The Whole Wide World is watching

The best of the web
(with thanks to Expecting Rain)

by Martin Stein
 

OK – one last time… 

1.  Dylan will be included on the Live From Bonnaroo 2004 double DVD, due out 17^th May. Preceding this release, a companion 21-track double-CD, Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004, will hit stores on 5^th April. Dylan’s contribution will be "Down Along the Cove". 

2.  A new musical about music icon Bob Dylan will be launched at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego and it's expected to head to Broadway with an award-winning choreographer. Dylan's songs will be featured in the show. 

3.  Although Starbucks officials won't comment on upcoming releases, sources say Bob Dylan and Sony Music are in talks with the chain to exclusively put out The Gaslight Tapes. 

4.  Rock singer-turned-anti-war icon Bob Dylan is to visit Taiwan in July.  The singer’s agent has agreed to have him participate as a part of Taipei County’s annual Ho-Hai-Yan Rock Festival, in response to an invitation from President Chen Shui-bian. It will cost the presidential office nearly eight million NT dollars to bring Dylan to Taiwan.

“How many times must the canon balls fly, before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,” said President Chen as he read lyrics from Bob Dylan’s Blowing in the Wind to express his emotions in reaction to China’s enactment of its anti-secession law.

“We’re still working on the details. There’s still a few minor things that we have yet to work out,” said the press officer. 

5.  A collection of musical stories on Bob Dylan can be found here. 

6.  300 Bob pictures (not free) are available here.

7.  Dylan Biopic casting “confirmed” - Director Todd Haynes has found his star for the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic I'M NOT THERE - Adrien Brody. And Colin Farrell. And Richard Gere. Oh and Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett too. And then there's Charlotte Gainsbourg. And, yes, they'll all be playing Bob Dylan. It's all part of Haynes's plan to create an unconventional biography of the legendary musician that will use different actors to portray the singer at different portions and aspects of his life and career. Six of the seven “Dylans” are listed above and Haynes is still looking for one more - a young black woman the director hopes will accentuate Dylan's ‘inner-blackness’. I'M NOT THERE is the first time Dylan has given his approval to a feature film based on his life. The project was initially set up at Paramount but when the new regime came in, lead by new president Brad Grey, the studio dropped it from its schedule. A new deal with a distributor is expected to close at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie, which has been described as Haynes's dream project, is expected to film this autumn but that may be contingent on the schedules of all the talent involved. 

8.  Kaiser Permanente is launching a second, $40 million-plus phase of its high-profile "Thrive" ad campaign, which will feature the Bob Dylan song, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." Inside sources at the Oakland-based health giant say that the next wave of Thrive ads will feature Dylan's anthem. Story boards and ad mock-ups are being prepared for the next sequence, with shooting slated to begin in early May. The campaign includes TV, radio, billboard and print ads. As for the Dylan angle, a spokesperson said "we're working on that," but didn't provide any specifics.