Seth Rogovoy

Last Friday, Bob Dylan recently released a new song, “Murder Most Foul.” It’s Dylan’s first new song in eight years, and clocking in at 17 minutes, it’s also his longest song ever. You can hear it on all the major streaming services, and what you’ll hear is a spoken-word surreal fever dream about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It’s not only a work of epic genius – formally, structurally, and otherwise – but it veritably demands a close reading in order to comprehend fully what the Nobel Prize-winner hath wrought.

Today I want to tell you about my visit to the pharmacy this past Wednesday. It was in several ways the highlight of my week. Wednesday was the day I had long feared and dreaded – when I would have to break down and walk into a pharmacy to get my prescription for, of all things, my anti-anxiety medication.

As you probably know by now, concerts have all been cancelled. Movie theaters are closed. Performing arts venues of all kinds are shuttered. So what’s a culture vulture to do?

The cultural highlights in our region this weekend include indie-pop, comedy, indie-folk, bluegrass, cabaret … plus a whole lot more.

The cultural highlights in our region this weekend include indie-pop, avant-garde, soul, Celtic, old-time string-band music … plus a whole lot more.

The cultural highlights in our region this weekend include chamber music, folk, country, jazz, comedy … plus a whole lot more.

The upcoming cultural highlights in our region include jazz, Bach, Beethoven, 20th century classical, Irish music … plus a whole lot more.

The upcoming cultural highlights in our region include South African dance, new age music, Renaissance music, and a whole lot more.

The upcoming cultural highlights in our region include folk-pop, comedy, Chinese classical music, a Latin dance party, theater, and a whole lot more.

The upcoming cultural highlights in our region include cutting-edge electronica, new classical, instrumental pop, folk-rock, jazz, choral music … and the circus comes to town….

The upcoming cultural highlights in our region include string-band music, folk-rock, literary readings, instrumental pop, choral music, and the circus comes to town….

Before I give my weekly roundup of upcoming cultural events, I’m going to run down some of my favorite performances from the past year. On stage, I saw Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This!” starring Adam Driver and Keri Russell on Broadway. Driver in particular dominated that show and demonstrated that his theatrical chops are at least the equal of his movie chops, which of course stood out this year in Jim Jarmusch’s zombie flick, “The Dead Don’t Die” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.” Apparently, Adam Driver also starred in some kind of outer space sci-fi caper film recently, but I know nothing about that. The other Broadway performance that stood out was a British revival of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal,” starring the phenomenal Zawe Ashton and an actor named Tom Hiddleston, who apparently everyone knows from his role in a series of superhero movies called “The Avengers.” I’ll just have to take your word for that.

This upcoming cultural highlights in our region include blues, folk, rock, pop, chamber music … plus a whole lot more.

This weekend’s cultural highlights in our region include blues, avant-garde public sound art, folk music, chamber music … plus a whole lot more.

This week’s cultural highlights in our region include chamber music, swing dance, folk, blues, jazz … plus a whole lot more.

There are plenty of holiday-oriented programs around the region this weekend and next, but I’m here to fill you in on the non-holiday-related cultural events, including Caribbean party music, chamber music, big-band jazz, hard-bop, indie-rock … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include comedy, performance art, folk, blues … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include classical music, Americana, Broadway, Big Band, folk music, literary conversations … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include Louisiana roots music, musical comedy, classical and contemporary music, rockabilly, blues … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include Scottish fiddle tunes, poetry, African dance, Indian music … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include indie-jazz, theater, chamber music, chamber opera, Irish fiddle tunes … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include jazz, choral music, avant-garde, symphonic, folk, cabaret, a film festival … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include contemporary opera, jazz, modern dance, chamber music, a harvest festival … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include EDM, opera, a book fair, a classical vocal recital, chamber-pop, folk … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include New Orleans funk, cabaret, modern dance, Beethoven, R&B, cutting-edge guitar music … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include cutting-edge dance; 19th century music; folk-blues; Shakespeare … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include cutting-edge dance; 19th century music; American opera; new music; folk music, early music…plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include cutting edge dance; 19th century music; early 20th century opera; new music; avant-garde music; Indian classical music … plus a whole lot more.

The highlights of the cultural weekend in our region include cutting edge dance; blues and gospel; early music; folk music, theater, and what I consider to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time – The Pretenders.