A Tribute to Bob Dylan

With a single glance at the excellent entertainment happening in the neighborhood, it’s not hard to see that the summer nights are finally starting to heat up! The fun has begun in Downtown Santa Barbara and even the weekdays promise a good party!

On Wednesday, June 17, SOhO paid tribute to Bob Dylan in celebration of Dylan’s 74th birthday. The club hosted a collection of singer/songwriters to play their favorite Dylan songs as a toast to the great folk music god. Performers including Bear Market Riot, Bruce Goldish, Jody Mulgrew, Karen Tyler, Gary Foshee, Donna Lynn Caskey, Kyle M. Terrizzi, Matt Yaki, Jim Conroy, and Michael Shuler, stepped up onto the SOhO stage to fill the audience with Dylan’s wise and lovely lyrics that truly move the soul.

The singers preformed personal favorites and classic hits from throughout Dylan’s career; each musician had a different style and the audience loved the variety. Bruce Goldish closed the show with “Forver Young,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Tomorrow is a Long Time.” His clean and crisp finger picking rang through his vintage classical nylon guitar with ultimate purity and clarity and captured the essence of Dylan’s songs.

After the show, Goldish showed me his rare guitar; it had its fair share of battle scars from busking in the parking lots along State Street, but it had so much sentiment and heart that it was absolutely gorgeous. As Goldish ran his hands over the unique asymmetrical sound hole of the guitar he grinned and said, “Yeah, I’m married to her! Just don’t tell my wife!” His face read as an expression of complete joy and I couldn’t help but think, “Bob Dylan would be grateful for this night.”