Over fifty years, 47 albums and more than 500 songs ago, Bob Dylan released his debut album. Since then, his music has achieved an unparalleled position in our collective imagination, with a body of work that transcends generation gaps, musical fads, and genre distinctions.

In July 2012, to celebrate Dylan’s 50th anniversary as a recording artist, five of Australia’s distinctive 21st century performers will join forces to honour this remarkable legacy in their own unique voices:

Kav Temperley led Eskimo Joe to an historic blitz of the ARIA Awards and a spectacular double win at the APRAs, the bookends of phenomenal national impact as a rock writer/performer leading a band which notched up over three quarter of a million sales and three number one albums.

Josh Pyke is a modern-day storyteller whose unique and evocative music has garnered two ARIA Awards, three Top 5 albums, and eight songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100.

ARIA award winning Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell racked up hundreds of thousands of sales and ten years touring the world, before his acoustic alter ego Bob Evans went ballistic with nominations for ARIA’s Best Male Artist and the prestigious Australian Music Prize and a number of Gold albums.

Holly Throsby has gained huge respect as an independent singer-songwriter of rare skill and insight over five albums of her own as well as comprising one third of gold-selling supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper.

Patience Hodgson has been the vocal powerhouse of indie rock duo the Grates since 2002, clocking up three top 10 albums, a slew of bright, brash alternative radio hits and a reputation as one of the most ecstatic new performers on the Australian stage.

Accompanied by a crack six-piece band under the musical direction of Ash Naylor (Even) each performer will select from the very best of the sprawling Dylan songbook for a night of inspiration and creation with the highest musical integrity.

On March 19, 1962, Columbia Records released the first album by a unique new talent. Signed by legendary producer/A&R man John Hammond (Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen), Bob Dylan seemed such a rare gamble that he was initially derided as “Hammond’s folly”.

Fifty years later, the wit, lyricism and weight of his songs has transcended the perceived limitations of the author’s voice and (elusive) personality a thousand times over, providing an endless scaffold for the greatest artists of our time to interpret in their own style and image, from the Byrds to Adele, the Beach Boys to the White Stripes, the Rolling Stones to Coldplay, Elvis Presley to Beck, Jimi Hendrix to U2, Bryan Ferry to Pearl Jam, Isaac Hayes to Guns N’ Roses, Stevie Wonder to Nick Cave.

Bob Dylan 50th Anniversary Concert Tour 2012

THURSDAY 5 JULY • Melbourne Palais Theatre
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au

FRIDAY 6 JULY • Melbourne Palais Theatre
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com.au

SATURDAY 7 JULY • Brisbane QPAC Lyric Theatre
Tickets:www.qtix.com.au

SUNDAY 8 JULY • Sydney Opera House
Tickets:www.ticketmaster.com.au

SUNDAY 29 JULY • Byron Bay Splendour in the Grass
Tickets: www.splendourinthegrass.com

TICKETS ON SALE: MELBOURNE & SYDNEY MONDAY 30 APRIL
BRISBANE MONDAY 7 MAY

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