In a packed arena Monday night, Bob Dylan took the stage.

“”I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more,”” he sang softly through the chaos that ensued when the announcer brought him onstage.

But as soon as Dylan’s voice was heard, everyone quieted down, stood calmly and stared wide-eyed at the stage.

What else are we supposed to do when we get an opportunity to see one of the few remaining living legends? Standing in awe seems like the only logical move.

“”Well, I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you to be just like them,”” he continued.

Standing behind a keyboard (not a guitar) on the left side of the stage (not the center), Dylan proved, as he does time and time again, that he is unapologetically unconventional. He is just like he is. If his actions do not say that, then certainly his attire does. Also in typical Dylan fashion, he was donning a Victorian ruffled shirt and short top hat.

From “”Maggie’s Farm,”” Dylan played “”She Belongs to Me,”” “”Lonesome Day Blues,”” “”Queen Jane Approximately”” and “”‘Til I Fell in Love With You.”” He was pulling out all the stops for the ladies in the audience.

Then he began singing the next song, “”Darkness at the break of noon, shadows even the silver spoon,”” and the audience erupted with excitement. He was playing, “”It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),”” a song from one of his earliest and most highly regarded albums, Bringing it All Back Home. Although he made it electric and completely revamped the song, it still had the essence of the original.

He played his newer songs, “”Make You Feel My Love,”” “”Honest With Me,”” and “”High Water.”” He played his classics “”Highway 61 Revisited”” and “”Just Like a Woman.””

The surprise of the evening came when he played “”Girl of the North Country,”” a song off The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, and a song no one would ever guess that he would even remember how to play. Even though it is not one of his chart-toppers, it is one of his best songs, and it was one of the highlights of the concert.

Dylan had an encore, although he hardly seems like he would be the encore type. In the encore he played two favorites, “”Like a Rolling Stone”” and “”All Along the Watchtower,”” to end the evening with a bang.

Some people have called Dylan a burnout. Some people have said he should stop making music. But it is clear that Dylan still has something to contribute. His music remains relevant to this day, and there are not many artists who can say the same thing.

Please keep making and playing music, Bob Dylan. You are welcome in Tucson anytime.