Music
Bob Dylan plays an unprecedented concert for one single person
by Tyler Munro
November 25, 2014
Seeing Bob Dylan live these days is an experience, and not necessarily in a good way. He mostly insists on playing his newer, bluesier material, and when he does break out the classics, songs like “Blowing in the Wind” are reduced to an unrecognizable gurgle. It makes sense, too—even in his younger years, Dylan sounded like he was melting, and at 73-years-old, that piercing drawl has been reduced to a low rumble.
Still, seeing him live is still an experience worth having. In spite of himself, he’s still Bob Dylan, and a lucky Swedish filmmaker got the full experience when he was treated to an unprecedented performance from the legendary folk singer. What’s so rare about it, you ask? He was the only one there.
As part of his friend Anders Helgeson’s Experiment Ensam series, Fredrik Wikingsson, pictured above, sat by himself in the second row of Philadelphia’s Academy of Music and was treated to a short four song set consisting entirely of covers. And after hearing Dylan do Buddy Holly’s “Heartbeat,” Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill” and “Chuck Willis’ “It’s Too Late (She’s Gone),” and an unnamed blues jam, he seemed to be at a near loss for words.
“I was smiling so much it was like I was on ecstasy,” he told Rolling Stone. “My jaw hurt for hours afterwards because I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Still, he had his doubts when he arrived at the theatre. Translated to mean ‘Experiment Alone,’ Helgeson’s film project focuses on people experiencing things normally meant for a larger audience.
“I thought some asshole would walk onstage and just laugh at me,” he joked. “I just couldn’t fathom that Dylan would actually do this.”
Well, he did. And it apparently didn’t come cheap. Still, Wikingsson seems more than grateful. The concert was filmed and will be unveiled on December 15th.
