Post Dylanfest 2016 Meanderings

My final Dylanfest thoughts. It was a great party yesterday with some awesome musical surprises. Should I start with Bobby Malone playing Tangled Up in Blue again after who knows how many years? Freaking breathtaking in its majesty. Right now I am listening to him doing it for the first time in 1993 in our backyard and damn if it isn’t just as great. To say he is timeless and ageless is an understatement. For me the best part of the day had to be watching Andy during Bobby’s performance and not only because of the great shirt Andy wore yesterday.

Andy is the consummate professional and plays music on a regular basis and he never disappoints but to see him come so musically alive yesterday playing that song with Bobby again was absolutely the most amazing Andy Hill performance this jaded long time HIllstruck fan has seen in awhile. Pure musical joy and rapture on that boy’s face yesterday.

Right now I am listening to 1993 Andy and George do Chimes, Andy’s reluctant selection as his favorite Dylan song during my survey on Saturday. It was like asking a parent who their favorite kid is. That was a common reaction on Saturday from the musicians and fans alike when asked what their favorite Dylan song was. Mine and Sandi’s favorite one wasn’t played on Sunday but that’s just fine. It’s much more of a quiet listening or car ride song anyway. A whole lot of other favorites of mine got played and of others as well. No surprise really that Like A Rolling Stone appears only once on the list. This is a hardcore group of Dylan fans. Not that it isn’t just the best anthem ever but with a body of work like Dylan’s there’s bound to be lots of favorites. The winner in my not so scientific survey? Chimes of Freedom by a mile.

Then there was a very good surprising performance by Italian Dylan Tribute guy, who came all the way from Sardinia Italy to attend the fest. I’ll tell the story of my series of Italian events leading up to a trip to the Valley tonight in a next post.

The music was outstanding as usual. Silvio by Andy was awesome. Renee’s version of anything always delivers the chills and thrills. The Hard Rain band in all its variations is one of the best bands around and great to have their Jimmy Sax player down from Oregon. Jamie, Dylan Boy, Daniels never disappoints nor does Mr. Crossland or the Fuzzy. Paul Zollo was also great and I am so not mentioning him just because he met Dick Van Dyke this week. Really.

I missed quite a few faces this year from last though, Julie Long, Christopher, Marjorie, Marietta, Sylvia, Kim and Tony and Tracker Dave most of all. Seeing Jack McGee there this year was certainly a treat even if only for 5 minutes by me
The Results of My What’s your Favorite Dylan Song survey are:

1. Andy             Chimes Of Freedom
2. Renee            Forever Young
3. Sandi             Desolation Row
4. Chuck            Working Man’s Blues
5. Joe C.            Forever Young
6. John Bradley Chimes of Fredeom (more Chimes John whose last name I haveto put     here cause I always forget it and think it’s Sackheim
7. BBQ Bill       I Shall Be Released (great choice)
8. Eva               One More Cup of Coffee for the Road
9. Fuzzy           Blind Willie McTell (of course, what else)
10. Jackie            Blind Willie McTell ( really or did I just confuse yours and   Fuzzy’s answer in my little bling notebook, thank you Brian)
11. Patrick        Positively 4^th Street- from the hardest working man in show biz and the force behind the fest
12. Chase        Subterranean Homesick Blues- a cool drummer and the most well adjusted teen of a famous parent yet
13. John Hoke   Chimes of Freedom (the Italian version)
14. Terry Buck    Chimes of Freedom
15. Marty Rifkin Hard Rain (sentimental fool he is picking the band’s namesake)
16. Christine P    My Back Pages
17. Jean Merl    Chimes of Freedom
18. Tess      Chimes of Freedom
19. Tracker Russ Subterranean Homesick Blues- I don’t think he has a famous parent

20.Winston         Emotionally Yours ( I think, he changed it so many times as if  a prize was being awarded for the correct answer- maybe a bottle of Arrogant Bastard?)

21.Jimmy Sax         Ring them Bells- no sorry I didn’t help to bring you down but so glad everyone else did, it was a joy to see you play again.

22. Dave Crossland     Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
23. Dave Batti             Like a Rolling Stone!!
24. Mika                    Hurricane ( had to drag that one out of her)
25. Kirk                     Tomorrow is a Long Time
26. Tracker Dave            Up to Me ( and it should have been as you would definitely have been there yesterday rather than spouting Marxist slogans in downtown LA)