The 2006 Dylan album Modern Times entered Billboard Top 200 at number one.

Dylan reaches fans on his XM Radio show Theme Time Radio Hour and recently signed on to promote the Cadillac Escalade.

Chicago accountant DAN KLUTE, 24, sat in section 111 in Hamilton's COPPS COLISEUM on Aug. 20 and quietly took notes as folk-rock legend Bob Dylan cruised his way through an energetic, eclectic set list. As others racked their brains, trying to idenfity the thin man's latest, barely scrutable version of classic tunes, Klute would nod four notes in and write down It Ain't Me Babe. All around him were young people, sitting among oldsters, hollering, on fuel, figuratively going out of their minds that they were seeing Dylan for the first time. Not so Klute. This was concert number 29 for him and by week's end his count was 32. Klute explains why Bob Dylan has succeeded in attracting a LEGION OF YOUNG PEOPLE to his concerts whereas some of his peers only play to a senior crowd today.

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As the lights go down in the venue the audience starts cheering wildly. The band walks on stage followed by the man himself - billed as "the poet-laureate of rock 'n' roll, the voice of the promise of the Sixties counterculture, the guy who forced folk into bed with rock, who donned make-up in the Seventies and disappeared into a haze of substance abuse, who emerged to find Jesus, who was written off as a has-been by the end of the Eighties and suddenly shifted gears, releasing some of the strongest music of his career beginning in the late Nineties - Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan." That is how he is introduced to the audience each night by his stage manager, Al Santos, and is a pretty fair summary, though for recent accomplishments one might add winning an Academy Award in 2001 for his song Things Have Changed.

Being 24 years old, some might wonder why I have spent thousands to go see this "folk-rock relic from the Sixties" not just once, but 32 times. But Bobsession cannot be planned; it just happens. I had recognized the name from a couple of songs on the radio so I randomly picked up Blonde on Blonde on a cold day in 2002 just to see what the fuss was all about. I did not know at the time that this 1966 album is considered one of Dylan's finest works. Immediately I was held captive by the fun melodies of the songs and especially the strong imagery in the lyrics. Eventually I discovered that he still toured.

On April 1, 2005, I finally was able to see His Bobness perform at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Two songs really caught my attention that night: High Water (for Charley Patton) and All Along the Watchtower. Although his voice was ragged after years of poor health choices and excessive touring (he's played about 100 shows every year since 1989, the most being 120 in 1999) and I understood very little of what he was singing, I knew I had to see him again - soon. One week later I went to see him in Milwaukee. Obviously, it didn't take long until I was a dedicated Bobcat.

The Dylan fan community is just that, a community, enabled tremendously among fans young and old by the internet, with message boards, get-togethers and fan magazines. Want the latest news about Bob Dylan? Check out expectingrain.com. Go to boblinks.com to find out where the Bobster is going next. For some good Bobtalk and even a game based on picking which songs you think will be played that tour, theneverendingpool.com is the place to be. Dylan fans are among the friendliest people one could ever hope to meet, so I have often found myself picking shows to attend based on who else will be there.

Why do we do it? Why do we abandon our families and jobs to watch a 67-year old man hunch over a keyboard (he only plays guitar on the first song now so he can have the lyric sheets in front of him) and sing songs that date back to the early Sixties?

I've met people who have seen Dylan several hundred times over the years, but they still keep coming back, now with their children and grandchildren. How does he keep bringing us back even though it is agreed that he had his heyday in 1965-1966 and again in 1975-1976?

Part of it is tradition. To this day, clouds of smoke can be seen rising during Rainy Day Women Number 12 and 35. People still cheer for the naked president in It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding), and fans young and old sing along to Just Like a Woman and Like a Rolling Stone.

Additionally, new song arrangements make their debut almost every tour. Sometimes songs get new lyrics as well. An example of this would be Tangled Up in Blue. Originally one of the verses had the main female character working in a topless bar where the narrator looked at her face in the spotlight. Nowadays, she works in the Tropicana, where she tries to get the narrator to stay despite him telling her that he plans on going to Atlanta.

We also go because we don't know what will be played from night to night. This could be the night I finally get to hear Shooting Star. While all of these things keep it interesting, we go if for no other reason because it's Bob Dylan, the man who has been writing incredible songs for 45 years, who performs with passion, with fresh interpretations, and still remains an unapproachable mystery.

Many of the fans grew up with him. The younger ones, such as myself, may have come into the game late, but we're not about to miss out on seeing the man who may be the greatest songwriter to ever live.

My Bob travels have taken me to many new places, giving me friends from around the world. My only regret is that I didn't start earlier. It's been a blast to say the least.

Thanks, Bob.

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SET LIST

Hamilton, Aug. 20, from boblinks.com.

Cat's In The Well; It Ain't Me, Babe; Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again; Girl Of The North Country; High Water (For Charlie Patton); Just Like A Woman; Rollin' And Tumblin'; Tryin' To Get To Heaven; Highway 61 Revisited; Moonlight; It's Alright, Ma; When The Deal Goes Down; Thunder On The Mountain; Ain't Talkin'.

ENCORE: Like A Rolling Stone; All Along The Watchtower.

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DYLAN FAN LINKS MENTIONED HERE

expectingrain.com

boblinks.com

theneverendingpool.com