It’s almost impossible for a musician in his 60s to still mesmerize a crowd in this day and age of shallow plastic pop icons pouring on the glitter. Leave it to Bob Dylan to make the impossible a reality.

Dylan amazed a mixed crowd of students and older fans in an excellent show last night at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The stage was decorated rather simply with just a set of curtains lining the back and a black and white checkerboard floor, but that was all the accompaniment Dylan and his talented four-piece band needed to put on a great show.

He got the almost packed crowd started with some tracks from his latest album, Love and Theft. Heads were bopping and feet were tapping along to the chords.

Even while the crowd was still getting warmed up, there was never a moment of silence as screams and shrieks pierced through the lulls between songs.

Dylan finally started to really get the crowd moving when he performed the rocking "Cry Awhile" from his latest album.

All of a sudden everyone was grooving along with Dylan and the band and even some fists were banging in the air. There was a sense of disbelief as people started glancing at their neighbors with a look that said, "I can’t believe I’m actually hearing Bob Dylan perform this song!"

After a huge round of applause and screams, the lights dimmed down and blue light shone on the stage setting the tone for a haunting version of "John Brown." The only word that could describe that portion of the show was intense.

Next came another song off his recent album, "Summer Days." The crowd remained quite energetic yet peaceful while some hardcore fans were seen flailing their arms and shaking their heads around in pure bliss.

Then Dylan showed his ability to control the crowd by calming things down with the touching "Sugar Baby," also from the new album.

As the purple and blue lights swirled on the curtains, an almost surreal feeling filled the room.

Dylan then ended with one of his more recognizable classics, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35." The crowd went nuts and sang along and nearly everyone got on their feet to witness a legend perform one of his most entertaining songs.

But the crowd wasn’t ready to leave yet at that particular point in the show. Dylan then came out for an encore that included such crowd favorites as "Like a Rolling Stone." Bright lights shined upon the crowd and energy levels were boosted dramatically as he sang the chorus.

He also performed a slightly harder version of "Blowin’ in the Wind," receiving huge applause and loud screams after uttering the lines, "and how many deaths does it take till he knows, that too many people have died."

Some in the crowd danced wildly throughout the whole show and thought that Dylan did an incredible job, but others were quite disappointed.

"I wasn’t too happy. The songs that I did know, which was maybe three out of 15, it didn’t even sound like the same song," said recent Penn State graduate Scott McKeever. Trevor Siegfried (junior-electrical engineering) said his favorite moment was "Rainy Day Women," but that the whole show rocked.

"I thought it was a great concert, but the crowd wasn’t really all that into it," he said.

For those who did allow for Dylan and his music to be absorbed, the show was an extremely memorable one and showed that when it comes down to it, all you need for a great show is a talented band and some truly great music.