Minnesota native Bob Dylan awarded Légion d’honneur

The nation of France awarded  iconic singer/songwriter and northern Minnesota native Bob Dylan its highest distinction this week, the Légion d’honneur (Legion of Honor). According to the BBC, French cultural minister Aurelie Filippetti gave a glowing speech Nov. 13, 2013, citing Dylan’s influence by French poetry and how he inspired student uprisings in the 1960s,… Read More →

Bob Dylan rock opera set to drop this month

As a longtime coordinator and media representative for Dylan Days, the annual arts and music event in Bob Dylan’s Iron Range hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, I’m used to receiving oddities in the mail. For instance, there was this notice about a new rock opera album being released featuring Bob Dylan music. The band, Diva De… Read More →

Dylan Days reach fever pitch today in Bob’s hometown

Dylan Days continues this morning with the famous Bobby Zimmerman bus tour, an interactive storytelling experience that takes visitors through “Bob’s” Hibbing. The tour departs from downtown Hibbing at 10:30 a.m. and lets out at 2:30 p.m. (refreshments available) at Howard Street Booksellers. Author M.L. Liebler will hold an event there at the end of… Read More →

See the ‘Dylan by Duluth’ sculpture concept

Last Sunday I talked about a new Bob Dylan sculpture project in Duluth in my preview of northern Minnesota’s Dylan Fest and Dylan Days (starting today!) Here’s a sneak peak at the sculpture, which was unveiled at a preview yesterday: The “Dylan by Duluth” website launches Monday, with a Kickstarter raising funds for the project… Read More →

Dylan Days commence in Hibbing, Minnesota

Today Dylan Days starts in earnest in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. Duluth poet laureate Sheila Packa will lead a poetry workshop from 1-3 p.m. at the Hibbing Memorial Building dining hall. At 3, M.L. Liebler and the Coyote Monk Band Great Northern Radio Show alumnus and Hibbing’s own Iris Kolodji will provide entertainment… Read More →

Dylan sculpted music, now hometowns etch him in history

This is my Sunday column for the May 19, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I’ll be revealing more about Tom Page’s Dylan sculpture project in a week or so. Dylan sculpted music, now hometowns etch him in historyBy Aaron J. Brown The figure crouches over a guitar, playing against a hurricane. A long… Read More →

North Country Dylan Celebration starts today

For fans of Bob Dylan, the northern Minnesota music scene or those who just wonder about the connection between the world’s most influential living musician and the back woods, mining towns and blue collar city of his youth, well, we’ve got you covered. Today Duluth begins its annual Dylan Fest. A series of events continue… Read More →

Brian Laidlaw plays Zimmy’s tonight, unofficial start of Dylan celebration

Twin Cities-based singer/songwriter Brian Laidlaw will be putting on a pretty cool show tonight at Zimmy’s in downtown Hibbing. You could even consider this an unofficial kickoff of the “North Country Dylan Celebration” in northern Minnesota, starting tomorrow with Duluth Dylan Fest and continuing next week with Dylan Days in Hibbing. From 8-11 p.m., Laidlaw… Read More →

Swedish paper profiles complicated story of Bob Dylan in Hibbing

Reporter Kristin Lundell and photographer Karin Grip visited Hibbing in October to do a feature for the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, one of the nation’s largest dailies. Today, Lundell’s story and Grip’s photos ran in a huge three-page feature in the Culture section. You can read the story in Swedish here or the Google translation… Read More →

Judas was from the Iron Range

This is the film Professor David Leaver of Manchester Metropolitan University presented at Dylan Days 2011 in Hibbing, Minnesota. It explores some of Dylan’s past (including his northern Minnesota roots) and how his path intersected with one important place, the Manchester Free Trade Hall. Related posts: No related posts.