Whether North American, Japanese, Portuguese, Australian, or Venezuelan, there are as many ways to experience Bob Dylan as there are fans. Go to any Bob Dylan show, and among that sea of faces and swaying bodies are individuals who appreciate the music on their own terms, in their own way. Many come to dance to some solid rock 'n' roll. For others, Dylan evokes memories of youth. Scholars approach Dylan with a thirst for knowledge. Bob Dylan's music has eased the pain of loss, heartache, and death.

Through his songs, poets have reached new literary heights, while everyone has had an epiphany or two when submerged in those timeless lyrics. Below are some of the best Dylan fan archetypes. We know these people. We are these people. And one common thread binds us: our appreciation of Dylan's music.

Our resident Dylanologist, Ben Corbett, breaks down your standard stereotypical Dylan freaks here. Find out what kind of Bob Dylan fan you are.

photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

It's been two years since Dar Williams released her latest album of original material, Promised Land - her seventh full-length studio album. Now, she's gearing up for what sounds like an impressive two-disc set, due in stores Oct. 12, 2010.

From the press release: [The] songs span Dar's impressive career from 1993's The Honesty Room through 2008's Promised Land. On Songs Revisited With Guitar and a Few Friends, Dar re-records 12 classic songs from her extensive catalogue, all performed acoustically. She's joined by several fellow musicians and friends on the new versions, including Sean and Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Motherlode, and Gary Louris of the Jayhawks who also produced the album. The second disc, Best of Dar Williams, is not just a compilation, but rather a journey through Dar's career. Listeners are able to follow Dar as she transforms from a folk singer just starting out to the seasoned musician she is today.

The collection, titled Many Great Companions, in other words, sounds like it'll be more than just a spotlight on Williams' career, but also an opportunity to showcase some of the finest artists in contemporary folk music over the past decade and a half. Learn more about Dar Williams with this bio and profile, or read my interview with her from the release of her last album.

image © C Taylor Crothers

Justin Townes Earle has been one of contemporary folk music's greatest troubadours for a few years now. Picking up on the legacy of Woody Guthrie, sprinkling it with a little Townes Van Zandt and the Replacements (whom he covered on his last release, Midnight at the Movies). Now, he's gearing up to release his third full-length album - his fourth recording in all - titled Harlem River Blues. The disc doesn't drop until Sep. 14, 2010, but you can hear it now courtesy of the fine folks at Folk Alley and NPR.

Learn more about Justin Townes Earle from this biography and profile, including recommended CDs and MP3s.

photo courtesy Bloodshot Records

As an icon of American popular music, Bob Dylan's transition into the visual arts was no more predictable than it was surprising. But then, with Dylan, what is? One day in 2007 it was announced that Dylan would soon be exhibiting his art in Germany, the tabloids went berserk, the critics sharpened their pencils, and Dylan joined the ranks of his musical contemporaries moonlighting as fine artists. Dabbling? Hardly. The arts have always played an important role--sometimes direct, sometimes peripheral--in Dylan's songwriting craft. Learn more about Bob Dylan's pursuit of visual art, and see some of his paintings.

image courtesy Capitol Records