Friday Miscellaneous: Books, Science and Other Things I've Been Thinking About

Today it's Friday. Here in the Northland we've been celebrating our annual Duluth Dylan Fest all week, which kicked off in Hibbing at the home young Robert Zimmerman grew up in there. Music by Geno, Amy and Pat was followed by a tour of the Hibbing High School where Bob first began to make a name for himself.

This was followed by a string of events here in Duluth throughout the week, culminating in the annual Front Porch Birthday Party at the house where Dylan spent the first six years of his life. We'll be gathering there from 11:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Bob's birthday, with music by Greg Tiburzi. If you missed Wednesday's performance at Sir Ben's, you really missed a stupendous rendition of Dylan's Desire album. Big shout out to Greg, Erin Aldridge and Sonja Bjordal. Thank you.

Last night Cowboy Angel Blue performed in the Depot Train Museum and tonight will be the traditional Singer/Songwriter Contest at Sacred Heart. Full schedule here.

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One of the exciting things in my life right now has been a renewed interest in math and science. As followers of my Substack know I have been sharing the Math Circles of James D. Nickel. (Example: The Wonders of the Fibonacci Sequence). This exploration lead to the discovery of new thinking about the world we live in from a physics perspective. 

There are so many things that have been discovered about the nature of reality and the universe that are downright astonishing. It's my hope to share some of these things. The implications of Watson and Crick's discovery of the genetic code will blow your mind. How did the Hubble telescope expand our understanding of the size of the cosmos? What does "trust the science" really mean? 

My interest in history has never abated. Niall Ferguson's The Pity of War is now in my pile, revisiting the Great War and how it was a mistake for Britain to get involved. How ironic that the war to end all war proved to be the springboard to a century of wars in every corner of the world. 

That whole period of history was startling when you see the emergence of Social Darwinism, the birth of the Eugenics movement and the arrogance of Western intellectuals. 

On a more positive side  I've recently been inspired by some new writers I've been introduced to including David Berlinski and Stephen C. Meyer. 

As we wind down into Memorial Day weekend, more than a few Northlanders wonder when summer will start to show its face. What are some things you're jazzed about right now? There's so much still to be discovered. Don't just drift. Get a PhD in Lifelong Learning.

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A Glimpse of Duluth Culture Revealed in 7 Posters of Coming Events

 A random batch of current posters on the library bulletin board.

Roy Orbison was truly one of the greats. Check this out:
Seven Anecdotes from the Roy Orbison/Beatles Tour

Proof positive that we're not just flyover country.

This weekend Duluth Dylan Fest will commence.  Be there or be square.

I saw them my freshman year in college... a fun memory way back when.

First class shows for those who love live theater.

It's becoming a Northland tradition.

Looks interesting. Should we come with an appetite?

It's safer than snake-handling in Kentucky.

Throwback Thursday: Sometimes Even When You Don't Understand a Dylan Song You Can "Get It"

“I don't like the idea of 'understanding' a film. I don't believe that rational understanding is an essential element in the reception of any work of art. Either a film has something to say to you or it hasn't. If you are moved by it, you don't need to have it explained to you. If not, no explanation can make you moved by it.” ~Federico Fellini

There it is. This is what some people mean when they talk about art, whether music, poetry or a painting. It's like a joke; you shouldn't have to explain why the punch line was funny.

To this day I don't "get" Dylan's "Changing of the Guard," but it moves me every time I hear it, and remains one of my favorite Dylan songs. What's it all about, Alfie? The images connect with something inside like a series of dreams, rising up from a subconscious sea teeming with shimmering mysteries.

In his book The Dylanologists David Kinney devotes one chapter to the Lyrics Dissecters. These are the ones Fellini is calling out above. It's like Dylan's lyrics are a secret code to be cracked, if only we had an Enigma Machine.

People have the same problem with abstract art. "I don't get it" has been exclaimed in art museums and galleries all over the world.

"Ballad of a Thin Man" is another song that falls into this category, difficult to apprehend but one that definitely haunts. The opening bars on the piano send a chill through the room and the confounding imagery shocks and frightens. Something's happening, even if you don't know what it is. "You try so hard, but you don't understand," Dylan hisses.

The words and images can confuse, but when ignited there can be light, revealing the outlines of shapes and scenes that darkness conceals.

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For what it's worth, Duluth Dylan Fest is just around the corner. May will be here faster than you know it. The events are slated for May 17-24 this year. If you want to celebrate with us here in Dylan's home town, mark your calendars. There will be a birthday celebration on his 85th, May 24, in front of the house he grew up in. And there will be plenty of music... some of it you'll "get" with your head and some with your heart.

Meantime life goes on all around you. Be a part of it. 

Throwback Thursday: Music-Based Tourism and Placemaking in Dylan's Northland

Beacon Theater, Nov. 2018. Photo credit: Nelson French

A few years back, the Duluth News Tribune featured an update on the state of tourism here by Visit Duluth president & CEO Anna Tanski. I found this particular passage in the article uplifting:

Bob Dylan and outdoor adventure remain the two top draws for international media and visitors. In recent months, Visit Duluth has hosted travel writers, influencers and media/TV from Australia, China, Germany, Sweden, and the UK. Stories have started running and will continue well into 2019, shining the international spotlight on our city, hopefully spurring travelers to experience Duluth for themselves.

As a member of the Duluth Dylan Fest committee it has been gratifying to welcome some of these journalists and media folk. The list of visitors goes further than the nations cited in Anna Tanski's column. Duluth warmly welcomed a pair of Pakistani journalists this fall, one who called Duluth the Best Place for Meditation. In 2017 we had a visit from a Rolling Stone journalist from France. who greatly enjoyed standing before the stage where a young Robert Zimmerman stood when Buddy Holly performed here.

January 1, 1972. Academy of Music. Photo credit: Joseph Sia
Photo courtesy William Pagel Archives

This past October it was a treat to meet a team from the BBC who flew to Minnesota to cover the upcoming election. They were torn between Rochester and Duluth, but descended upon our city because one of the men was a Dylan fan. In covering the Northland they visited the John Bushey Studio at KUMD to interview Miriam, host of the Highway 61 Revisited program. From there they caught a few of us at Carmody's Irish Pub where the Duluth Dylan Fest team was finishing up a planning meeting. You can catch the dialogue here, approximately 40 minutes in.

I mention all these things because reading yesterday's article seemed to be a much needed public acknowledgement that Dylan's ties to the Northland have real value for the community, something that has not always been recognized. When I first moved to Duluth in 1986, efforts to create a Bob Dylan Way had been continuously thwarted. For decades. It wasn't until May 2006 that the City of Duluth designated a cultural pathway in honor of Duluth’s native son, Bob Dylan, to commemorate his 65th birthday. It still required a group of citizens to raise private dollars to create and install 30 street signs that mark this pathway.

WHY PLACEMAKING MATTERS

There is much that has been written about music-based tourism. One of the foremost scholars on this subject is David Leaver of Manchester, England, who twice visited the Northland as part of his research endeavors. Here are links to abstracts for a few of his papers.

Before They Were Famous: Music-Based Tourism and a Musicians Hometown Roots

Together Through Life—an exploration of popular music heritage and the quest for re-enchantment
Premise: Set against the backdrop of the historical shift from modernity into postmodernity, this article explores the growing importance of music destination tourism for the baby boomer generation in their quest for personal and social meaning.

'Tangled up in Bob': An ethnographic case study of the impact of local Bob Dylan heritage on place branding in Hibbing, Minnesota.
Abstract: This case study explores avenues for symbiotic co-branding of local music heritage sites in Hibbing, Minnesota, an isolated mining town with a strong local culture, where Bob Dylan grew up and lived from 1947 to 1959. Music heritage based tourism focusing on sites of biographical significance is a growth sector in countries with mature tourism and music industries, such as the US and the UK. Based on two field visits and correspondence, this ethnographic study applies ethnographic aims to generate an understanding of the perspectives and orientations of key Hibbing stakeholders. Issues of access to the field and the negotiation of multiple roles of the researcher as fan, observer and participator are discussed. Findings provide a holistic image of events, drivers and barriers and 'tell the story' of the contribution of Hibbing's Bob Dylan heritage towards a local sense of place. Building on the conceptualization of 'place brand' as a relational network which emerges as an ongoing interactive process between 'place' and all its stakeholders, the paper suggests ways in which Dylan's Hibbing heritage can both further attract and inform his fan base while recognizing local sensitivities and resources.

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London, England, 2009. Courtesy William Pagel Archives.

Writing for World Archaeology, Timothy Darvill's  Rock and soul: humanizing heritage, memorializing music and producing places offers these additional insights about music and place.
Place production through the formal process of ‘place-making’ and the more informal evolutionary expediency of ‘place-marking’ has become a major theme of sustainable development, conservation and regeneration in recent decades. Popular music heritage has played a part in this, and has great potential to contribute more. This article explores the ways in which tangible and intangible heritage combine to underpin place-production linked to popular music. Examples of the achievements of popular musical heritage in relation to three discernible kinds of place-production are explored: linear places epitomized by roads and routes such as Highway 61 and Route 66; dispersed places represented by memorial plaques and statues on buildings and in open spaces; and concentrations of connected elements such as can be found in Liverpool (UK) and Memphis (USA). It is concluded that popular music culture continues to have an important role to play in the creation of powerful places and that social conventions and commercial interests now contribute to the perpetuation of interest in these places and the traditions they represent.

Of course the references to Route 66 and Highway 61 especially jump out, having travelled portions of both, each laced with nostalgia dripping with Americana. It was a privilege to welcome a caravan of Airstreamers to Duluth this past September who had come to begin their own trek from the Northland here to New Orleans. (See: Airstreamers Arrive in Dylan Country.)

* * * *
It is exciting to see the progress being made in Hibbing and here in Duluth.
There's more to be said, but this is enough for now. The links below will take you further.

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Related Links

Bob Dylan In Minnesota Now Available: A Handy Tool for Music-Based Tourists

Bob Dylan Duluth Tour Flyer
Additional Links related to this theme
Serendipity, the Duluth Armory and a Dylan Fan (Journalist) from Germany

BONUS TRACK
On January 27 the Armory Arts and Music Center Presents a Tribute to the Music of Buddy Holly and the Late 50s. This event is a 60th Anniversary Reunion remembrance, to be held at the Sports Garden in Canal Park. Details Here.

Duluth Dylan Fest 2025: Schedule Announced

The tentative schedule for our 2025 Duluth's Dylan Fest is taking shape, celebrating Duluth's Native Son the week of his 84th birthday. This annual event is held during the week of May 24th, Bob's birthday, a feast of local friends and the extended family of fans from abroad, paying homage to one of the most influential singer-songwriters of our time.  

Whether you're a lifelong fan or a newcomer to Dylan's vast repertoire, Duluth Dylan Fest offers a unique opportunity to dive deeper into his music, explore the city where he was born, and experience the community that continues to celebrate his enduring legacy. 

The activities are evolving. Here’s what you can look forward to in this year's current schedule of events:

Duluth Dylan Fest 2025

Duluth Dylan Fest will be held May 19-25, 2025. Please note times and locations are subject to change. Watch for updates for ticketed event links. The festival line-up includes:

 

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Hibbing Day – More details to come (Hibbing High School Tour and

Birthday Celebration on the lawn of Bob Dylan’s Boyhood Home.

 

Monday, May 19, 2025

 

Dylan Fest Acoustic Jam Session with host Leslie Black

Bring your voice and/or instrument and music stand.

Carmody Irish Pub

308 East Superior Street, Duluth

5:30-8:30 PM | Free

 

Thursday, May 22, 2025

 

Duluth Dylan Fest Dance Party with Cowboy Angel Blue

Mr. D’s Bar and Grill

5622 Grand Avenue, Duluth

7:00-10:00 PM | Free

 

Friday, May 23, 2025

 

Dylan Fest Singer-Songwriter Contest

Sacred Heart Music Center

2022 4th Street, Duluth

7:00-10:00 PM | Tickets TBD

 

Saturday, May 24, 2025

 

Bob Dylan Front Porch Birthday Party with live music

Bob Dylan’s childhood home

519 N. 3rd Ave. East, Duluth

11:00-12:30 PM | Free

 

John Bushey Memorial Lecture

Location TBD

1:30–3:00 PM | Free

 

Highway 61 Revisited Radio Show

The North 103.3 FM, Streaming online at 5:00-6:00 PM | Free

Sheltering from the Storm Concert

Sacred Heart Music Center

2022 4th Street, Duluth

7:00-10:00 PM | Tickets TBD

  

Sunday, May 25, 2025

 

Farewell Brunch featuring Live Music

Location TBD

11:00 AM -12:30 PM | Free (Brunch not included)

FOR LATEST SCHEDULE UPDATES:

Duluth Dylan Fest 2025 – Duluth Dylan Fest

Related Links

Music-Based Tourism and Placemaking in Dylan's Northland

The Case for Celebrating Dylan's Home Town

Another Dylan Fest Is in the Books: Many 2024 Memories Generated

It was anther very busy, energetic week here in the Northland. The photos capture attempt to cature a bit of this year's Duluth Dylan Fest. Details to be added as time permits. Many of the photos courtesy Michael K. Anderson.

Subonnet Sue (L) with DDF Director Zane Bail.

Tuesday's Open Jam at Carmody's.

Insde the Green Room, Sacred Heart

Armory Arts Quilt of Memories

Armory Tour gathering at the drill hall.

KDAL Studios with Paul Metsa, host of Stars Over the Prairie.
L-R: Paul Metsa, Bill Pagel, Marc Percansky, Ed Newman

Cowboy Angel Blue Saturday night at Mr. D's

Amy Grillo with Pat Eliason, hosts of Friday night's
Singer/Songwriter Contest at Sacred Heart.

Dylan archvist Bill Pagel with Marc Percansky. 

Marc Percansky shares a story with Paul Metsa's listeners.

The Basement Tapes at Earth Rider Wednesday.

Greg Tiburzi with Pat Eliason at the goodbye brunch.

Winner's of the Singer Songwriter Contest Friday evening.
(L to T) Rick Bruner (2), Austin Castle (1), Eddy Burke (3)

Saturday's John Bushey Memorial Lecture at Wussow's
featured the authors of Bob Dylan in Minnesota.
L to R: Matt Steichen, Marc Percansky, Ed Newman, Paul Metsa
with moderator Mark Nicklawski.

The audience at Wussow's.

Shane Nelson with Leslie.

One of the musicians at our open jam,

Happy Birthday, Bob.

Apocalyptic Themes in the Music of Bob Dylan: Can This Really Be the End?

It's been frequently noted how the arc of Mark Twain's life coincided with the appearance and re-appearance of Haley's comet. One might similarly argue that the arc of Bob Dylan's career has coincided with periods of cultural upheaval that gave birth to apocalyptic fears and doomsaying. Both the tempestuous Sixties and our current cultural  unheavals have generated books, articles and (now) podcasts forecasting the end of the world. (Examples include Hal Lindsay's The Late Great Planet Earth, Billy Graham's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle and Nevil Shute's On the Beach.) As we look around today the theme of doom has had a major resurgence, for better or worse. 

It's well known that from the beginning of his career Bob Dylan's music has often touched on apocalyptic themes. The Cold War weighed heavily on our hearts and in our thoughts. I remember practicing air raid drills in school and many Americans (including relatives of mine in Cleveland) stockpiled food and water in fallout shelters. 

Original lyrics to "Go Away Bomb." Bill Pagel Archives.

So it's no surprise that young Bob Dylan produce songs dealing with societal upheavals and the search for meaning in turbulent times. One such song, which he penned shortly after his arrival in New York, was "Go Away Bomb," which he wrote for Izzy Young of the Folklore Center.

Here are some other noteworthy examples:

"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall": Released in 1963, this song is filled with vivid imagery of impending catastrophe. Purportedly written during the Cuban missile crisis, the song reflects more than just the anxiety of the Cold War era, it also paints a bleak picture of a world on the brink of destruction, with references to natural disasters, political turmoil, and moral decay.

"All Along the Watchtower": This song, which first appeared on John Wesley Harding, features apocalyptic imagery inspired by the Book of Isaiah. Dylan's lyrics evoke a sense of foreboding and uncertainty, with references to "two riders approaching" and "the wind began to howl," symbolizing an impending reckoning. The opening line sets the tone though.  "There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief. 

"The Times They Are A-Changin'": Released in 1964, this iconic anthem captures the spirit of social upheaval and transformation. While not explicitly apocalyptic, the song reflects a sense of impending change and the need to adapt to shifting realities. Dylan's lyrics convey a message of hope and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

[This hasn't been the only song in which Dylan shakes the tree and contemplates coming changes. See Dylan and Fifty Years of Change: Six Songs About Transitions.]

 

"Ain't Talkin'": From his 2006 album Modern Times, this song features apocalyptic imagery reminiscent of biblical prophecy. Dylan's lyrics paint a haunting portrait of a world in decline, "walking through the cities of the plague" and just walkin' "in the last outpost, at the world's end." Dylan's ominous tone reflects a sense of impending doom and existential dread. Then again, there are a lot of songs in which he opts for that ominous tone, (e.g. "Not Dark Yet")

Today, we seem to be confronting more threats than a Hydra, a mythological swamp serpent creature that would grow two new heads for each one that was severed. Wars, bombs, plagues, corrupt leaders, injustice, climate change, the tenuous energy grid... and a host of other threats seem to hover over us. 

In 1776 Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." There is a sense of peril in those words. The Great Depression produced a similarly ominous national mood, as did the Cold War--which in the Sixties was exacerbated by assassinations, riots in the streets, burning cities and and unnecessary war. 

In light of all this history, "Can this really be the end?"

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Related Link: Are You Protopian, Utopian or Dystopian?

Tonight is the kickoff for Duluth Dylan Fest. If you're in the 'hood and want to be part of some of the events, visit https://duluthdylanfest.com/duluth-dylan-fest-2024/

More Photos from the Last Days of 2023 Duluth Dylan Fest

Paul Metsa (R) & Sonny Earl opened Thursday eve's 
concert at sacred heart featuring Jeff Slate and Mark Bosch

It was a nine day whirlwind with many wonderful moments as Dylan fans and friends gathered to celebrate the music of Duluth's native son. Thank you to everyone who shared music and generous portions of their hearts. Special thanks for the volunteers who worked so hard behind the scenes to make this another great event, and to Michael Anderson, for the Singer/Songwriter photos and all the best images on the rest of this page. 

Here are some photos from events on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Jeff Slate (R) with Mark Bosch demonstrated their virtuosity

(L to R) Sonny Earl, Mark Bosch, Jeff Slate, Paul Metsa

Friday evening the Singer/Songwriter competition 

was yet another talent spectacle.

(L to R) Pat Eliason, Jeff Slate, Amy Grillo, Zane Bail, Gene LaFond

Singer/Songwriter contest winners.
(L to R) Skarlet Woods, Misisipi Mike Wolf, Nikki Lemire

Second place: Nikki Lemire

Winner Misisipi Mike, who also designed this year's poster art.

Judges: (L to R) Jeff Slate, Gene LaFond, Jamie Ness,
Wendy Ruhnke, Miriam Hansen

Saturday night was a romp delivered to us by The Infidels, 

a supergroup from the Twin Cities.

Safe travels to all who joined us from afar.

Let the music live in your hearts 

and stay forever young.

To the locals: For more detailed coverage of many of these events

read Jill Fisher's upcoming review in the Reader.