Bob Dylan

Though he still tours constantly, Bobby Z.’s attention lately has been taken up more and more by the movies. Perhaps inspired by the Oscar netted by “Things Have Changed,” Dylan’s developed a thing for releasing his new songs on soundtracks. His newest, “Waitin’ For You” was in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, so you’re forgiven if it flew under your radar. Hopefully he’ll have better luck with “Crossing Over the Green Mountain,” debuting in the forthcoming Civil War drama Gods and Generals . He’s also going in front of the lens to star as a has-been singer named Jack Fate in next year’s post-apocalyptic fable Masked and Anonymous, which has become one of those buzz-heavy projects that Hollywood’s glitterati take huge pay cuts to get a part in. The past few years have been good to Bob, and that new vitality has carried over into his live act as well. His last two shows in Minnesota have found him in fine form, offering up splendid reinterpretations of both classics and new songs, his voice aged into an expressive, rough snarl like bootleg whisky in an oaken cask. And while he’s famous for radically changing his set lists from one show to the next, he’s been fairly consistent of late in covering the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” and lots of Warren Zevon, sometimes as many as three songs a night. Xcel Energy Centre, (651) 265-4800, xcelenergycenter.com