50 years. 5 decades of protest, poetry, and philosophical debates.  Robert Allen Zimmerman would never be satisfied with the present, forward was the only movement he could grasp.  With this in mind, we can understand why the country boy from Minnesota decided to take on the new lifestyle of Bob Dylan-aspiring folk artist in Greenwich Village, New York early 1960’s.

Dylan’s life cannot be categorized or contained in one simple explanation.  His impact on the music industry changed the views the public had about folk artists. Not only was he the foreman of singer-song writers in his time, but he inspired hundreds of others through his ambition.

This past Sunday, November 9th, 2014, I was fortunate enough to be able to see this iconic man in person.  Bob Dylan, now 73 years old, performed with his band at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago on  Saturday, Sunday, and Monday  night.  Being a huge Dylan fan, I could not  have asked for a more preferred opportunity.  With that being said, I knew what to be expecting, which was not the Dylan I had grown up listening to.  Again, the ever-changing persona of this man led to differing “stages” of his music.

There was his beginning folk stage, then the infamous switch to electric rock n roll and now in his later years a more bluesy, jazzy style to his music.

Unfortunately, I had reluctantly been stuck in the early 60’s folk Bob Dylan stage. Of course I knew he wasn’t going to whip out his guitar and go solo on stage singing “You’re No Good” from his first album, unless of course if he decided to regress back to his 20 year old self after about 50 years of refraining from performing folk music.  Instead, many of the songs were extracted from his latest album, “Tempest” (2012).  Regardless if I had recognized the songs, I was mesmerized by this man.  He’s been on stage for more than 50 years and he’s still got it.

One of my favorite moments of the concert was when he picked up his harmonica- a glimpse at early Bob Dylan for me.  I also enjoyed the fact that he still carries himself the same way, especially in his walk.  In all the interviews and video clips I had watched of him performing when he was young, he had a very distinct saunter as he walked on and off the stage.  And as if no time had passed between his 20 year old to his 70 year old self, he sauntered off the stage in the exact same manner.

The concert ended too soon, as they always do, but I still couldn’t believe that I had just witnessed one of the most influential singer-song writers in history.  This was an idolized man, who impacted countless lives.  When I asked what my friend thought of the concert so far as Dylan took a break, he replied with “It’s like watching someone walk on water”, and I couldn’t agree more.  What a perfect way to describe  the feeling of watching this man perform, a feeling I concluded as indescribable.  Walking on water, you don’t know why or how, all you can do is witness the spectacle in front of you.