By Kayla Bauer
Manifest staff writer
Great music can have a miraculous effect on an audience. Live music, however, is one of the greatest highs a person can ever experience.
When the music is that of a true living legend, the experience changes a person forever. You can love music with a passion, but when you hear it live you really hear the message and it inspires you to believe what you want more so than listening to the record can do.
The excitement inspired by such a living legend, Bob Dylan, resonated throughout my young existence. Now in his 60s, Dylan did not let down the audience, providing an evening of rocking entertainment on Oct. 31 in Madison.
His setlist included tracks from his newest record, "Modern Times," and such classics as "Maggie's Farm." Dylan's trademark raspy and yet smooth voice flowed through a set of 16 tracks and delighted the crowd.
A personal favorite, "Positively 4th Street," nearly brought me to tears. Its lyrics of a man who has obviously been betrayed by a friend meant a lot to me: "You got a lotta nerve to say you are my friend/when I was down you just stood there grinning."
Dylan, known at the start of his career for playing his acoustic guitar and harmonica, didn¹t play the guitar at the concert, but rather stood at a keyboard. He still rocked out on the keys and played the harmonica in the same manner that made him stood out in the 1960s, an era he helped define.
Dylan's latest release provided some excellent tracks that sound even better when performed live. The songs fill the entire building and reach out intothe audience. One of these tracks, "Thunder on the Mountain," along with the tender and bittersweet "When the Deal Goes Down," fit well into Dylan's extensive repertoire.
Probably Dylan's best known song, "Like a Rolling Stone," was performed at the end of his set and was mind-blowing. The entire audience stood and joined in with the song and swayed along, letting the soul of the song caress them. I've never heard such a song bring together thousands of people in such an exhilarating moment.
After hearing the song performed live and witnessing its impact, I have a newfound appreciation and love for the track. I find it absolutely amazing how a musician can bring together so many people in a peaceful and loving manner and then I wonder why a politician cannot do the same.
For this among other reasons Dylan is one of my heroes; he touched the core of my very soul and I find it difficult to find the words with which I can express myself.
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