The Voice of a Generation graced the Baton Rouge River Center stage Wednesday night.
Music legend Bob Dylan drew in hundreds of fans for an intimate 8 p.m. concert and an evening of nostalgia. Concert-goers varied in age from teens to older than Dylan himself, but all danced, clapped and sang along.
Earlier this month, Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his songwriting, lauded for its artistic value and poetic characteristics.
“We saw a jump in ticket sales after the Nobel Prize win,” River Center general manager Michael Day said. “They were even talking about it at council chambers [Wednesday]. We think he might be the first Nobel winner to make an appearance in Baton Rouge.”
Dressed to the nines, Dylan sported a suit, matching hat and his customary bolo tie. The stage, minimally decorated, featured a porcelain bust and mood lighting. There were some special effects, but none too grandiose to overpower the performance.
An American icon, Dylan has been influential in pop culture for more than five decades. Since the 1960s, he has been seen as a voice for the downtrodden, speaking up in times of unrest. Songs like “Hurricane,” “The Death of Emmett Till” and “The Times They Are a-Changin” were anthems in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements.
Heavily involved in politics, he performed at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, setting the stage for Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
Dylan, a nonconformist, preferred the audience focus on the performance, discouraging the use of cell phones and prohibiting all forms of photography. For any true fan, this comes as no surprise.
Over his career, he’s dabbled in many genres, including country, gospel, jazz and folk — his old reliable. In addition to his Nobel Prize, Dylan has been awarded 11 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Pulitzer Prize and a Golden Globe Award.
“He is a multiple hall of fame performer,” Day said. “He is a voice of multiple generations. He has been acclaimed in multiple medias. This is a real honor for Bob to include a stop here on the tour.”
He produced 37 studio albums and has been on what he dubbed his “never-ending tour” since 1988, performing at least 100 shows per year.
Crooning into the microphone, Dylan performed ballads, his greatest hits and many of his signature folk anthems, like “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Make You Feel My Love” and “Tangled Up in Blue.” He danced to the beat, refusing to let his 75 years impede his performance and received a standing ovation after every song.
“It was such a unique experience to see someone who influenced so many artists live,” said biology junior Madeline Edwards, who attended the concert.
Putting a twist on the old familiar, he switched up the melody of “Blowin’ in the Wind” by performing on the piano rather than guitar. Concert-goers were witnesses to numerous piano solos and, like a true composer, Dylan stood up while feverishly playing, flashing smiles along the way.
Much to the delight of the audience, he played his harmonica, offering up a solo.
Opting to focus solely on the music, Dylan never uttered a word to the audience, instead simply offering a nod after his final song, “Why Try to Change Me Now.”