Like mythical, larger-than-life figures, some artists become almost God-like to their fans.

Bob Dylan is one of these artists.

After releasing his 43rd album in September, Bob Dylan rolls into The Bryce Jordan Center Sunday as part of his U.S. tour to support the album, Love and Theft.

"If I were in college and had the opportunity to see Dylan, I wouldn't miss it," said Toby Thompson, associate professor of English. "This man is like the Michael Jordan of American music and American songwriting."

Thompson wrote a book, Positively Main Street, in 1971 about Dylan's childhood in Minnesota and has seen Dylan about 10 times.

"My main impression is of someone having a really good time on the album. . . . I think it's unlike any album he's ever written and that's saying something. You see parts of him that are the Old Testament prophet. You see the folk singer. You see the surrealist," Thompson said.

Love and Theft is Dylan's most critically acclaimed album in years, receiving a five-star rave from Rolling Stone, the first given out by the magazine since 1992. His previous album, Time Out Of Mind, won the 1997 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and this year he took home an Academy Award for the song "Things Have Changed."

At City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave, the new album is "one of the top sellers of the year," manager Ken Kubala said.

"It seems like a lot of people who liked him in the sixties are coming back to this album," said Troy Biega (freshman-turf grass management) who works at Arboria Records, 119 E. Beaver Ave. "He's back in his stride for sure. He's still capable of doing his thing."

Fan response has been highly positive for the album.

"It sounds like a great band having a lot of fun in the studio," said Tyler Kulp, a City Lights employee.

Kubala offered similar sentiments.

"It's got a great live-in-the-studio-feel to it," he said.

This will be the second time that Dylan has played the center. In November 1999, he visited PSU with Phil Lesh and Friends. This time, however, Dylan will just have his back-up band to wow the crowd.

Patrick Quigley (senior-journalism) saw the 1999 concert. "I thought he was wonderful," he said. "I had a great time. I was like two rows from the stage."

Many Dylan fans are highly anticipating this weekend's concert.

"This is the fourth time I've seen him and he just puts on a great show," Kulp said. "I'm really looking forward to the general admission seating."

"He's just a legend," said Jason Pierce (senior-English). "It's not often that you get to see a legend. It'll be great seeing someone of that stature. I'm interested to see what he says because he's seen as a kind of poet."

Dylan is currently in the middle of a 35-date tour of the U.S. to support Love and Theft. He began his tour on the West Coast at the beginning of October and has since worked his way down the West Coast and across the Midwest.

The show at the center begins his final swing of the tour up the East Coast, where it ends in Boston on Nov. 24.

Since the release of Time Out Of Mind he has toured with his band almost continuously, playing nearly 500 shows over the past four years.

The set lists from previous shows this fall have featured a broad mix of songs from Dylan's oeuvre with several songs from Love and Theft mixed in with old classics from his nearly 40-year career.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with Dylan and his band taking the stage right away, as there is no opening act. All tickets are priced at $29.50. Currently the only tickets available are at the opposite end of the lower level and some scattered in the upper level. General admission floor tickets are sold out.

Tickets are available at The Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Center, Eisenhower Auditorium, select Uni-Marts or by phone at 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336.