Section B·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, September 2, 1997
Dylan plays to large crowd at Spirit Fest performance
By Tom Winter
winter@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Two teen-age boys walked by wearing "311" Shirts.
"Bob Dylan?" the first one asked
asked.
"I think we heard about him in his history class," the other said.
On well, the second kid said.
"We'll stay anyway."
"Yeah, it's that guy-in-the-Wall-flower's dad," the first kid said.
This conversation occurred minutes before Bob Dylan struck the first chord on his guitar Sunday night at Spirit Fest in Kansas City, Mo.
The folk legend headlined the weekend event. It was only the second time he had played at the festival.
Event organizers will not release attendance estimates until Wednesday.
Dylan, born in 1941, played to a scene of general mayhem. People saturated the lawn with bodies that spilled over in viscous human puddles onto the similarly crowded concrete.
They stood on blue plastic chairs, drank beer and margaritas and
screamed when Dylan appeared wearing a white cowboy hat and a black suit using a soft, seemingly sober voice.
The crowd was pumped after listening to BR5-49, who opened for Dylan. Their rockabilly songs "Cherokee Boogie" and "Gone Hillbilly Nuts" kept the audience in a good mood.
"We've got one more song to play."
lead singer o-
BR5-49 yelled,
"And then we're
going to let the
man take over."
The first time
Dylan played at
Liberty Memorial
was in 1994
"WR"
Dylan: Headlined
Spirit Fest in Kansas
City. Seemed Sober.
audience member commented between songs. "He was slurring his words really bad, and there was a haze of pot smoke over the stage."
"When I saw Dylan the last time he was in Kansas City,he was completely trashed."
Audience Member
"I thought he performed surprisingly well," said Jason Patterson, 22, of Blue Springs, Mo. "I was waiting for someone to pass out during a set."
This time people gave the singer better reviews.
Among some of the songs Dyian played were "Tangled up in Blue," "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Like a Rolling Stone."
The crowd stood shoulder to shoulder, some pushing to get closer to the stage. There was little room for sitting.
"I'really never liked his music," Patterson said. "But I liked seeing him live."
Dylan played three short encores and exited the stage around 11.00.
Local groups attract crowds
KLZR stage brings spotlight to bands from Lawrence, KC
By Tom Winter
twinter@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Pink-haired kids with baggy jeans and attitudes showed up Saturday and Sunday at the Spirit Fest in Kansas City, Mo. to listen to hip college bands.
The bands performed on a stage sponsored by KLZR. In its third year at Spirit Fest, KLZR's rock stage featured local bands and has become one of the most popular attractions at the Labor Day weekend music festival.
"Last night was the best lineup of the little-known bands," Marck said. "Starting at 6 o'clock we had a lot of bands popular with Lazer people."
"We broke records last night for "The Urge," Osburn said. "We must have had a crowd of about eight or nine thousand people."
Bob Osburn, music director at KLZR, said Sunday things went smoothly.
That Saturday night lineup featured "Punkinhead", "Kill Creek", "Shallow", "Frogpond" and "The Urge."
"Spacin" Jason Marck, disc jockey at KLZR, also said the concert had gone well.
"This has pulled in the majority of kids," Marck said. "It's really the second-largest stage out here and we've pulled in the
second-largest crowds."
One problem was the heat. With temperatures around 90 degrees and 60 percent humidity, crowds were slim.
"It was a little tougher for the bands earlier on in the day." Osburn said. "It was tougher for them to draw a crowd."
Mark Munn, drummer for "House of Large Sizes", played at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
"It was very hot," Munn said.
"It was an OK show -- this kind of outdoor stuff makes it hard to hear the other instruments -- but it was still fun."
Marck said that KLZR's local acts drew the majority of the crowd to their stage.
"What separates us from everyone else is our support for local music," Marck said.
SERENGETI. DRIVERS
928 Mass. Downtown Park in the rear
KUCREW
Informational Meeting 7:00
Alderson Auditorium Kansas Union
Questions? Call Laura Thornhill 842-1271
or
Nathanael Hevelone 842-1489
Want quick results?
Use the Kansan Classifieds!
KU INTRAMURALS
*Flag Football: Those not at manager's meeting can enter a team after 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3.
*Sand Volleyball: Manager's meeting is Tuesday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. in 156 Robinson.
*Softball: Tournament entries are closed on Wednesday, September 3 at 5:00
For more information, please call 864-3546 or stop by 208 Robinson.