Bob Dylan 1962 University of Michigan "Dillon" Earliest Known Concert Poster....

Description

THE SAME WEEK HE RECORDED THE RARE FREEWHEELIN' SONGS

Bob Dylan 1962 University of Michigan "Dillon" Earliest Known Concert Poster. This is as early as it gets for Bob Dylan concert posters... April 1962, one month after the release of his debut Columbia Records album, Bob Dylan. The still-20-year-old folkie hopeful was playing at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, along with Jesse Fuller, whose "You're No Good" Dylan covered as the first track on that debut LP.

It's a remarkably primitive, quaint, folkie, fun and charismatic little piece. That fact that the greatest single songwriter in rock history, and perhaps of the whole 20th century, is misspelled "Dillon" and could be seen for 90 cents just spins the head. And it's delightful that he's misspelled on there twice. This was obviously a case of the gig being booked by phone, probably from New York, and because Matt Dillon was such a big TV star on Gunsmoke in that era, the college kid taking the booking may have just automatically spelled it that way.

This was printed on beige cardstock, and what some might see as ancient wear or damage, we think aesthetically fits it perfectly. There are untold number of moisture spots/light-brown water stains that are so abundant and evenly spaced that it looks like a natural pattern. Even the few white ones, such as on the base of the banjo strings, seem to flow right into the aesthetic. It just has 'charm' written all over it, and makes one think, "Who would want this squeaky-clean mint?"

For the record, this is an original, before-the-event cardstock advertising poster for the University of Michigan Folk Festival taking place in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday-Sunday, April 20-22, 1962. The talent line-up was Bob "Dillon" Dylan, Jesse Fuller, Perry Lederman, Danny Kalb (who would later become the main founding member of the Blues Project), Paul Prestopino, Mike Sherker, Joel Myerson, Marc Silber "and many others, from Oberlin, MSU, Chicago, WSU" and the states of Wisconsin, California and New York. How cute! Tickets could be had at the "Disc Shop, Door and Union Desk."

Dylan played on the Sunday at 2:00 PM, and they surely touted the fact that he was a big-time Columbia Records recording artist now, although the poster doesn't mention it. Spectacularly, it can be well-documented that Bob was right in the middle of writing "Blowin' in the Wind" at this moment. According to the authoritative book Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments by Clinton Heylin, a fragment of that song's lyrics written out by Dylan has a date of April 12. And just three days before that, on April 9, Gil Turner performs just the first and last verses of "Blowin'" at Gerdes Folk City, after Dylan shows him the chords backstage. On April 16, Dylan performs just two verses of the song himself at Gerdes.

And then check this: After Dylan plays this gig on Sunday (April 22), he returns to New York and on Tues-Weds he records "Talkin' John Birch Society Blues," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie" and "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" from the original, withdrawn Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album. The exact versions Columbia released and then immediately withdrew. Can you ask for any better/cooler historical context for a Dylan poster than this?

Measures 17" x 11" and grades to an aesthetically pleasing Good condition. From the Mitch Barth Collection. COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: Has the previously discussed water-droplets staining. There's a gouge-tear at the top center edge above the "A," but no material missing. There's another half-inch edge tear above "K," and a couple of quarter-inch ones above the small "M" and then "S." There's a similar ¾" edge tear at the bottom center, coming up into the banjo. Two little staple holes in all four corner areas, including on the word "Tickets." Surface handling creases throughout, a somewhat frayed upper left corner and strong toning throughout.