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
oh, zing!
what’s the matter i disagree- hate when you sound like a fool? which you do so often. I only use my stalest comments on you because that’s all you deserve (and they still apply). But I’ll be happy to pay dave royalties. I have a job with meaningful work so I can afford to do that.
11217- ah, but did you ever wear 3 inch platform shoes? That’s my criteria for authenticity. Dave- a fro???? I need to see pictures.
they did it for feist as well….
then bxgrl will owe you lots of royalties. maybe she can pay you in kind (get it?!).
i disagree…i’m thinking of copyrighting all of them
Wonton…having lived in Hong Kong, I love your analogies. I always wanted to be the first gweilo Canto pop star….I could actually sing one or two Jacky Cheung songs. And I can probably beat you at “Sup Yee Sup” or at least not lose every round. I always drank though even when I won!!!
heh. bxgrl, next time you might try: “reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit.” or “forget to take your meds today?” i think dave has a whole list of trite commenter-insults you could ask him for cuz yours are getting a little stale! hope that helps!
I’m not your typical stoner from the outside, Bxgirl.
Unless you walk by me and see my beet red eyes about the Slope, you’d probably not guess it.
I’m more of an urban hippie, I’d say.
I’d happily put on some tie dye though…as long as it goes with skinny jeans.
Just kidding!
I was at the concert. I paid for my ticket, but left early. Dylan singing sounded like the last croak of a scrawny wet market Hong Kong chicken.
Bxgirl is right. The big plastic fence was mean-spirited. The show sold out on the first day–and would have even if no fence was erected.
What makes Celebrate Brooklyn concerts such a summer delight is that they are as much about the community as they are about music. You drift in with your blanket and picnic, bump into your neighbors. The gate-keeping is relaxed, the policing low-key and almost invisible. It is the essence of what public, civic life in a city should be. Salif Keita, the African singer, attracted as many people as this Dylan show, but that concert felt 100% different. Why? No hired goons, no fence no “professional concert” vibe.
Like I said, I walked out on Dylan. I figure that my wasted $65 dollars is my contribution to Celebrate Brooklyn. Just like the other neighbor of mine who posted up there. I wish Celebrate Brooklyn organisers would have more faith in the wonderful spirit of their event and keep the goons away and the fences down for their next benefit concert.