Rolling Stone: "Bob Dylan Plays Concert for One Insanely Lucky Superfan"

Bob Dylan Plays Concert for One Insanely Lucky Superfan

"I was smiling so much it was like I was on ecstasy," says Fredrik Wikingsson. "My jaw hurt for hours"



http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...cert-for-one-insanely-lucky-superfan-20141124

Setlist:

1. "Heartbeat" (Buddy Holly)
2. "Blueberry Hill" (Fats Domino)
3. "It's Too Late (She's Gone)" (Chuck Willis)
4. Unidentified blues number

Footage to be posted on YouTube December 15.

 

Actually the lucky one is a very famous swedish entertainer-me being from Sweden. He is a very big Dylan fan so winning this competition was unreal. Imagine sitting alone in the concert-hall while Bob and his band play four songs for you. I envy Fredrik (the lucky one ) this experience. Even he was not sure if this was true. But it was.

 

No thanks, it'd be super creepy.

I did have a dream the other night, though, that the rec center where I swim laps every day suddenly closed for extended unplanned maintenance, and Dylan said I could swim in his pool until it re-opened since he was out on tour and wasn't using it.

 

Did he pick the songs? It's weird that there isn't a Dylan song in the set.

"I'll hear you play, but don't play any of that garbage you write."

Chad

 

Cool

 

Besides the "lucky fan", there was also a film crew. So maybe we'll be lucky too.

 

You thought right. Look at the setlist.

And you call yourself a super-fan?

All about you, is it?

 

I don't even like being front row where performers can see me. I like to blend into the mass. Sometimes I've looked up how much a band/artist charges for a show, and imagine if I had that kind of money to spend for a private concert. I'd still want there to be a sizable audience though!

This seems like a cool project though. If anything, it must have been a bit weird for Dylan and his band. I mean, in rehearsals and soundchecks they must have played to very small numbers, but to almost approach a proper performance all aimed at one person? Maybe that's why he didn't chose any of his own songs. Maybe by doing cover songs, it made it feel more casual and fun. Imagine taking the songs that you wrote, little pieces of you, and presenting them to a stranger, being able to see in them their every reaction.

It's also just gonna be fun to see Bob and his band do some songs they've never done before. If I wanted to see Bob do his own stuff, I'd go to one of his shows (and on Friday and Saturday I'm gonna do just that!)

 

The only times I've felt slightly uncomfortable due to "performer proximity" have taken place at the Rams Head in Annapolis. Seating is reserved at tables, and a few of the tables literally touch the stage. If you get the closest seat, you'll be able 3 feet from the performer.

That's really cool - but also a bit unnerving. It's so close that I feel like I shouldn't make eye contact!

I'd definitely feel self-conscious if I was the only person in a crowd, even if I wasn't 3 feet from the performer!

 

No encore?

 

Given the show allegedly cost more than a "usual" Dylan concert, the brevity of the set seems odd to me. Why not play more than four songs?

 

That guy is insufferable on tv sadly. I once subtitled one of his tv shows and it was like old ladies gibbering. Sorry old ladies, that is an insult.

 

Well, for one, I think he also played a full concert the same day and the day before (?). Also, it makes perfect sense that they'd insist on a princely sum for a performance that would be filmed and broadcast since that's Bob's least favorite thing. Why do it at all if there weren't giant bags of kronor involved?

 

Good point, but I have a feeling the extra cost might have something to do with film rights. Maybe. Otherwise a four song set isn't going to cut it!

 

Good comments from both!

Personally, I don't think I'd be all that excited if this happened to me and involved one of my favorites. I mean, if Springsteen played a four-song set just for me, it'd be cool and would give me a certain form of "bragging rights", but I'd rather see him do a full show in a packed arena where I'm front row center. I kinda feel like this super-short set would frustrate me more than anything else...

 

Yep, that's the exact opposite of what I'd expect of a Dylan fan. Whether you fall into the "he brings vocals to a new level" camp or the "he can't sing worth a damn but I love him anyway" one, I have yet to meet the first fan who'd rather hear him sing other people's songs than his own.

 

Great prize. Lucky son of a gun.

 

I was once very close to the stage (but not three feet fro the performer) when Stevie Nicks had an on-stage tent for costume changes during the set....

 

I was at once concert where there were three performers on stage and about 10 audience members, in a room that seats 400. Awkward.

Also, I gotta ask: was I the only person who initially clicked the thread and thought for a split second, "Who knew Willem Dafoe was a Dylan superfan?"

 

Is that William Dafoe's son?

 

I actually thought he looked more like Kevin Bacon!

 

Man, he forgot to play an exclusive set for me when he was in town earlier in the month...

 

Maybe it doubled as a sound check, since he gave a full performance that night.

 

I was wondering about the all-covers aspect too... If these are all songs Dylan has never performed publically before, then it could be a way for him to make the experience exclusive, reinforcing the once-in-a-life-time thing. I mean, if Dylan would have played a set consisting of "Like a Rolling Stone," "All Along the Watchtower" and other songs he's done thousands of times, then it would have seemed like just another show. But then again, if he had really wanted to make the experience unique, he could of course have played "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts"...

Or maybe it could have to do with publishing? Not too knowledgable about this, but since this concert is going to be made available in some form, maybe having it all covers will make it cheaper to produce?

 

Great story. I'll be looking forward to watching this.