Image by Sleepy Kitty
His voice is rocky, rough, and textured, like tires spinning on a gravel road. Sometimes with black sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat, his look is a cool mixture between indifference and defiance. His height never pushed passed six feet, yet his influential shadow stretches infinitely. Celebrating his 70th birthday last Tuesday, Bob Dylan’s catalog covers almost 50 years, including 34 studio albums, each exploring and redefining the limits of folk, rock, country, and gospel.
Dylan’s ability to inspire has made him influential to millions of musicians and fans, and once again, he will serve the function of muse. Tonight at Off Broadway, “Shot of Love,” a Bob Dylan tribute show, will pay homage to the famous folk singer. Twelve local bands will take the stage and bring new interpretations to Dylan’s work, including Karate Bikini, Magnolia Summer, Brothers Lazaroff, Pretty Little Empire, The Skekses, Cumberland Gap, Rough Shop, The Feed, and more. Each band will play three songs each, totaling over 36 songs. The show will benefit nonprofit radio station KDHX, and is the 7th tribute show the station has put on, following tributes to such musical acts like Gram Parsons, Uncle Tupelo and Townes Van Zandt. We asked the folks participating what Dylan they love and will play tonight, and for their reflections on Dylan's influence on them as an artist.
A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? And where have you been my darling young one?
These are familiar words for Roy Kasten, event coordinator and DJ for KDHX. Growing up listening to his father’s banjo during the '50s and '60s, Kasten was no stranger to folk greats like Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger. Kasten become a young Dylan acolyte, and as a freshman in high school, wrote the lyrics to “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” continuously in his notebook. With such a lifelong dedication, it’s no wonder that Kasten decided that Dylan was in need of reverence. “I try to pick an artist with a catalog that lends itself to interpretations so it doesn’t end up being a cover band night,” Kasten says. “It’s much more about paying tribute to an influential figure in music and a great songwriter.”
“Shot of Love,” is one of two tribute shows that KDHX puts on per year, though Kasten says they could always do more. “Still Be Around,” a tribute for the Belleville-based Uncle Tupelo that took place last December, was a success and was the second tribute show to sell out. Much like Dylan’s repertoire, the participating bands are eclectic. “I wanted a good range of younger artists and more veteran artists and try to span the genres.” Kasten says. “I’m excited to see how the bands handle these songs.”
Boots of Spanish Leather
Oh I'm sailin' away my own true love / I'm sailin' away in the morning / Is there something I can send you from across the sea / From the place that I'll be landing?
Elly Herget wasn’t the biggest fan of Bob Dylan, at least not at first. If she had to guess, the first Bob Dylan song she heard was “Blowin’ in the Wind” in the back of her dad’s Bronco. “I actually skipped Bob Dylan in my falling-in-love-with-a-singer-songwriter phase,” Herget says. “I come from a poetry background before music, and I really appreciate his poetry.” Now, Herget is a stringed aficionado for the two-piece band The Skekses, one of the dozen bands performing on Friday.
The Skekses are no strangers to live shows, having performed around the St. Louis area for the last two years. However, this is the band’s first tribute show. Herget is most excited to play Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather,” a ballad about two lovers at a crossroads. Although there are many facets to Dylan’s work, for Herget, his poetic voice is the most powerful.
Tangled Up In Blue
Rain falling on my shoes / Heading out for the East Coast / Lord knows I've paid some dues getting through / Tangled up in blue.
The Grabau family got a new stereo. Chris Grabau was only eight or nine years old at the time. Grabau’s father was testing out the stereo with his favorite folk singers. The needle fell on Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” and Grabau's affection for Dylan began. Years later, Grabau’s love for the famous folk singer hasn’t wavered as his band, Magnolia Summer, prepares for the tribute tonight. “I don’t get tired of listening to Bob Dylan,” Grabau says. “It’s inspiring to see how wide of a spectrum his songwriting explores.”
For Grabau and the rest of Magnolia Summer, one of the first challenges to playing Dylan was trying to pick three songs, each member having personal favorites. Grabau, the songwriter and guitarist for the band, is not in the business of reproduction. “We don’t do covers,” Grabau says. “We try to do play it as an interpretation, not a facsimile.”
Summer Days
Summer days, summer nights are gone / Summer days and summer nights are gone/ I know a place where there's still somethin' going on.
For David and Jeff Lazaroff, discovering Bob Dylan was a family affair. Josh Lazaroff, the oldest brother in the Lazaroff family, was the first to go to college. After seeing a few shows and becoming immersed with his work, Josh introduced Dylan to his younger brothers while riding in his Jeep, and now David and Jeff affectionately refer to Dylan simply as “Bob.”
The two brothers grew up playing music together, and continued writing music even though they lived in separate states. Soon after, they formed Brothers Lazaroff. After writing music for more than a decade, both in person and over the phone, the two brothers have never forgotten their influence. “Bob’s kind of the master,” David says. “There is a spiritual component to his music.”
Dylan as the influential folk singer of Greenwich Village is a sound that defines a generation separate from the Brothers Lazaroff. Dave and Jeff are more familiar with what they describe as “New Bob.” It’s not surprising that one song they’ve picked for Dylan's tribute is “Summer Days,” off of Dylan’s 2001 release Love and Theft. Whether new Bob or old, the brothers aren’t losing sight of the evening’s significance. “We’re not in the business of 'new Bob' or 'old Bob,' 'protest Bob' versus 'apolitical Bob,' we just like Bob,” the brothers say. “Happy Birthday Bob!"
Shot of Love: Bob Dylan 70th Birthday Party, Tribute Night and KDHX Benefit happens tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp. Ticket are $10, with all proceeds benefiting 88.1 KDHX. The lineup includes Cassie Morgan and the Lonely Pine, Riley James, The Skekses, Joe Stickley and Sean Canan, Magnolia Summer, Rough Shop, The Sparrows, Pretty Little Empire, Cumberland Gap, The Feed, Karate Bikini and Brothers Lazaroff. For more information, call 773-3363 or go to offbroadwaystl.com.
