A few weeks ago, Bob Dylan got himself rounded up by the New Jersey police as a suspected up-to-no good, itinerant, vagrant-type individual. Described by concerned residents as looking “scruffy” and “eccentric,” the officers had no choice but to respond to the call that a man was wandering around the neighborhood, alone.
Once apprehended, Dylan was found to be entirely without ID, proving to be a problem as the 20-something gendarmes drew a blank when the culprit claimed to be a Mr. Bob Dylan. Now under scrutiny as a hypothetical celebrity, the fuzz drove the bemused Bob back to the stadium where the marquee claimed that there was indeed a Mr. Dylan playing in town with the also unknown duo Willie Nelson & John “Ze Coug” Mellencamp.
Everything worked out in the end as there were in fact several staff and crew members available who could vouch for both the existence of such a musician/public figure, and his resemblance to the man in the back of the black ‘n white cruiser.
What can we learn from this escapade? What lessons can we take from this frightful foray to the dark side of the law? Namely that Simon & Garfunkel were on to something 40 years ago:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIFbXK0qQ4g
Interesting live bootleg, eh? Lots more words ‘n references than the album version, enough to give both REM and Billy Joel a run for their money.
