Drew Gabbert: Bringing the World of Bob Dylan to Life Through Chrome Horse

Drew Gabbert joins Press Play Radio Conversations to discuss Chrome Horse, his Bob Dylan tribute project, and the years of music, preparation, and passion that went into creating an immersive live experience. With a deep connection to Dylan’s music that began in childhood, Drew has built Chrome Horse around the idea of recreating the feeling of experiencing Dylan during some of the most influential periods of his career.

A Connection That Started at Home

Drew’s relationship with Bob Dylan began through his father. Growing up, Dylan’s music was frequently playing around the house, and during Drew’s teenage years, his father would actually pay him to learn Dylan songs while he was playing guitar and performing in bands.

The Dylan era that resonated most with both Drew and his father was the 1960s, particularly Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, and Bringing It All Back Home. Those records became some of Drew’s personal favorites and eventually became an important foundation for Chrome Horse.

Although Drew spent most of his career performing in original bands, Dylan’s music was always something he had “in his back pocket.” Chrome Horse eventually gave him the opportunity to turn that long-standing connection into a full performance project.

More Than Bob Dylan

While Bob Dylan is at the center of Chrome Horse, Drew’s own musical background reaches far beyond folk rock.

He describes himself as a hard rock kid who grew up listening to heavy music, older blues, and country. His family’s roots in Mississippi exposed him to different styles of music, while growing up in Texas introduced him to artists such as George Strait and Jerry Jeff Walker. His metal influences include Down, Corrosion of Conformity, and Crowbar.

That wide range of influences gives Drew a unique perspective on Dylan’s music. Chrome Horse is built around Dylan, but the performer behind it brings his own musical history to the project.

Building Chrome Horse

Creating Chrome Horse was not something Drew approached casually. He explains that he spent extensive time preparing before taking the project to the stage, focusing on memorizing songs and learning how to move naturally between different periods of Dylan’s career.

Rather than simply performing a collection of Dylan covers, Drew wanted to recreate the atmosphere surrounding Dylan’s music. He studied Dylan’s recordings while also drawing inspiration from the looseness and spontaneity of Dylan’s live performances.

For Drew, that balance is important. The performances need to sound familiar enough for longtime Dylan fans while still capturing the unpredictable energy that made Dylan’s live shows unique.

Creating a Time Machine

One of the central ideas behind Chrome Horse is creating an experience that audiences can no longer experience firsthand.

Drew talks about watching footage of Dylan performing in the 1960s and being fascinated by the atmosphere, visual style, and authenticity of that era. He specifically remembers seeing black and white footage of Dylan performing “It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)” when he was around 14 or 15 and feeling completely transported into that world.

That feeling became part of what Drew wanted Chrome Horse to recreate.

He describes the project as a “historical recreation of a moment in a room”, attempting to bring back the spirit of a musical era that has already passed.

Bringing the Audience Into the Performance

Drew also wanted Chrome Horse to feel interactive rather than simply presenting songs one after another.

He incorporates personal stories about his connection to Dylan’s music, along with stories surrounding the songs themselves. He also wanted audiences to hear songs they already know and love while creating an environment where they could feel involved in the performance.

His approach is influenced by Dylan’s willingness to improvise. Drew explains that when he performs with his band, they sometimes avoid rehearsing beforehand, allowing the musicians to react to each other on stage. For him, that unpredictability is part of what makes rock and roll exciting.

The Importance of Authenticity

For Drew, authenticity is more important than simply looking or sounding like another artist.

He talks about the sincerity and aesthetic of Dylan’s early performances and how strongly those elements resonated with him. Chrome Horse attempts to capture those qualities while allowing Drew to add his own personality and stories.

That distinction is important because Drew is not simply trying to impersonate Bob Dylan. He is creating an experience based on his own lifelong relationship with Dylan’s music.

The response from longtime Dylan fans has reinforced that approach. Drew says he has had dedicated Dylan fans come up to him after performances and express their appreciation for what Chrome Horse is doing.

Music Beyond Dylan

The SongStory portion of the interview reveals even more about the music that shaped Drew.

When asked about music from his childhood, he points to the Everly Brothers and “Cathy’s Clown.” He also remembers being fascinated by Van Halen and names “Dirty Movies” as one of his favorite songs from the band.

For a movie soundtrack that made an impression during his teenage years, Drew chooses Terminator 2, connecting it with Guns N’ Roses and “You Could Be Mine.”

These answers show the range behind Chrome Horse. While Dylan is the focus of the project, Drew’s musical background stretches through classic rock, metal, blues, country, and the music he discovered growing up.

Keeping the Spirit Alive

Chrome Horse ultimately represents Drew Gabbard’s long-standing relationship with Bob Dylan and his desire to share that connection with audiences.

From hearing Dylan at home with his father to studying the music of the 1960s, from years of playing in original bands to building an immersive tribute performance, Drew has approached Chrome Horse as much as a preservation project as a live show.

His goal is to give audiences a chance to step into another musical era for a few hours and experience the songs, stories, sounds, and spirit that made Bob Dylan such an enduring figure in music.