-made albums in the history of locally-made albums. It's true. No hyperbole.

That kind of high praise gets your attention. Sure enough, this past weekend I caught part of her performance at the Bayfront Park Art Fair and acquired a CD. It's every bit as good as Bennett boasts.**

I approach this review by offering up a comparison. As is well-known (by regular readers here) I am an advocate for the music of Bob Dylan. For decades I've approached each of his new albums in a similar manner. I play the album through. A few songs immediately connect during that first listen, not necessarily every song right off.  But there are always a few tunes that grab you and, for me anyways, this is often the very first cut. From Time Out of Mind to Tempest it's happened every time. Then the second listen and a third, and after a while each song begins to unfold. An astute listener begins to see how much thought went into the production, the layering the the sound, the caliber of the band and, with Dylan (always) the richness of the lyrics, their beauty or complexity, variety or density.

Returning to O Giver of Dreams, Ingeborg von Agassiz has produced something every bit as complex and luscious, from both the production side and the literary quality of the songs themselves.

Dylan, for those who appreciate his work, is a master of evocation when singing. People who dislike his voice fail to appreciate what he achieves in creating emotion through intonation, from haunting to longing, aching to aspiring. Ingeborg von Agassiz is likewise evocative, forming words with deliberate aims on each of her songs.

Von Agassiz at Super Big Block Party 2017. (Photo credit: Andy Hardman)

Few will compare von Agassiz to Dylan, I am sure, because she has such a beautiful voice. What she achieves with that voice is far more than just a mercurial fluidity of sound. Having listened to O Giver about ten times this week I hear various echoes. Loreena McKennett comes to mind at one point. ABBA kept coming to mind and I couldn't figure out why, but it's because of the manner in which she sings in unison with herself on some songs. And, this will surprise you, Sgt. Pepper came immediately to mind as the album opened. The similarity is in the feeling of setting up a place where people are gathered, and there is anticipation. In Sgt. Pepper it is an auditorium audience; in O Giver of Dreams it sound like a restaurant or dinner theater with the clinking of glasses, forks, knives, plates, and the drone of people not yet paying attention to what is about to happen.

Then there are the songs themselves. That is, as a lyricist she has a remarkable maturity. Examples abound.

Lonesome Way
This first song begins, "Come with me. Come with me." Seductive without being sensual, inviting the listener to enter this story, her story. (Keep in mind that it is a song and that historically the narrator of a song may not necessarily be the real person's story. This could be a fictional story, sung first person, the way folk singers sing "Barbara Allen.")

As the opening of the album, it can also be taken as an invitation... "take this journey with me." But it could be simply the invitation of this song. "Come along with me in my lonesome misery..." What an unexpected turn. Already, we have been diverted into a different path from the one expected. Lonesome misery. How? Why? That is what this first song is about, the how it happened and why.

I will make another Dylan comparison here as well. Many of the lyrics have been written with a seemingly measured ambiguity that invites further analysis and reflection. This occurs here and in a few of the other songs.

It should be noted that von Agassiz has produced all the music, all the vocals, the percussion and everything else herself. When she performs she uses looping and layering, much the way Gaelynn Lea or Israel Malachi have been doing over the years. The arrangements are terrifically complex and sophisticated.

At the Earth Rider Grand Opening.

Oh What A Morning

Another comparison is in order here. Some may suggest exaggeration but I think not. Von Agassiz has a knack for creating catchy tunes that stick with you, like the Beatles whose early tunes climbed the pop charts like monkeys. The other day I woke with the opening of this song going through my head. "Oh what a morning, oh what a morning, oh what a morning, oh what a morning." The song opens with this phrase repeated by a unison chorus, four times. Then Inge opens the song, with accompaniment, "Oh what a morning..."

This song is like the first in that it, too, is in invitation. It's from a child's point of view. What a beautiful morning. Won't you come out and play with me? We can go ride our bikes. We'll climb trees. And I will show you my new dance, if you let me.

Oh, the Hillside 
This tune is a change of pace, sung as if a lament, a nostalgia piece. The central theme is the hills of Duluth. The verses outline the Duluth experience, from the hillside to the bells of Old Central, thnd e freighters, the lift bridge going up and down, the howling wind, the lighthouse on the pier, the train chugging by, Fitgers, and the mystery of the Great Lake. The song's straightforward lyrics are beguiliing when juxtaposed with its haunting tune.

Bulletproof Vest
"Going south, south for the winter
That's what I'm gonna do next year."
In an album with so many special tracks it's difficult to pick any one to be your favorite, but this one would certainly be a candidate. It's a solid song with intriguing lyrics sung in a crafted manner that draws you in. An old man, an obituary, a funeral... and a chorus that reinforces a contradiction.

* * * *

Maybe the magic of Ingeborg von Agassiz's songs has something to do with the collision of innocence with innocence lost. You certainly hear this in Sun Beats Down and Rebel Robin. The pointed "O Giver of Dreams" is a serious song as well, followed by Runtchkin Love's opening line, "I plucked my eyebrows to a shape of pity and despair."

The lyrics throughout belie their depth, much like Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."

The CD rounds out with "What's Wrong With Me" and "Will You Go?"  and when you reach the end you will want to listen again.

Verdict: O Giver of Dreams is an exceptional achievement.

* * * *

Related Links
Follow her here at www.ingeborgvonagassiz.com
or here on Facebook.
**Tony Bennett review in the DNT

The Problem with Dylan Trivia Contests at Carmody's During Dylan Fest

Scene from the opening reception for Monday's Dylan Fest Art Show.

We're midway thru Duluth Dylan Fest 2018 and the best is yet to come. Yesterday I was asked to share the Dylan Fest Trivia Contest we did at Carmody's Sunday evening. This was my fifth, maybe sixth, year of creating the contest and it would appear that my dilemma is irresolvable. The dilemma I'm referring to is the challenge of creating a contest that is easy enough to make newbies feel confident while simultaneously challenging the Dylanophiles.

When all is said and done, the Dylanophiles have pretty much internalized every song from every album, including the bootlegs, so stumping these folk amounts to an exercise in futility. They not only know the title of every album from the beginning, they know the title of every track, in order. Example: Blood on the Tracks begins with Tangled Up In Blue, followed by Simple Twist of Fate, etc. etc. etc.  So if I ask the question, "What Dylan album was Idiot Wind on?" half the trivia night competitors don't even need to wait for the answer options.

If I ask a question like, "Which of the following actors did NOT play Dylan in the film He's Not There?" you'll overhear someone at the next table say, "Did anyone here see that?" If I ask what the name of the character Dylan played in Masked and Anonymous, Dylanophiles all know it was Jack Fate before the multiple choices are offered. The other half are scratching their heads and wondering what Masked and Anonymous was.

You see the problem. And we still haven't gotten into the niche trivia yet. C'est la vie.

All that being said, let's roll out the trivia questions I invented for this year's contest. It's always multiple choice, so you can at least guess. Answers will be at the end of this post. Let me know what you think... It may help in the development of next year's contest.

DDF TRIVIA 2018
Note: It is a violation of the rules to use Google, Siri or any other assistance here.

Part One: NUMBERS
1. 10,000 Men is a Dylan song on what album?
a. Under the Red Sky
b. Shadows in the Night
c. Together Through Life
d. The Basement Tapes

2. Complete the title of this song: SEVEN ______
a. Miles Down the Road
b. Curses
c. Old Friends
d. Times Gone

3. What kind of Car is in the song "From a _______ 6" on Highway 61 Revisited?
a. Ford
b. Pontiac
c. Buick
d. Chrysler

4. On the album Self Portrait Dylan recorded a song titled "Days of _____"
a. 31
b. 49
c. 61
d. 59

5. How many Strong Winds blew on Bootleg #11?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 8
d. 9

6. Dylan has famously mentioned Highway 61 a couple times in his songs. What highway did he sing about on his first album?
a. Highway 209
b. Highway 51
c. Highway 22
d. Highway 1

7. Which of the following songs with number in them is incorrect?
a. I Shall Be Free #10
b. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
c. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
d. Workingman’s Blue #7

8. Love minus what number has no limit?
a. Zero
b. One
c. Three
d. Five

9. How many Miles does Dylan sing about on Time Out Of Mind?
a. a thousand miles
b. ten thousand miles
c. a million miles
d. ten million miles

10. On the album Down in the Groove, how fast does Dylan drive down a dead end street?
a. Sixty miles an hour
b. Seventy miles an hour
c. Eighty miles an hour
d. Ninety miles an hour

Part Two: PLACES
11. What town was Dylan stuck in when he had the Memphis blues?
a. San Francisco, California
b. Mobile, Alabama
c. Camden, New Jersey
d. Louisville, Kentucky

12. Dylan once mentioned seeing a movie with Gregory Peck in it. What town is featured in this song?
a. St. Louis
b. Los Angeles
c. Brownsville
d. San Antonio

13. Dylan once tried to become part of Bobby Vee’s band for a very short time as a piano player. Where did this take place?
a. Fargo
b. St. Paul
c. Denver
d. Chicago

14. Which country is mentioned in the song Idiot Wind?
a. Brazil
b. Germany
c. Italy
d. Mexico

15. “Hot chili peppers in the blistering sun” is the first line of a song about a romance where?
a. Cuernavaca
b. Durango
c. Cincinnati
d. Rio

16. On the album Together Through Life Dylan sings a song about a town where “you better do right” or the sheriff will get you. What town is this?
a. Miami
b. New Orleans
c. Oxford Town
d. Houston

17. Where did Dylan go to see the Gypsy?
a. Las Vegas
b. A little Minnesota town
c. Sunset Strip
d. A carnival in the desert

Part Three: PEOPLE
18. Whom did Dylan pity in his song on John Wesley Harding?
a. The carpenter
b. The immigrant
c. The childless widow
d. The broken soldier

19. Also on John Wesley Harding, whom did Dylan ask to not put a price on his soul?
a. The priest
b. His father
c. His landlord
d. A lawman

20. On the album Shot of Love, Dylan sang that he rode with this man in a taxi once for about a mile and a half, but it seemed like a couple of months. Who was he?
a. Martin Luther King, Jr.
b. Lenny Bruce
c. Nat King Cole
d. Woody Guthrie

21. The civil rights protest song “Only a Pawn in their Game” is about the murder of what important civil rights leader?
a. Emmett Till
b. Medgar Evers
c. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
d. Malcolm X

22. In two of Dylan’s 1960’s albums he recorded the song “Girl from the North Country.” The second time it was a duet with whom?
a. Kris Kristofferson
b. Waylon Jennings
c. Harry Belafonte
d. Johnny Cash

Part Four: CLOSING TIME
23. The renovated Nidaros Cathedral is a sanctuary in Norway decorated with fabulous architecture and numerous sculptures depicting various characters from the Bible. Which one of these sculptures, on the Northwest Tower, used the face of Bob Dylan?
a. The Angel Gabriel
b. John the Baptist
c. Michael the Archangel
d. St. Luke the Physician

24. Bob Dylan has been a musician, a songwriter, painter, sculptor and more. His latest venture is a whiskey business. The name of his whiskey was taken from what familiar Dylan song?
a. All Along the Watchtower
b. Forever Young
c. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
d. Caribbean Wind

25. To find the schedule for the rest of this week’s Duluth Dylan Fest, you should go to what website?
a. BobDylan.com
b. BobDylanWay.com
c. BobLinks.com
d. Highway61Revisited.com

* * * *
ANSWERS
1. a----2. b----3. c----4. b----5. b----6. b----7. d----8. a----9. c----10. d
11. b----12. c----13. a----14. c----15. b----16. d----17. b----18. b
19. c----20. b----21. b----22. d----23. c----24. c----25. b

* * * *

All in all, it was a fun way to spend an evening with friends. A member of our Duluth City Council was there playing, himself an avid Dylan fan. And tomorrow, when we cut the cake at Bob Dylan's first home on the Duluth Central Hillside tomorrow, it's my understanding that the mayor will be present to share the moment. The house is a yellow duplex at 519 3rd Avenue East. Will we see you there?

LATER TODAY, join us in the Great Hall at the Depot as the artist Skye discusses her remarkable forest of tapestries based on the songs of Bob Dylan, "Shakespeare's in the Alley." Wednesdays are Free so take advantage of this rare opportunity. Afterwards the Poets of the North Country will convene in the Duluth Playhouse.

Meantime, life goes on all around you. Get into it.