Local folk scene pays tribute on Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday

By Tim Kalinowski on May 25, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com

Musical icon and prominent cultural figure Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman, turned 80 on Monday. As accolades for the Nobel Prize winner and master songwriter poured in from across the globe, the local Lethbridge music scene was also paying its own quiet tribute to an artist who helped redefine American culture and music in the 20th century.
“He is definitely an iconic figure when it comes to things like Folk Music and Roots Music,” states Lethbridge Folk Club president Tom Moffatt. “His early career he was very involved with the Folk scene, and did a lot of work with people like Pete Seeger and the Newport Festival. A lot of that music is very relevant to our members. And then, of course, he went through an historic change where he electrified and got more into the Rock N’ Roll side of things.
“He really pulled the world in a new direction there. That is something that is quite amazing.”
Dylan performed in Lethbridge in both 2008 and 2012, and for much of the last 40 years had toured pretty much constantly in his “neverending tour” until the recent pandemic hit. He had early high points in his musical career when he was considered the pre-eminent voice of the 1960s with generation-defining hits like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are a-Changin” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” which continue to be sung around campfires and in coffee shops to this day.
“It helped bring about a bit of a societal revolution with the music of that era,” says Moffatt. “People tried to push (Dylan) more in a political direction, and he definitely had his political moments. But he never embraced that role as the leader of the revolution or anything like that. He definitely had his own vision and he went his own way.”
Dylan continued to make cultural waves with his rock-infused music and abstract lyrics throughout the 1970s which were a strong departure from the clear social justice commentaries and the unplugged nature of his earlier Folk songs. The image of Dylan from that earlier era reeling off one poetic statement after another in his uneven voice accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and harmonica has become almost the stereotype of a Folk Music artist. This Rock N’ Roll shift, while hated by many Folk purists at the time, acknowledges Moffatt, cemented Dylan’s legacy as an inspiration for generations to come as a transcendent artist who refused to be confined to one style or mode of music.
“Over the years, we have come to have respect for his poetic abilities,” confirms Moffatt. “The lyrics of his songs. So many people have covered them or adopted them because they are just so inspiring.”
Dylan has continued to reinvent himself over the decades since, says Moffatt, and, at times, baffled, amazed and sometimes even frustrated his fans and critics alike with his sudden turns.
“I was just trying to figure out a favourite Bob Dylan song today,” Moffatt explains to illustrate this point, “and I settled on listening to ‘Nobody’s Child,’ which is a song he did when he was performing with the Traveling Wilburys. He has such a wide variety of music out there you could probably find a song for every occasion, and it is pretty hard to pick a favourite because there are so many phases he has been through in his career.
“He is so wide-ranging that he is inspiring to all different kinds of groups,” Moffat adds. “In the opinion of music-makers, he is one of the greats.”
Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, and just last year released his 39th studio album “Rough and Rowdy Ways.”
Moffatt says what is probably most inspiring about Dylan is his longevity and continued relevance over the past six decades.
“No one can ignore the contribution he has made to our social consciousness, and to the music industry,” he states. “And I wish him well on his 80th birthday. I love to see him still going strong.”
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