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1977
Jokerman
Joel Stein, 48, is an attorney who lives in the metropolitan Boston area. At age 16, he heard “Like a Rolling Stone” and was hooked. “I didn’t really understand the words,” he says, “but I loved the attitude and have followed his career closely since then.”
I grew up in Queens and attended New York University from 1969 to 1973. Dylan was a hero to the NYU population, and we would regularly pass in front of his house on MacDougal Street and shout, “Hey Bob, can you please crawl out your window?”
In 1977, a couple of years after graduation, I was back in Greenwich Village visiting a friend and having dinner at a club called The Other End. As we talked, I noticed my friend staring behind me and subtly pointing for me to turn around. When I did, I saw Bob Dylan standing behind me with a couple of his friends.
Dylan, Bob Neuwirth, and several others sat down at the table right next to us. Mike Porco, the club’s owner, immediately joined them. I was now faced with one of life’s major decisions. Do I say anything to Dylan or not? Finally, after mustering up the courage and discussing with my friend what would be a “cool” thing to say, I felt ready to go.
I walked up to Dylan’s table, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, “Hey, aren’t you one of the Supremes?”
Bob Neuwirth laughed, several of the other people seated smiled, and Dylan glared. After several long moments of silence, he looked directly at me and said with a raised voice, “No, I’m not.”
Stunned, I slithered back to my table in shame, ordered a few more drinks, and attempted to enjoy the rest of my evening.
Jokerman
Joel Stein, 48, is an attorney who lives in the metropolitan Boston area. At age 16, he heard “Like a Rolling Stone” and was hooked. “I didn’t really understand the words,” he says, “but I loved the attitude and have followed his career closely since then.”
I grew up in Queens and attended New York University from 1969 to 1973. Dylan was a hero to the NYU population, and we would regularly pass in front of his house on MacDougal Street and shout, “Hey Bob, can you please crawl out your window?”
In 1977, a couple of years after graduation, I was back in Greenwich Village visiting a friend and having dinner at a club called The Other End. As we talked, I noticed my friend staring behind me and subtly pointing for me to turn around. When I did, I saw Bob Dylan standing behind me with a couple of his friends.
Dylan, Bob Neuwirth, and several others sat down at the table right next to us. Mike Porco, the club’s owner, immediately joined them. I was now faced with one of life’s major decisions. Do I say anything to Dylan or not? Finally, after mustering up the courage and discussing with my friend what would be a “cool” thing to say, I felt ready to go.
I walked up to Dylan’s table, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, “Hey, aren’t you one of the Supremes?”
Bob Neuwirth laughed, several of the other people seated smiled, and Dylan glared. After several long moments of silence, he looked directly at me and said with a raised voice, “No, I’m not.”
Stunned, I slithered back to my table in shame, ordered a few more drinks, and attempted to enjoy the rest of my evening.