Nashville music duo peform at Night Owl

Who or what is Betty Dylan?

No one in the group is named Betty.Like Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull, the name is a combination of elements.Guitarist and songwriter "Dr. Dan" Dubelman has been told that he sings like Bob Dylan.

The name Betty completes the name and evokes the feminine quality of Vickie Dubelman, the other half of the group. These two are married, and hailing from Nashville, TN, tour the country in an RV.

The alt. country duo performed at in the Night Owl Caf Friday Feb. 13. Betty Dylan entertained a crowd diverse in age with their unique blend of stripped down country, blues, and rock.

After an introduction by a friend and his daughter, the group kicked the show off with their anthem, "American Trash". A satire and celebration of American life, the song tells of the freedoms we enjoy in this fine country, like eating "crap like McDonald's" and having "a TV the size of a flag."

"Wal-Mart parking lots have become a romantic place for us" jokes Vickie as she introduces their version of The Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road" one of several comedic songs in their repertoire.

Each song has its own introduction, and many have stories that go with them.

"We play a lot of bars," explained Vickie, "and there's always a really attractive waitress."

Following that explanation, they launched into a playful ditty where Dr. Dan wants to "lay that cute waitress", and a jealous Betty responds in the next verse with "I'm gonna lay that waitress."

"No night is complete without a little Cash," said Vickie, before busting into Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," which includes the famous lyric, one "I shot a man in Reno/Just to see him die." They seemed to have a lot of fun with it, with a good deal of vocal interplay between Vickie and Dr. Dan.

Vickie has a beautiful, full voice, with just enough roughness to perfectly compliment their gritty style of music. Her voice inflects soul into the music.

Dr. Dan, who talks more than sings, has a voice that is low and creepy.When the two voices combine, the result is a sound that Betty Dylan can call their own.

It seems also that no night is complete without a little steel dobro, which Dr. Dan busted out for a few numbers. Slide on a dobro has such a cool and haunting sound, which transported me straight to the crossroads.

There I stood on a misty night, waiting to sell my soul to the Devil in exchange for learning to play my guitar real good. Ok, maybe not, but it was pretty cool. I was hoping to see some slide guitar, in fact, I was expecting it. They didn't let me down.

Vickie, who does most of the talking, explained that while they play many acoustic shows, they also play electric from time to time.

When they do, some of the best local musicians are invited to play, so there are in a sense many people who are in Betty Dylan.

"Now you're all in the band," Vickie told the audience as it clapped along with the music.

One of the more interesting moments was the group's version of The Beatles' "Money Can't Buy Me Love", which they made their own by slowing down the pace and turning it into a twelve bar blues.

Dylan played for a grueling two hours, but that did not seem to faze them. They could probably play all night.

At one point in the show, Vickie said that several years ago they gave up having a normal life, in order to do what they do.

From my experience watching them, it is clear that they made a worthwhile choice. They had a lot of fun playing, and the audience seemed to really enjoy the show.

"This is our first time playing a college," said Vickie. I don't think it will be their last. If you'd like to hear what you missed, or what you heard, check out www.bettydylan.com.

Steve Loverne is a sophomore majoring in film.