2023 Duluth Dylan Fest: May 20-28 Advance Schedule

After months of meetings and planning, the schedule for Duluth Dylan Fest 2023 is fairly solidified. DDF kicks off on Saturday, May 20th and runs through Sunday, May 28th. 

The 2023 line up, though still potentially in flux, will be pretty much as follows:

SATURDAY, MAY 20 

*Forging Community Dylangate Event & Historic Armory/Bob Dylan Duluth Tour 

Armory Arts & Music Center Annex Armory Tours at 10 am and 10:45 am 9:30-11:30 AM | Free 

Highway 61 Revisited Radio Show 

The North 103.3 FM 

5:00-6:00 PM | Free 

Duluth Dylan Fest Kick Off Party 

with music by Hard Rain- All Things Dylan with special guest opener tba Earth Rider Festival Grounds 6:00-10:00 PM | Tickets $5 to $40 Eventbrite 

SUNDAY, MAY 21 

*Robert Zimmerman Hibbing Day 

Lunch at Sammy’s Pizza with stories by 

Joe & Mary Keyes - 11:30 AM 

Meet at Dylan Monument at Hibbing High School for Tour - 1:00 PM 

Front Yard music at childhood home by 

Gene La Fond & Amy Grillo - 2:30 PM 

11:30AM-4:00 PM | Free RSVP Eventbrite 

*John Bushey Memorial Lecture with 

 Seth Rogovoy, Author of Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet 

Livestream on Zoom 

6:30-7:45 PM | Free 

MONDAY, MAY 22 

*Acoustic Dylan Jam 

Bring your instruments, music stand and/or voice - lyric & chord book provided 

Carmody Irish Pub 5:30-7:30 PM | Free 

*Basement Tapes Band 

Bent Paddle 

7:30-9:30 PM | Free 

TUESDAY, MAY 23 

*Dogs Do Dylan--New Salty Dogs & Friends
Wussow’s Concert Cafe 7:00-9:00 PM | $5 

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 

Birthday Cake 2022

*Bob Dylan Front Porch Birthday Party with live music by Greg Tiburzi 

Dylan childhood home 519 N. 3rd Ave. East 12:00-1:30 PM | Free 

Bob Dylan Birthday Bash 

Cowboy Angel Blue 

Gartman Plays Dead: The Club Front Rehearsals 

Earth Rider Festival Grounds 5:00-9:30 PM | Tickets $5 to $40 Eventbrite 

THURSDAY, MAY 25 

*Evening with Jeff Slate with Paul Metsa & Sonny Earl Opening Sacred Heart Music Center 7:00-9:00 PM | $10 Advance Eventbrite 

FRIDAY, MAY 26 

*Dylan Fest Singer-Songwriter Contest
Sacred Heart Music Center 7:00-10:00 PM | Free RSVP Eventbrite 

SATURDAY, MAY 27 

*John Bushey Memorial Lecture with Matt Steichen,Bobcats podcast host. Bob Dylan and his Fans: Searching for Love and Inspiration Wussow’s Concert Cafe 

1:30-3:00 PM | Free 

Highway 61 Revisited Radio Show 

The North 103.3 FM 

5:00-6:00 PM | Free 

*Music of Bob Dylan Infidels with Dan Israel, Terry Walsh & More
Sacred Heart Music Center 7:00-10:00 PM | $10 Advance Eventbrite 

 SUNDAY, MAY 28 

*Farewell Brunch with Misisipi Mike Wolf & Friends
Wussow’s Concert Cafe 11:00 AM-1:00 PM | Free 

If travelling from afar, Duluth has an airport (DLH) where you can fly in and fly out with ease. Some people choose to fly in to Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport and rent a car to visit a few Dylan sites in the Twin Cities, such as the largest Dylan mural in the world. 

For the most up-to-date information on events, please visit: www.duluthdylanfest.com or www.facebook.com/duluthdylanfest/ 

*Funding support from the Minnesota Arts Board 

Armory Mural On Hold... But Coming Along

This summer Mark Poirier of the Armory Arts & Music Center asked if I would be interested in doing a mural on the Historic Armory. It would be something to show passersby that something is happening, keep a little buzz going with regards to the renovation. 

As one who believes in public art and have written frequently about it, I decided to yield to Mark's periodic encouragement to consider it. It's a 17 foot wide by 13 foot high space. What would you paint if this was your project?

I conceived a concept and presented the idea. With a few modifications it was a go and we proceeded. 

The concept for the mural was Inspiration. I reached out to an informal group of local artists and pitched my idea, and an invitation to participate. I wrote:

My idea for this mural would be to have a dozen 18’x 18” panels distributed to artists who would paint something in keeping with the theme to be detailed below. This is an exterior wall. The panels will be screwed to the large wall as shown below.

THEME: INSPIRATION FROM THE ARMORY AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

In other words, you may create something based on one of the multitude of performers and celebrities who been guests of the Armory from Harry Truman to Johnny Cash, Will Rogers to Bob Hope. OR you may get the inspiration for your painting from the beautiful lake, the Rose Garden, Leif Erickson Park or whatever moves you.

My aim was to give maximum freedom and let the creative juices flow. 

My original ideas evolved for the central portion. And during the winter it will evolve some more, I suspect. At first, I envisioned a ten foot portrait of Dylan, who found early inspiration from seeing Buddy Holly here a few days before his untimely death. This evolved to a smaller Dylan portrait in the lower right and a man holding a torch in the center, which then evolved to placing Robert Johnson, the blues guitarist, singer/songwriter who proved so influential in the Deep South, a recognized master of the Delta Blues style that influenced so many of the musicians that rocked the world in the 60s. You can read more about Robert Johnson and his influence here.

Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited is a tribute to the famed Blues Highway, which runs up the center of the country from there to here, to the front door of the Historic Duluth Armory. 

Sing Your Song is the title of a 2011 documentary about Harry Belafonte which many of us saw at the DuSu Films Festival a number of years ago. Belafonte was more than an entertainer. He was also a Civil Rights activist. His connection to the mural is this. When Bob Dylan left Minnesota for the Big City, he was famously brought into the Columbia family of recording artists by John Hammond, who signed many other famous artists including Billy Holiday. (Some called Dylan "Hammond's Folly" when his first album seemed not to find an audience.) Belafonte was recording his album The Midnight Special and Dylan was hired to play harmonica on the title track, one of Dylan's first "official" recordings in New York.

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CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Sue Rauschenfes, Linda Glisson, Edna Stromquist, Molly Overden, Christie Eliason, Virginia Alexander, Kris Nelson, Margie Helstrom, Rosemarie Guttormsson, Lulu and Tubbs. And myself. 

Related Links

A Visit to the Buddy Holly Crash Site

Historic Duluth Armory

The Role Played by the Armory During the Spanish Flu 

Highway 61 Revisited was the title for John Bushey's Dylan-themed radio show that ran for more than 26 years on KUMD. Miriam Hanson is the current host of this valuable program. 

Duluth Dylan Fest Art Show to Feature Youth This Year

Photo courtesy the William Pagel Archives

Preparations for the 2020 Duluth Dylan Fest are chugging along. The DDF Committee has been actively shaping the vision and defining the activities that will make up this year's weeklong series of events.

Now that I've observed the process these many recent year, it reminds me of the way my father built the concrete patio at our home in New Jersey. First, he defined the size, dug out the turf, placed boards around the outside perimeter, then used boards to create various sized sections within the perimeter. Next, he poured in the concrete.

We've had our dates pegged as of last fall--May 16-24. The content of each day is not yet set in concrete but it's been taking shape very nicely. You'll soon find the full schedule here at BobDylanWay.com.

Dylan Fest Art Show
One of the popular events of recent years has been the Art Show Opening Reception, which has historically taken place on Mondays. Art has been incorporated into Dylan Fest because of Dylan's long-time expression as a visual artist, in addition to his literary and singer/songwriting self-expression.

This year's Dylan Fest will feature art by student from three area high schools. We're thrilled at how the next generation is recognizing the relevance of the timeless themes that have been Dylan has touched upon and reconfigured in the Dylan catalog. Very briefly:

Cutting a cake on Dylan's May 24 birthday each year is a tradition here.
This is where Robert Zimmerman first lived till age 6.

If you look the early 60's and that period Dylan happened to come along, pop music was basically 3-minute songs that you could dance to. Dylan, on the other hand, came out of a folk tradition that was more thought provoking and issues oriented. (Examples: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger.)

As the late John Bushey explained, "Dylan began writing songs with incredible lyrics pertaining to the changing times; civil rights, social issues, and songs with a political slant. His unique lyrical style influenced many musicians and attracted a much larger following to many of these causes, especially militarism, racism and other forms of injustice. After being influenced by Dylan, popular groups like the Byrds, Peter Paul and Mary, and the Beatles changed what they were doing to bring this 'new' music to a broader audience. His poetic, multi-dimensional ability with words helped bring about a new form of music.”

Dylan’s awards are nearly countless, culminating in his 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature. He’s been nominated for nearly 30 Grammys and awarded nine. Six of his recordings have been inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1988 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with five of his songs being listed among the most influential of all time. His song “Things Have Changed” earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2000 as he approached his 60th birthday while showing no signs of slowing down. From his Tom Paine Award in 1963 to Presidential Medal of Honor in 2014 his entire career has been one of recognition and honors, not to mention inspiration and influence.

To long time fans like many of us, none of this is surprising or new. It's good, however, to be reminded of how it all began and remarkable how much can be accomplished when an individual remains committed to a singular lifetime passion in any field of endeavor.

In addition to his music, Dylan is also an artist. His paintings and sculpture work have been shown in major galleries in New York and abroad. Hence, our having included an art exhibition as part of our annual Duluth Dylan Fest.

For the youth making art this year I assembled a list of themes that recur in Dylan's songs over the years.

Injustice
Travelling
Dreams
Ignorance
Spiritual themes
Relationships (Love, Longing and Heartbreak)
War
Corruption
Apocalypse
Abuse of Power
Death

We look forward to seeing how today's young artists interpret these themes.

You Are Invited

We have greatly enjoyed re-connecting with friends and fans who visit from other parts of the country and world each year during Dylan Fest. In recents years "music tourism" has become a popular way to spend a vacation. Graceland, Liverpool, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Lubbock TX, and Standing on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona, have all become "destinations" over the years. To learn more about why Duluth, Hibbing and the Minnesota Northland should be on your bucket list if you're a Dylan fan, check out this Forbes story by Gary Stoller: Harvard Professor Richard Thomas Says Start Your Dylan Tour in Duluth

The full schedule of this year's Dylan Fest will be announced soon. The popular Blood on the Tracks Express is slated to be back, along with lots of music, poetry, tours and more.

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

Related Links
Duluth Dylan Fest

For Best Of Bob (B.O.B.) 
Boblinks.com (Dylan's upcoming schedule, archive of all concert reviews, setlists, etc.)
ExpectingRain.com (Mashup of All Things Dylan-related and More)
BobDylan.com (The Essential Site for Dylan lyrics and All Things Dylan)

Grandma's Marathon Means Crowded Streets, Too Many People and a Big Weekend in Duluth

Just as robins herald the coming of spring, the runners on area roads are a sign that summer is on its way, and with it Grandma's Marathon. The weekend is filled with traditions. For some its a great time to get out of town. For others, there are spaghetti dinners, bands, parties and the event itself, in various configurations. Tonight it's the William A. Irvin 5k Run, and tomorrow the main events, the Marathon itself, both for runners and wheelchair racers, and the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon.

The scale of this event is quite impressive. In addition to the 8,000 marathon runners (I'm uncertain of the exact number at the moment), the race involves massive quantities of staff and volunteers, including race officials, water station supporters and medical personnel. (They take safety quite seriously around here.) There's also transportation (shuttles that run the runners up to the start of the race in Two Harbors) and massage tents at the end.

Nearly every runner has a support base, so you have fans and friends joining the throng, which means some serious organization to make sure people get fed, have bathrooms and places to stay. Naturally the city welcomes all these visitors, and the race itself is a great way to showcase Minnesota Nice to those who come from a distance.

One of the more unusual groupa of volunteer regulars is the team at Valentini's on London Road, a little past the halfway point. John Bushey, host of the Highway 61 Revisited radio program on KUMD, has been coming out for years to set up a sound system that plays Dylan music, inspiring runners for the second half of the run while reminding them that Bob Dylan was born here in Duluth, and that across the street there is the Historic Duluth Armory where a teenaged Robert Zimmerman saw Buddy Holly a few days before "the day the music died."

For the runners and fans who are unaware, this is the same Highway 61 that runs all the way down into the Deep South where the Delta Blues was born. From Two Harbors to Canal Park, hugging the shoreline of the largest freshwater lake in the world, this has to be on of the most beautiful marathons in the world to run.

The 5K, which takes place later today, is a much smaller loop (just over three miles) beginning and ending at the William A. Irving ore boat that is docked in a slip alongside the DECC. Last night and today runners have been picking up their race packets, which include bib numbers that have a chip affixed to them so that officials can accurately track their time as the cross the start and finish lines. Grandma's now even has an app that enables race fans to follow the leaders and see how soon they will be arriving at the corner where you'll be standing to cheer them on.

Whether you stay for the race or flee, it's always helpful to know which roads are open and which are going to be closed for much of the day. Here are the details on Grandma's Marathon Road Closures.

Here's a link to another blogger planning to run this weekend, Steve Wagner's Addicted to Running blog.  He expresses the same affection for this race as many of the runners who come when he writes, "Few cities embrace the marathon like Duluth. Race officials nail the logistics and organization, volunteers genuinely care about the runners and residents turn out to support and cheer on participants — making the final 3-4 miles a magical experience. Add a truly terrific point-to-point course and you end up with an amazing experience."

Tonight's my first 5K. I've not run three miles in nearly 40 years, so we'll see how ready I am. The race starts at 6, but there will be activities all day for the devoted. The anticipation has been fun, creating its own sense of energy, though simultaneously I've got jitters as regards where to park, how early to arrive and all the practical elements that experience teaches you. Vamos a ver, as they say.

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