Ballad in Plain DM
While wandering by a souvenir stand before a recent Bob Dylan concert at Madison Square Garden we spotted a stack of color brochures on the counter. Unlike everything else on display, it was free. That was all the incentive we needed.
What did we have here? “Bob Dylan: The Official Merchandise Catalog,” described in the copy as “a way to order goods previously available only at his shows.”
The eight-page foldout offers a good selection, from the essential (the two-CD “Live 1966: The ‘Royal Albert Hall’ Concert,” $29.98) to the collectible (a framed limited edition poster from a December 1997 benefit at Irving Plaza in New York, $85) to the, well, curious (the “Highway 61 Zippo lighter,” $25).
There’s also an assortment of the more typical concert souvenirs-caps, T-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts-priced from $16 to $50. Several items feature an unusual spidery design (see below) that’s referred to in the catalog v ariously as the “tattoo logo,” the “eye logo” or the “tattoo eye logo.” Guess the copywriter didn’t know what to make of it, either.
The catalog comes from Sony Signatures Inc., San Francisco, the entertainment merchandising and licensing unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The division represents rock, pop, country, Latin and “family/lifestyle” music artists, as well as other celebrities. Sony Signatures sells its products at concerts, sporting events and theaters. It also distributes online (www.ssi.sony.com) and through retailers.
Catalog orders can be placed by mail, via an 800 number or on the Web site. Customers who buy online get a 5% discount.-CV
