Fencing In Bob Dylan
At last night’s Bob Dylan concert in Prospect Park, the closing night of Celebrate Brooklyn and a benefit for it, too, the last longhaired baby boomers in the borough gathered to listen to the musical icon of their generation sing—though plenty of GenX and GenY-ers showed up as well. Only problem: those who didn’t wish…
At last night’s Bob Dylan concert in Prospect Park, the closing night of Celebrate Brooklyn and a benefit for it, too, the last longhaired baby boomers in the borough gathered to listen to the musical icon of their generation sing—though plenty of GenX and GenY-ers showed up as well. Only problem: those who didn’t wish to swing the $55 for lawn seats or well above a cool hundred for actual chairs found they couldn’t partake of extra-bandshell listening, as so many are accustomed to doing. One reader wrote in to complain about the high fence erected around the venue to prevent glimpses; sound apparently did not travel well beyond it. “Unbelievable: Dylan comes to Brooklyn & everyone who wasn’t in his fan club, a VIP [there were plenty of seats reserved for music biz types], or willing to pay $200+ wound up barely able to hear and completely unable to see the concert, thanks to a tall black fence completely surrounding the bandshell area,” he writes. “Considering that I’ve never seen this sort of setup at Celebrate Brooklyn, I have to ask: Whose idea was this – Dylan’s or Celebrate Brooklyn? Anybody have an answer?” Well, do ya?
Dylan photo by Alan Fleishman
bxgrl…believe it or not I had a big afro….I know that’s going to confuse a lot of people here. I was more into just bell bottoms with wide belts.
Nokilissa-I want to be on a parade float going down 5th Ave. singing twist and shout with people in lederhosen.
I will always love Dylan’s work-so brilliant. I never did the car trunk thing but I did once spend a day in the New Orleans Arena listening to Rare earth. Pacific Gas and Electric, The Chambers Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner,James Brown and a couple of others who I can’t remember at the moment. Amazing day.
11217- dare I envision you in a headband and tie dye shirt?
And there was that big free one Nokilissa….Woodstock… but most of you were not born or just 2-3 back then I bet. Even “The Concert For Bangladesh” in MSG was only maybe $10-20…anyone remember who was there (besides Bob Dylan)???
Dave! Stop that!
Awww, 11217, that was nice.
Anyone here, over age 40, actually doesn’t mind AT ALL the presence of this wall? Anyone else feel even the tiniest tweak of irony? I mean Bob Dylan for Christ’s sake?
Or of “aw, man, that sucks”? Particularly given the disconcerting growth in the number of young people who’ve never even HEARD of Dylan? (or the Stones, or Hendrix, or Jeff Beck for that matter) Anyone else ever experienced that right of passage behind a concert shell, or snuck at least 3 into the car trunk in order to get into the drive-in for less dough because you couldn’t scrape together enough for everyone otherwise? Anyone? (Bueller…Bueller…)
I find it somehow…just, wrong. Security or no.
You’d be surprised who actually came out for drinks that night 11217.
I remember Dave! I do appreciate the invite, but am still a bit too shy to come out, as it were…
And for me, nothing will replace getting stoned! I’ll take a joint over a cocktail any day!!
I forgot- Dave is much more edgy than we are. Can I wear the granny dress and beaded stuff anyway Dave?
I disagree- english certainly isn’t your first language. And before you comment, learn to read. Since concerts in the park have been given with and without fences, my comment is hardly dissing 11217’s experience (and since I have also been involved in several large security-conscious events and once married many years to a musician, I think I have some experience to draw on as well.)
11217- works for me. I still have long hair and I can whip up a fringed vest! 🙂