Influential singer-songwriter Bob Dylan will be blowin’ in the wind all the way to Ann Arbor on Nov. 6 to play a concert at Hill Auditorium.
Bob Dylan and his band are being brought to Ann Arbor by an organization called Live Nation, a live-entertainment company that produces concerts. Samantha Musil, manager for Student Services and Major Events at the Center for Campus Involvement, assisted Live Nation with the venue setup.
“We rent the space to Live Nation,” Musil said. “We also provide event coordination for on-campus requirements… For example, hiring security, ambulance services and stage labor in order to set up the stage and bring up their equipment.”
Many Bob Dylan fans on campus are excited for his arrival, as some have been growing up listening to his music since childhood. LSA freshman Nicholas Cemalovic was surrounded by Dylan’s music in his childhood.
“(My parents) would play it, and there’s this psych phenomenon where the more you’re exposed to a stimulus, the more you’re likely to enjoy it,” Cemalovic said.
Aside from his music, students are also intrigued by Dylan’s background and influence in music culture. His music was not only used for entertainment but also for social change. According to Biography.com, in 1965, he introduced electronic music into his folk style, causing controversy in the music world. In 1989, Dylan was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
LSA junior Vincenzo Convertino started listening to Bob Dylan in high school and will be attending the concert. Convertino is particularly interested in Dylan’s influence on other artists.
“He also wrote a lot of famous songs by other artists — I think that’s pretty cool about him,” Convertino said.
Of the many songs he wrote, “All Along the Watchtower” has had a long history, including immense success from the Jimi Hendrix Experience version.
Cemalovic also expressed interest in Dylan’s music history and life.
“You can pinpoint different things in American history,” Cemalovic said. “He was very anti-war and wrote a lot of music that centered around counter-culture.”
Tickets for the concert went on sale on Sept. 20, including a select number of discounted student tickets, which sold out the same day they were released. However, full price tickets are still being sold through the Michigan Union Ticket Office.