The first of three concerts by the American singer Bob Dylan will take place today in Prague’s O2 universum hall. The next two performances take place at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday. They will be part of his Rough & Rowdy Ways tour, which he will start in Prague and whose title refers to Dylan’s last studio album from 2020. The concerts are unique in that they prohibit the use of mobile phones that can record audio and video.
Eighty-three-year-old Dylan will start his European tour in Prague. Then he will head to Germany, France, Luxembourg and Britain. Dylan made his first appearance in the Czech Republic 30 years ago, on July 16, 1994, he played in a packed hockey hall at the Prague Exhibition Centre. He last performed in Prague five years ago. In the packed Lucerne in Prague, he offered three intimately tuned concerts, where his old hits were played in new arrangements, as well as songs from his Tempest album from 2012.
“I think it could happen again that the concert will be one big puzzle. Bob Dylan enjoys surprising his fans in the last many years. Whether it’s by not being too visible on stage, for example, he’s a little hidden behind piano, and also by offering new versions of his famous songs and then fans have a little trouble recognizing them, but it has the advantage of bringing the concertgoers together a bit, because when they are not sure, they discuss which song was just played ,” said music columnist Jaroslav Špulák to ČTK.
Dylan, who was born on May 24, 1941, is one of the most influential cultural figures whose importance has transcended the boundaries of music. During his 60-year musical career, he wrote over 600 songs and sold over 125 million records worldwide. He is also one of the most respected writers, he was the first rock musician to win the Pulitzer Prize and in 2016 he also received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
During his career, Dylan released 40 studio albums and met, for example, Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez on concert stages. Many of his songs have been covered. He went through several stylistic changes, starting as a folk singer-songwriter, then, to the displeasure of some fans, he fronted an electrified rock band. So far, the last studio recording Shadow Kingdom was released by Dylan last year. It is the soundtrack to the concert film of the same name.
Source: www.tyden.cz
