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1997
What Can I Do For You?
Deborah Avis Wall, 35, is a product designer and the owner of Sparrow’s Mandolin Outfitter, an internet-based business. She has been a songwriter and a performing and recording musician for nearly 20 years and a Bob fan for as long as she can remember.
It was a scraggly man in old jeans and a hooded sweatshirt who walked into Wuxtry Records in Athens, Georgia, on Monday night, October 26, 1997. Although Wuxtry is well-known in the states and internationally, it maintains a charming “mom and pop” feel. I suppose that’s part of the reason that Bob Dylan did a “pop-in” on the evening before his first Athens show.
The man didn’t look much different from some of the normal clientele, so I went about my computer work in the back of the store as usual. Immediately, the man sniffed out the store’s great vinyl section, where he spotted a Buck Owens LP on the display wall. Unable to read the price tag because the album was too high up on the wall, he came to the front of the store to ask a clerk. Summoned to answer the stranger’s question, I brought a step stool from the back. It was obvious it was going to be a real task to move record crates just to get a look.
So, I said to the stranger, who was flipping through the country LP crates with his back turned to me, “If you’re really interested in this thing, I’ll get it down. But if you’re just curious. . .”
Just then, the kid working with me came to the back and volunteered to climb up and check the price of the record. Naturally, after all that, the album was unmarked. The stranger mumbled something to the effect of, “Aw, that’s all right, don’t go worrying about it,” and went on flipping through the records.
Some 15 minutes later, I took a break and joined my co-worker in the front, where he quietly whispered, “Deb, did you get a look at that guy? I’m not sure, but I think it might be Bob Dylan.”
The instant he said that, I looked over at the man and realized he was right. That explained the pulled-up hood nearly closed around his face and why he didn’t turn around and talk to me about the Buck Owens record. And the voice was unmistakable. We left Dylan alone in the back with the LPs, where he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. Out of respect, we kept folks away from him and did not intrude ourselves. Eventually, he emerged and walked to the front of the store, where he met us head-on.
Inside the hood of his sweatshirt was that face that could only belong to Bob Dylan. He was very friendly and inquisitive about our merchandise, and he wanted to know where we kept the CDs and LPs of Georgia blues artists. We talked about some of the records we had in stock, and I showed him a “Barbeque Bob” record that got a chuckle out of him. Not because he found “Barbeque Bob” to be a joke, but because I had used the name Bob. I’m sure he was aware I knew who he was, but he might have been a bit perplexed because I wasn’t nervous or freaking out on him. I said the name “Bob,” and we both knew that’s who he was.
I knew that talking about music with Bob Dylan was an important event in my life, but at Wuxtry we’ve all experienced the famous musician shopper at one time or another. We like to take the respect angle rather than the star-struck one. He was just so comfortable with us, which I found very unlike anything I’d ever heard about Bob. He came to the front counter, and leaning over the glass display case, began to ask about the new Jim Mathus release (the guy from the Squirrel Nut Zippers). We had a promo copy, so I put it on for him and we listened to a good part of it. He commented on the recording quality, saying it was “old-timey sounding.” He studied the cover art and asked questions about who had played on the record. All the while, he was petting the store mascot, Bentley, a 15-year-old poodle. At one point, Bob winked at him and said, “You’re okay, old man.”
I offered him the promotional CD, but he declined, saying he might come back for it. He thanked us for playing it and wished us a good evening. Then he nudged back the hood of his sweatshirt just enough to reveal his face in the light, flashed a big grin, and walked out into the night.
What Can I Do For You?
Deborah Avis Wall, 35, is a product designer and the owner of Sparrow’s Mandolin Outfitter, an internet-based business. She has been a songwriter and a performing and recording musician for nearly 20 years and a Bob fan for as long as she can remember.
It was a scraggly man in old jeans and a hooded sweatshirt who walked into Wuxtry Records in Athens, Georgia, on Monday night, October 26, 1997. Although Wuxtry is well-known in the states and internationally, it maintains a charming “mom and pop” feel. I suppose that’s part of the reason that Bob Dylan did a “pop-in” on the evening before his first Athens show.
The man didn’t look much different from some of the normal clientele, so I went about my computer work in the back of the store as usual. Immediately, the man sniffed out the store’s great vinyl section, where he spotted a Buck Owens LP on the display wall. Unable to read the price tag because the album was too high up on the wall, he came to the front of the store to ask a clerk. Summoned to answer the stranger’s question, I brought a step stool from the back. It was obvious it was going to be a real task to move record crates just to get a look.
So, I said to the stranger, who was flipping through the country LP crates with his back turned to me, “If you’re really interested in this thing, I’ll get it down. But if you’re just curious. . .”
Just then, the kid working with me came to the back and volunteered to climb up and check the price of the record. Naturally, after all that, the album was unmarked. The stranger mumbled something to the effect of, “Aw, that’s all right, don’t go worrying about it,” and went on flipping through the records.
Some 15 minutes later, I took a break and joined my co-worker in the front, where he quietly whispered, “Deb, did you get a look at that guy? I’m not sure, but I think it might be Bob Dylan.”
The instant he said that, I looked over at the man and realized he was right. That explained the pulled-up hood nearly closed around his face and why he didn’t turn around and talk to me about the Buck Owens record. And the voice was unmistakable. We left Dylan alone in the back with the LPs, where he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. Out of respect, we kept folks away from him and did not intrude ourselves. Eventually, he emerged and walked to the front of the store, where he met us head-on.
Inside the hood of his sweatshirt was that face that could only belong to Bob Dylan. He was very friendly and inquisitive about our merchandise, and he wanted to know where we kept the CDs and LPs of Georgia blues artists. We talked about some of the records we had in stock, and I showed him a “Barbeque Bob” record that got a chuckle out of him. Not because he found “Barbeque Bob” to be a joke, but because I had used the name Bob. I’m sure he was aware I knew who he was, but he might have been a bit perplexed because I wasn’t nervous or freaking out on him. I said the name “Bob,” and we both knew that’s who he was.
I knew that talking about music with Bob Dylan was an important event in my life, but at Wuxtry we’ve all experienced the famous musician shopper at one time or another. We like to take the respect angle rather than the star-struck one. He was just so comfortable with us, which I found very unlike anything I’d ever heard about Bob. He came to the front counter, and leaning over the glass display case, began to ask about the new Jim Mathus release (the guy from the Squirrel Nut Zippers). We had a promo copy, so I put it on for him and we listened to a good part of it. He commented on the recording quality, saying it was “old-timey sounding.” He studied the cover art and asked questions about who had played on the record. All the while, he was petting the store mascot, Bentley, a 15-year-old poodle. At one point, Bob winked at him and said, “You’re okay, old man.”
I offered him the promotional CD, but he declined, saying he might come back for it. He thanked us for playing it and wished us a good evening. Then he nudged back the hood of his sweatshirt just enough to reveal his face in the light, flashed a big grin, and walked out into the night.