On Sunday evening, August 24, I had the privilege of attending a concert, for the first time in many years, at the Mesker Amphitheater.  It was a beautiful summer evening, cool breezes blowing, and my daughter, my granddaughter, and I were pumped.  After all, we were in the presence of a living legend, the one and only Bob Dylan. 

            My first recollection of Bob Dylan was when my oldest son’s friends, chiding me about my “elevator” music and hoping to refine my taste, presented me with a Bob Dylan album.  From then on, I was hooked.  I loved the music and adored the lyrics, which were extremely interesting and somewhat unconventional for the time. He was a kind of revival; he sang about not being pushed around by ordinary standards and getting a new lease on life. He sang about injustice, the meaning of truth, about questioning authority and lost dreams. My younger children were raised on Bob Dylan’s stories like “Hurricane” (He could-a been the champion of the world) and “Joey” (King of the streets, child of clay).  I’ve continued to listen to him over the years.  Bob Dylan rocked then and he still rocks now, absolutely. 

            The crowd, young, old and in between loved “Blind Willie McTell,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Thunder on the Mountain,” “Not Dark Yet,” and especially the very loud version of the encore “All Along the Watchtower,” which was incredible.   

            The concert was truly outstanding.  The acoustics prevented the great man’s presentation from being all that it could have been, nevertheless, it’s impossible for Bob Dylan to ever disappoint.  Salutations to you, Bob Dylan, we love you. You made me feel young again.