A huge concert was just announced this week: Bob Dylan with his dear friend, Mavis Staples, will perform at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Oct. 25.

We've been talking a lot about it on The Current — we''re very excited. And I realize that Bob Dylan is a polarizing figure in music. People respond to his voice or they don't. But forget the voice. Just put that out of your head if you can, and watch "Don't Look Back," the 1967 D.A. Pennebaker documentary where they follow him through his tour of the U.K. He is the brattiest, most petulant guy — I would be scared to death of him — but I've noticed in my career, every time I interview someone of any age, they will always say "Bob Dylan" as an influence. And it's not even so much musically; it's his attitude. Bob Dylan ain't doing anything he doesn't want to do. I mean, he wins a Pulitzer Prize and he's like, "Pffft … Save it. I'll pick it up later." He's unique that way, but there's very few people who get away with being Bob Dylan.

Mavis Staples, meanwhile, is a spiritual behemoth in my mind. I think Bob and Mavis have the utmost respect for one another.

People on the fence about, "Should I buy a ticket to this show?", consider: A) It's Mavis Staples; B) It's Bob Dylan. So I would say, if you're on the fence, hop on over.

Resources

Bob Dylan - official site

Mavis Staples - official site

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