Dylan in '08

"We've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up: Barack Obama," rock's favorite mystery man told the Times of London over the summer. "He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change."

The question now on the minds of Dylan's home-state fans is whether he himself will offer a change Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

By coincidence -- although, as with all things Dylan, no one besides Bobby knows for sure -- the singer has a concert the night of the most high-profile election in a generation, on the University of Minnesota campus where he first delved heavily into folk music. Given his comments on Obama, and the fervor of this election, one can't help but wonder if the guy who wrote such political anthems as "Blowin' in the Wind," "Masters of War" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (all songs he has been playing on tour this year) has something special in mind for the concert.

The problem with that theory, of course, is that Dylan started shunning his reputation as a political singer about five minutes after he first earned it in the early '60s. He has written a few scattered activist songs since then, such as 1975's "Hurricane," about imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter. He has played semipolitical concerts here and there, including 1985's Live Aid and a couple of Willie Nelson's Farm Aids (which were inspired by comments Dylan made about U.S. farmers at Live Aid). But for the most part, the guy has remained staunchly apolitical in the public eye.

"I've never written a political song," goes one of his more famous quotes on the matter. "Songs can't save the world. I've gone through all that."

Jam Productions' Don Sullivan, who has promoted Dylan tours for more than a decade, said the faithful who hope he will stray from the norm Tuesday shouldn't hold their breath. "I think it's just another show," Sullivan said. "I don't think he'll say anything other than introducing his band." He chalked up the scheduling more to "tour routing" than anything else -- as in: Minneapolis fit in between Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he performs tonight, and La Crosse, Wis., where he'll play Wednesday.

The only thing unique about this booking, Sullivan said, was a vague request that it be at a university. Dylan played the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh on Election Night 2004. And unlike Oshkosh, Minneapolis is one of Dylan's bigger markets, so his handlers didn't have to worry about too many fans choosing to watch the election results instead of attending the concert (it sold out weeks ago).

One other oddity about the show: It starts at 8 p.m., a half-hour later than other stops on Dylan's tour, because state law prohibits U of M events from starting before polls close.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658