Bob Dylan in 2024

Forums:

Lotsa rumors of a new studio album on the horizon (beyond?) but nothing substantive at this point.
 

Spring tour kicks off soon and with that a interesting development in unlikely Orlando last night.... Has the great Garnier era come to an end? Matt Chamberlain plays with her also and Sexton now plays with her husbands band(Elvis Costello)... I spoke with Tony in Oct, never would have guessed he'd move on at this stage. I know he moonlights periodically but this one's an interesting development one for sure 

IMG_2034.jpeg
 

IMG_2033.jpeg

 

 

Hmmmm.

I'd have to imagine Tony will be back in the Dylan cockpit by the time 3/1 rolls around. The odds of him leaving the Neverending Tour at this juncture, seem pretty slim. 

It would certainly be quite the interesting development however.

That's 7 overlapping dates between the 2 tours... would Tony really be out on the road only to bail with 7 dates to go? Maybe they have a plan but that seems unlikely that Krall would be out there knowing her team will shake it up for the last leg . Who was her bass player before? Maybe they needed some time off and Tony just filling in until they return? 

Of course. Maybe Dylan is gonna surprise us all and tour with the Dirty Knobs as his band this leg, they’ve got nothing scheduled until the end of April…

From ER, last night at the Krall show:

"The trio came back out and did more songs, then a final lineup, directly in front of me this time. Tony was right there, we were looking at each other. I thanked Matt & Diana, and they acknowledged with smiles, then I spoke right to Tony saying something like: “Will we see you here on this stage NEXT month?” He initially said “no,” then I thought he said “wait, what?” So, I repeated the same sentence and added “WITH BOB?”  He just kind of shrugged. “What?” I shouted. And he just looked at me and walked away. 

Not sure I should have put Tony on the spot like that.  Please know that I love you, Tony. Guessing I caught him off guard, I don’t know. I immediately began speculating about the interaction and wondering what it all meant, and felt a little guilty-bad for pointing most of my attention towards Tony, rather than the top headliner star, Diana Krall.

So, then I said goodbye to my new friends, and stayed and I stood right there with my elbows on the stage, not sure what to make of it. For what seemed like a long time. The roadies came out, the lights went up. I asked for a Set List, mostly to spark up a conversation with the stagehand, and moreso, just because it’s an automatic inherent response ritual, ha ha. He said "Diana doesn’t use a Set List." I freakin' LOVED that answer and loved Diana even more! Up another notch she went. 

Stood for another minute and then called him over again. He came over. I said: “Is Tony staying with Diana for her entire tour through this summer?” He responded, “We don’t know.” I said: “ I figured that.” Then he said: “We’re all anxious about it.” And then went about his business away from the front of the stage. Hmmm. 

That’s all I got. Make of it what you will. Feel free to ask questions, while it’s fresh in my head. I felt outrageously fortunate, having experienced this particular excellent night and walked uptown a bit, to drink some local Porters and contemplate what it all means. 

I’m noivous. 
One thing, as I watched Tony, I truly felt like there was no way he would leave Bob for this. 
But what the hell do I know?

We will find out soon enough on March 1. 

With him doing this tour, it sure doesn't seem like he's about to retire from the road.

I think he is leaving her tour in time for Ft. Lauderdale on the 1st. I have tickets for both nights but not

yet sure if I can pull them off....I went to the last show of the last tour in December in Indiana, (which was very strong),

so I figured I might as well pick up where I left off....

    I really hope he stays with the band; he's been the band leader for so long that I know how much Bob needs his help.

Time will tell. Always interesting....

I optimistically speculate that he is just filling in for a bit until her regular bass player is back from leave....

but on the other hand, also optimistically, perhaps he's taking the Dirty Knobs on the road as backing after their successful performance together last year, they've got nothing scheduled until the end of April. And the second of those shows is in of all places, Tulsa...hmmmm

2024 is continuation of Rough & Rowdy Ways. Same set up, same band. Tony should be there unless something really weird happened.

The Dirty Knobs was an incredible one-off but the days of him heading out on the road with a new band are long gone. This current incarnation appears to be a final passage. 

 

 

 

Yes... I know...it's all just harmless speculation based on the Krall tour that's all... 

Maybe that long awaited tour with the Plugz;-)

See you can have fun too!!!

IMG_8191.jpeg
 

 

Rough n Ready goes Outlaw... lotsa dates together. Many go on sale today 

presale outlaw24

Got front row for Syracuse 

Got decent seats for Bethel and Darien also. Billy strings on the bill at the gorge

Wow. Very interesting and unexpected on the Dylan front. Mellencamp and Willie must have cornered him at Farm Aid. 

Similar to Spinal Tap's ill fated free-form jazz exploration performance, I can't imagine him rolling out too much of Rough & Rowdy's delicately intricate music, before a festival crowd. This opens up a new realm of possibilities. 

Still holding out for dirty knobs... no summer dates announced for them

The lineup for the Gorge is stellar.  The August 10th date concerns me though, because that has been a peak time for excessive heat and smokey skies from wildfires here.

Add Dead $ Corp to that lineup and the largest stadiums ever built will sell out. 
Dylan & The Dead 2025 baby!

Thanks for the code:  outlaw24  I just picked up a great seat for Hershey.  Cheers!

hard to say goodbye when they keep playin'. iconic double bill.

In for the Gorge for $81.23 for the lawn.  Thanks for the presale code!

Outlaw Fest has always presented a great value price wise, what lineups these shows are this summer 

Spokane Stadium and The Gorge back-to-back. Peculiar.

I found it interesting that Dylan is not only doing Outlaw but he is on the bill at every show, most artists besides Willy rotate in and out. 

Bob loves being on his bus. It must be one hell of a bus.

Picked up 2 for Great Woods (or whatever they call it now). Haven't been there since The Dead 2004 shows.

In for GA at the Gorge. Rumor says no Bob fall West Coast theater dates.

>>Bob loves being on his bus. It must be one hell of a bus<<

merle haggard died on his bus

he loved his bus so much when he was off tour he'd park the bus in front of his house and live in it

^^^Rumor says no Bob fall West Coast theater dates

 there has also been some indication that there may be some west coast dates after Austin. He is announcing dates much closer to performance date than ever(Outlaw Fest exception for obvious reasons) so don't be surprised if you get some dates without much notice

Local county, you at the show

Same band, mostly same set, tonight in Fort Lauderdale
Walking by Myself
No Baby Tonight/Black Magic
 

phew...

I really tried to make it Fish, but it didn't help that the people I work part time for were/are literally going 

to Florida at the exact same time....of course not for the same reason.....

     Considering I had a pretty weird blowout with them about going to the last show of the tour in Evansville in December,

I decided I had to let this go.....which sucks!!

Thankfully I got 4th row for Shoreline and second row center for the hellhole venue outside of Sacramento....

      Last time Bob played there (opening for Phil), it was almost 120 degrees....I thought half the audience and the whole band was going 

to die, because naturally they were all dressed in black suits and facing the sun for the entire set...we were on the rail and they were all clearly uncomfortable, but they still did a Raging set.....

Bob, too cheap to have the onstage Air Conditioning like the GD used at the end....

    Weir played with Lukas Nelson last night at the Fillmore. I already tried to put it in his head that if they're back from Vegas by August 3, he Needs to

show up and play a song with Willie, or Dylan, or both....time will tell......

Pretty damn cool you are getting shows in Buffalo and Syracuse....

I feel obligated to make it back for one or the other and visit my Mom in Rochester.....

 

.....And "Phew" is right....exactly what I felt....Waa pretty certain it would be all good.....

Tony isn't going anywhere yet!

Walking by myself
I hope you'll understand
I just want to be your lovin' man
I love you, yes I love you
With all my heart and soul
I wouldn't mistreat you
For my weight in gold
You know that I love you
You know it's true
I give you all my loving
What more can I do
Walking by myself
I hope you'll understand
I just want to be your lovin' man
You know that I love you
You know it's true
I give you all of my loving
What more can I do
I'm walking by myself
I hope you'll understand
I just want to be your lovin' man

- Jimmy Rogers

 

Bobs wild card choice from last night:
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=S7jABuK851ZHt-Sk&v=sUTe9FSDQgg&feature=yo...

Kind of a downer that he's playing almost the whole R&RW album at his shows (or at least he did last night). It's a great album, but it's almost 4 years old now and he's got a lot of other repertoire to fill his sets with. 2-3 tunes from his last album would suffice, IMO.

I snagged tickets for that "hellhole venue outside of Sacramento" as well. Calling it a hellhole is being kind. But, it's the closest show for me.

It's really a great show, he's singing better than ever,and I admire his resistance to the legacy act formula or anything close... he even dropped the one song people might know last night lol. I do think that this marks the end of RARW tour and Outlaw will bring a slightly retooled set given the festival setting, but honestly would be just as unsurprised if he just kept rolling however he chooses.. he's been confounding audiences for 60 years so why stop now

>>>the hellhole venue outside of Sacramento.... Last time Bob played there (opening for Phil), it was almost 120 degrees....I thought half the audience and the whole band was going to die<<<

That was the first year that venue was open and was my first time there. I swear I had heat-stroke after that show.

I've called that place Surface Of The Sun Amphitheater ever since.

And I'm very disappointed that he's part of Willie's tour out here. Huge generic amphitheaters are bad venues for him in the best of circumstances, especially considering the gentle, muted style of his shows these days, but in this case more than half the crowd won't be there for him, they won't pay attention and will be partying and blabbing endlessly throughout his set, which will also be shorter on a multi-act bill.

Meh.

I heard a snippet of ...Masterpiece "sung" over an Istanbul (Not Constantinople) theme on da yootoobses last night.

It's good that he's having some fun.

And Tony is indeed on bass... thankful for that!

If you're local Bay Area ... I'm with Lovin Dead today at 4pm Ivy Room in Albany. Two sets of Dylan-Dead songs from the 1987 summer tour. Should be a great time!

Bob Dylan's Witty Response to Concert Heckler … Sparks Song Innovation

At a Fort Lauderdale concert, Bob Dylan turned a heckle into an unforgettable moment, showcasing his creativity and the power of live performance.

At a recent concert in Fort Lauderdale, Bob Dylan, the legendary musician known for his poetic lyrics and influential music, transformed a concertgoer's heckle into an unforgettable performance moment. The incident occurred during the kick-off of his 2024 tour at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, where Dylan's innovative renditions of his classics captivated the audience. One particular interaction with a heckler, who demanded Dylan to "play something we know," led the artist to deliver a remarkable version of "When I Paint My Masterpiece," blending it with melodies reminiscent of iconic tunes.

The moment unfolded when a voice from the crowd challenged Dylan to play a familiar song. Witnesses reported that Dylan, after briefly pausing to gaze at the heckler, launched into "When I Paint My Masterpiece," but not as it's traditionally known. This version was infused with elements that some believe to echo the tune of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz" and the Four Lads' "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." This unexpected musical twist not only silenced the heckler but also thrilled fans, showcasing Dylan's unparalleled creativity and quick wit.

 

Can put this one to bed now

IMG_2436.jpeg

Sunday in Orlando

Weeeeeeee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZB7QJjqmL0

When I paint my masterpiece in Ft Lauderdale

Big River in the 14 slot tonight 

Played in Santa Cruz in 2000......Last time? I can't remember...

I saw him play it with the Dead in 03 

Real lively show tonight in Ft. Myers. Bob sounded great. Roll Over Beethoven in the Big River Slot. 

Awesome Fabes! Thanks for the report; Glad you made it, wish I was there....

After listening to the Ft. Lauderdale show I was not ready for last nigh. Ft. Lauderdale sounded like a slow and a lackluster performance of an 82 year old man. Last night Bob and Band had some energy, and it seemed the tempo's were upped. I was looking forward to the Gotta Serve Somebody, but got the Roll Over Beethoven, and it was fire. That got people up and dancing, and the ushers let people in the large outer aisles on the floor, mind you this is Wrinkle City, but the old folks, including myself were in it all night. 3300 in a small basketball arena with no upper deck, Gym Rock to the max, and Bob and Company delivered.

Awesome, thanks for the report !!! picked up tickets yesterday to both Nashville shows, so getting a Bob fix soon! 

Fantastic night of Dylan

Best part...No Cell Phones ALLOWED!!!!

People were freaking

Which show did you hit?

Sunday in Orlando

Awesome, I hear it was off the charts good. Looking forward to Nashville 

>>>

Best part...No Cell Phones ALLOWED!!!!

<<<
 

love that

Great Tim. I heard it was a ripping show....

Seeing if maybe I can pull off the last two nights of the tour in Austin....

 

Roving Blade last night in Charlotte 

Looked at at setlist last night. Couldn't believe it...Then I remembered the date.

  I saw him do Roving Blade from a front row table at the Reno Hilton,

24 years ago yesterday. He said "I'm going to do one of my old songs....for St. Patrick's Day..."

It was amazing.

   Great to see it broken out again.

IMG_2818.jpeg
was he dressed like a leprechaun then too?

No one expects to get to see Robert McZimmerman.

Hahahaha no he wasn't. Thanks for posting.

> was he dressed like a leprechaun then too?

And if so (or not), was Bob magically delicious?

They're always after his lucky charms 

Amazing show last night. Electrifying. I'm not sure if I've seen him in a smaller setting than this 

Awesome, you going back again tonight?

Yes I'll be there tonight 

Enjoy Fish, always great to see him in a small venue, and GA to boot...

The smallest I saw was capacity 750. Amazing.

   Have a blast tonight, hopefully he pulls something out of the hat....

It's great seeing so many musicians in the crowd... it's like the Beacon except with people who can play lol

highlight moment: "Jack whites here tonight, Jack what are you doing out there...?

Interesting how much farther up in the mix Bobs vox are even from Fall tour. It's really a centerpiece of the show  I'm not sure Ive EVER heard him sound better than right now. Harp is stretching back out, 4 songs last night. Tony got an awesome bass solo the other night which I'm not sure I've ever seen before... 

 

here's Every Grain from night 1... I never would have guessed this was what we would be seeing in 2024 looking back on the wolf man years, 2011-2018 or so. I hope he rides this right through the Outlaw run,  still gonna be fun to listen to all the fest going non fans talk about how bad he is. Lol

https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=Yo023REwBdl5nwWS&v=xAWWYUhB_nY&feature=yo...

My thought exactly on Bob's vocals, only attended one other Bob show back in 09 maybe? Merl Haggard opened for him

 

I thought he sounded a lot better now than back then 

 

thought you might get the Roll Over Beethoven last night, but it's looking like I got the one-off of the tour 

My thought exactly on Bob's vocals, only attended one other Bob show back in 09 maybe? Merl Haggard opened for him

I thought he sounded a lot better now than back then >>

I've been seeing Dylan since 1975, dozens and dozens of times. You don't go to see Bob Dylan because of his vocals. His voice sucked in 1975, in 1978, in 1980 and 1981. It hasn't gotten any better. It is what it is and often it's more than a head scratcher.

I think his vocals are fantastic. And what's going on with them now is otherworldly 

^^^ I couldn't agree more.

Someone on Facebook mentioned he had sound problems at the last show and got kind of pissy about it.

If by pissy you mean he wasn't happy about it than that's what I heard also. Sounds like 110% redemption for the sound guy on night 2. Sounds like they had a rehearsal in the afternoon before night 2 also 

Bob debuted his cover of Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" last, night in Wichita, Kansas at the Century II Performing Arts Center:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KvRvGMg6oAI&pp=ygUTQm9iIGR5bGFuIGphbWJhbGF...

A more somber reading than the original.

 

^^ Lafayette, La

Lafayette makes more sense.  I looked up his tour itinerary on Billboard, and they listed Wichita for last night.  Guess he changed it?

He played Banks of the old Pontchartrain the night before in Nola

Across the Bordeline last night....

omg

https://youtu.be/wresedxC4HM?si=8uMw3QO03t5PT6K3

 

interestingly enough I was at the last performance of this gem in 98

A sick way to end a great tour.....

Fish, I hope you are hitting Syracuse coming up...

I'm going to try to come back for that one and visit Mom in Roch...

Time will tell, can't wait for the next show.

I'll be At Syracuse Bethel Hershey and Darien Lake

I listened to the 4/5 show today. Nice to hear Zimmy finally mix it up more. I thought he did sound better but labeling it as singing is a real stretch. That doesn't particularly bother me. In fact I embrace his shift in style as it drives some fresh deliveries. I'm left wondering how this will work in large outdoor venues on the Outlaws tour given how quiet it is at times? 

Interesting closing night of this long run of the ongoing R&RW tour. Jimmy Vaughn replacing Doug Lancio on guitar for much of the show. Not sure what's going on? Maybe a hint of a summer tour lineup change or just a guest spot? Vaughn was out for a good amount of songs. Lancio came back out for Key West and I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You. The switch happened at I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. That's pretty early in a show that sees a very similar set that has been in use for most of the tour. Like he's been doing, Bob throwing in an occasional choice cover song. This week he added three songs that seemed connected to the towns he was in. New Orleans, Lafayette, and Austin. Up next is the Outlaws tour with Willie Nelson. I'm hoping for some guitar like he did at Farm Aid in 2023 with Dirty Knobs backing him. It's anybody's guess as usual trying to predict what Dylan will do. He's in fine form for almost 83 years old as these past shows continue with his vocals, piano and arrangements to be really good.  

Jimmie has a full lineup this summer already.. was announced by Bob as "guest" but with Bob ya never know... interesting curveball for last night of tour 

There's also a rumor floating around those two shows were recorded by the Austin City Limits staff

Now Jimmies website has postponed his entire summer tour... hmmm

When I just went to Dylan's site the Outlaws tour was still up, but I couldn't get the site to work at all.

???

Bobs site working for me

> Now Jimmies website has postponed his entire summer tour... hmmm

The shows he had scheduled with Clapton too?

I don't think so, I think just a bunch of dates got moved to after 9/26

I see that the Dirty Knobs have a summer tour going. I guess we know it won't be them on the Outlaws tour backing Bob. Maybe he will just do the oldies and cover songs from current setlist and cut out the R&RW songs? Maybe just R&RW songs? That would have the crowd on their feet. Maybe Murder Most Foul, Brownsville Girl, Tempest, Lily Rosemary & Jack Of Hearts and call it a set with 3426 words. Bob as always has the fans guessing. 

I think it will be just what we've been seeing. I hope I'm wrong.

I love what he's doing but a change would also be nice....

 

I looked at good tickets for Syracuse. I believe face value is higher than for the California shows!!

 

I got a front row for Syracuse right at on sale for a great price, just off mid center. Mostly for Willie as I've never bee up front at one of his shows. Mid seating for Bethel and Hershey, 5th row in Darien. Should get a good variety of experiences that way...

>> Murder Most Foul, Brownsville Girl, Tempest, Lily Rosemary & Jack Of Hearts and call it a set with 3426 words.

 

That would be fanstastic, actually. Except he'll play L,R&JOH to the tune of "Where Teardrops Fall" and it will take 35 minutes

That'd be stellar 

Well, the Outlaw dates are now labeled under the Rough & Rowdy World Wide Tour.

www.bobdylan.com/on-tour/

Either A) Bob is planning on doing the hushed intricacy of R&R in front of amphitheater festival audiences or B) his digital marketing people don't know what he has planned, so they are filing it under the R&R tour page for the time being.

 

Just broke down and got tickets for the Outlaw Fest up at the Gorge.  With fees, the tickets were only $80 a pop.   Amazing deal for Bob, Willie, Johnny Cougar, Billy Srings, and Britney Spencer.    And there was no way I am going to miss Billy Strings' first show at the Gorge.  I suspect he will be headlining it next year and would nor be surprised if he sat in with Willie and family (and Bob if he lets him).  Seems like Billy has been slipping in a lot of Dylan songs lately.

Now that Neil & CH have announced The Gorge, it's a toss-up between that and Outlaw. Outlaw definitely has more bang for the buck unless Neil adds a big-name opener / co-bill (Dylan would have been good). However, the Outlaw crowd will probably be more diluted (hey I'm all for diversity), but there may be a lack of focus (ie. chatter) from factions of the crowd during the various acts. Maybe not, though, idk.

I just picked up a couple of $25 tickets for the Outlaw Fest at Hollywood Bowl in July.

Killer deal 

Nice Mike....the beer there will be almost as much as the ticket...

I agree with Mosthigh, unfortunately there will be chatter....

I'll be going to Shoreline, Sacramento and possibly Buffalo.

> the beer there will be almost as much as the ticket...

Good thing I'm California sober.

> unfortunately there will be chatter

It's a Hollywood crowd. That's a given. Lots of folks there just to see and be seen.

I was psyched to finally get in for the cheap tix. Seemed like ticketbastard's system was flaking out for the longest time, but then I got in. The seats are near the top of the Bowl, but I can think of much worse places to spend a summer's evening.

Cool exhibit for anyone in the area

IMG_4947_0.jpeg

Literally hundreds of original Dylan pieces here....he has same photo policy as he does at shows so I only got about ten pix before my life was threatened 

IMG_4971.jpeg

Some set times have been posted.

Looks like 75 minutes for Plant, 75 minutes for Bob and an even 60 for Willie.

-----------------------------

 

Screenshot 2024-06-05 at 2.22.59 PM.png

For the Shoreline bill I'm only interested in Dylan, who has been nailing it these days, which especially at this late date is something that should be seen whenever possible.

I've seen Mellencamp many times and I say a resounding meh to him, and god love Willie Nelson, but I've seen him SO many times over so many years that I don't really need to see him yet again, so initially I thought, "Fuck this generic shed show. Who wants to see this delicate version of Dylan in a huge amphitheatre, before the sun goes down, where two-thirds of the crowd won't be there for him and will be jabbering throughout his set? Naaaah."

But now I'm re-thinking it. I could get moved to a really killer seat for somewhere around $70, where MAYBE I could avoid/ignore most of the talkers (it galls me to ever have to pay anything to get into that particular venue, but that's another long story and is ultimately how time & life works).

So I guess I should make the effort. Bob Dylan is a living legend, he's playing well and he won't be around forever, and neither will I, so I guess I should......

Go to the show.

(What's a little gall for a legend?)

Interesting how he isn't listed as "Bob Dylan and his Band" like normal billing.

I've heard, although have not confirmed, that Jerry Pentecost has other dates scheduled for this summer. A different drummer would perhaps indicate a rejiggering on the other band member as well.

Word on the street at ER Jim Keltner has been rehearsing with them.

1 day away. Very curious on what the band will look like beyond Keltner.

I'm thinking same band as before plus Keltner, playing a similar, but of course shortened, set.

I just don't see him changing the program much at this point....

Bummed that I'm not coming back east for a show or two, have to wait till August.

With Willie out, maybe Bob can open with Whiskey River.

Where are Tedeschi Trucks tonight 

Looks like keltner in and no sign of Herron 

Beyond Here Lies Nothing 

 

good to see Hunter get a nod

Simple twist

little queenie 

 

wow

Yes, sick, so glad to be wrong.....

Thanks for the updates Fish.

Going over to ER

Was quite a night

You coulda' had a million people fill out a setlist card and nobody would have come close.

5 covers, 4 (or maybe 5?) songs off Tempest, as well as Red Sky. 

Really only two songs (Simple Twist and Things Have Changed) that the festival hoi polloi might recognize. A bold play of the cards.

I wonder what will happen from here out. Perhaps he'll continue to use Tempest as a base and then mix in other covers and selected classics. It's going to be fun run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Never Pandering Tour... 1965-2024

Review of opening night, from the esteemed Ray Padgett:

---------------------------

This was Dylan’s first non-Rough and Rowdy Ways tour since the pandemic, so advance speculation had been flying. Would it be more of the same songs? Would it be a greatest-hits setlist better suited for casual outdoor crowds, many of whom aren’t even there to see him?

Nope and nope.

We knew we were in for something different from the first few notes. It wasn’t “Watching the River Flow,” which has opened just about every show for the past three years. It wasn’t even a Dylan song at all. It turned out to be—and due to low mic volume on the first few songs, it took a while to figure this out—a cover of Little Walter’s 1955 Chicago blues classic “My Babe,” a song he’s never sung in public before. He’d rehearsed it once in 1978 (it’s on my Not At Budokan comp), but that’s it.

Cover of old time chestnuts he’s never sung live before would be a recurring theme of the night. He did four more too: The Chuck Berry tune “Little Queenie,” continue his recent run of Berry covers; the 1959 Fleetwoods hit “Mr. Blue”; Hank Williams’ classic “Cold Cold Heart”; and the Lee Hazlewood-penned 1956 hit for Sanford Clark “The Fool.”

If that sounds surprising on paper the morning after, imagine how surprising it was in person. As he started singing each cover, we’re all frantically trying to figure out what it is. Some songs I knew, like “My Babe” and “Cold Cold Heart.” Others I’m Googling lyric snatches for. What the hell is “The Fool”? Someone commented after that it was like The Philosophy of Modern Song: The Tour. Was he going to sing “Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy” next?

Interspersed with the WTF covers were his own songs. But even those choices had an dose of WTF. For one, the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is clearly over. Not a single song from that album—or indeed from that entire tour (slight exception for “Early Roman Kings,” which was part of the initial Fall 2021 leg). In fact, he treated last night like it was the Tempest tour fourteen years late. A full 50% of the original songs he played, four of eight, came from that 2012 album: “Pay in Blood,” “Early Roman Kings,” and the show-closing twofer of “Scarlet Town” and “Long and Wasted Years.” 

They were selling Tempest tour tee-shirts in the merch booth. Was that a clue? Did he tell them far enough in advance: “I’m gonna be playing a lot of Tempest, dig those shirts out of storage”? No, it turned out these were new tee shirts, manufactured just for this tour even though they had 2012 dates on the back. So how long has he been planning to go so Tempest-heavy? One of many mysteries last night.

That left just four other songs, only one anything like a well-known classic: “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” “Simple Twist of Fate,” “Things Have Changed,” and—the wildest card of all—“Under the Red Sky,” not played in over a decade. So the set was, in total, five first-time-ever covers, four Tempest tunes, and four everything-else. 

It made for a fairly whiplash-inducing night. Certainly the most bizarre Dylan show I’ve ever seen. I joked to my buddy after, “That was an amazing show. But was it actually a good show?”

Mostly yes, but it was at times quite ragged. As often happens at this shows, and particularly tour-openers, Bob’s voice warmed up as the night went on. “Cold Cold Heart,” the Hank Williams tune, was the turning point of the show for me seven songs in. An absolutely beautiful vocal performance that recalled the vocal heights of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. He hit a high note on the chorus just like the one in “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You.”

That was a rare connection to the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour though. This was as clean a break as I can remember between tours, even though they were only two months apart. It’s not just that were no songs repeated from the spring last few years. The sound was entirely different. Everything I’ve written about recent shows—the tender vocals, the prominent piano, the increased harmonica—was gone. This show was loud, it was guitar-driven, he barked and yelped and shouted more than he crooned, and he didn’t touch the harmonica. Though the setlist still had its share of ballads, the mood couldn’t have been more different from a few months ago. All that poise and polish was out the window. This was, hilariously, far more rough and rowdy than the tour of that name.

Some of that comes down to two major band changes. For one, after 15 years, multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron is gone. His absence was felt. On Saturday Night Live in the ‘90s, Phil Hartman was nicknamed The Glue; you could put him in any sketch, even one where he wasn’t the star, and his consummate professionalism would hold everything together. Donnie was The Glue of that band. He was rarely featured—you often couldn’t even hear him—but you noticed when he was gone. The leaner guitar-driven lineup threatened to collapse on several occasions, especially early on. The band watched Bob even more closely than usual, occasionally conferring with him or with each other. It’s a testament to their skill that, even in uncharted waters, they managed to hold things together. If the first few songs get repeated, I expect they will tighten up quickly.

The other bandmember change: After 20 years, our friend Jim Keltner is back on drums! When I interviewed him, my headline mentioned “thirty years of drumming for Bob Dylan.” Well, make that fifty years. He first played with Bob in 1973, and, 51 years later, he’s still at it. Alas he was seated right behind Bob’s giant piano so I could not see him one iota, but he sounded great. Of course he did. He’s Jim Keltner! Sounding great is kind of his whole thing.

Afterwards, I gathered with some fellow superfans. Everyone was excited and elated, of course. But there was a palpable sense of bewilderment too. Good bewilderment though; this is why you follow Bob, these wild left-turns. He was, as usual, not capitulating at all to anyone expectations. He played what he wanted to play, and so what if no one else knew why? The set was like Toad’s Place in miniature, just one curveball after the next. Why all the old covers? Why is he stuck on Tempest suddenly? Of all the songs to revive after a decade, why “Under the Red Sky”? You wonder if this can possibly be the new every-night set, or if we’re back to regular changes. (“Tough Mama” was rumored to have been soundchecked yesterday, and he played shorter than his allotted 75 minutes so a couple more could get added.)

As I said up top, I wasn’t planning to attend this show. He’s playing Boston, much closer to home, in a few weeks. I’m taking my four-year-old to that one, her first Dylan show. We’ll sit back on the lawn, eat some popcorn, watch the screens. It’ll be great in a different way. But there’s nothing like an opening night where anything could happen. And, last night, anything did.

 

 

Grateful Dead @ Capitol Theater 11/8/70:  My Babe, only time played, out of Mystery Train, also one time only.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoeLgkeFewM

Highway 61

Shooting Star!!!!

Outlaw Setlist Night 2

Highway 61 Revisited
Shooting Star (First time played since 2013; Bob on harp)
Love Sick
Little Queenie (Chuck Berry cover)
Mr. Blue (The Fleetwoods cover)
Early Roman Kings (Bob on harp)
Can't Wait
Under the Red Sky (Bob on harp)
Things Have Changed
Stella Blue (Grateful Dead cover)
Six Days on the Road (Dave Dudley cover) (Live debut)
Soon After Midnight (Bob on harp)
Ballad of a Thin Man (Bob on harp)
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

https://www.reddit.com/r/bobdylan/comments/1dmawrw/outlaw_setlist_night_2/

Good Stuff BOB!!! Makes me want to go!!!

I'd have to imagine Duquesne Whistle will make an appearance in the next show or two.

Would be great to hear more off Oh Mercy. perhaps Ring Them Bells or Most of the Time.

It's going to be the summer of Bob, slicing his way across the country with old favorites and Americana songbook chestnuts. Life is good.

 

 

 

 

 

It's so great to see these setlists come in at "real time", and now we know literally ANYTHING could come next...

I haven't heard Shooting Star on a loooooong time, and it was great that both Bobs played Stella last night.

Keep the curveballs coming Bob!!!

Big Dave Dudley fan

maybe he'll cover red simpson next

Jeez and night 3 he opens with Baby Let Me Follow You Down

Maybe.... bad info, thought we had an early start 

Same set as charlotte tonight so far 

That's a great setlist last two nights. Lots of different material for the first time in a while. Would love to see a lot of these tunes when he heads west later in the summer.

Bob sounds great....

 

thin man Raleigh 

https://youtu.be/Jh-33G_NAXQ?si=rYY4Rh--SjK52iHC

After mixing it up the first two nights, Raleigh looks to be a mirror image of Charlotte, including a surprising back-to-back of Stella.

--------

Raleigh, North Carolina
Coastal Credit Union Music Park

June 23, 2024

1.Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on piano)

2.Shooting Star (Bob on piano and harp)

3.Love Sick (Bob on piano)

4.Little Queenie (Bob on piano) (song by Chuck Berry)

5.Mr. Blue (Bob on piano)(song written by DeWayne Blackwell)

6.Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano)

7.Can't Wait (Bob on piano)

8.Under The Red Sky (Bob on piano and harp)

9.Things Have Changed (Bob on piano)

10.Stella Blue (Bob on piano) (song by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia)

11.Six Days On The Road (Bob on piano) (song by Dave Dudley)

12.Soon After Midnight (Bob on piano and harp)

13.Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob on piano and harp)

14.I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob on piano)

ERK and Soon after Midnight can go imho, beaten to death up to the pandemic. Long Wasted and Scarlet Town should be in. But Bob will be Bob 

From an album perspective, Raleigh is as follows....

--------------------------

Not on an album: 4

Highway 61 Revisited: 2

Tempest: 2

Time Out Of Mind: 2

John Wesley Harding: 1

Oh Mercy: 1

Things Have Changed (Single): 1

Under The Red Sky: 1

Looks like VIP section gets your own spay bottle of water Thanx for video 

Bob now mostly settling into the same setlist from the 2nd night of the tour. Sounds like he wants to get it to get it tight. Simple Twist makes an appearance however.

----------------------------

Virginia Beach, Virginia
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

June 26, 2024

1.Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on piano)

2.Shooting Star (Bob on piano)

3.Love Sick (Bob on piano)

4.Little Queenie (Bob on piano) (song by Chuck Berry)

5.Mr. Blue (Bob on piano)(song written by DeWayne Blackwell)

6.Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano)

7.Can't Wait (Bob on piano)

8.Under The Red Sky (Bob on piano)

9.Things Have Changed (Bob on piano)

10.Stella Blue (Bob on piano) (song by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia)

11.Six Days On The Road (Bob on piano)
(song by Earl Green and Carl Montgomery)

12.Soon After Midnight (Bob on piano)

13.Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob on piano and harp)

14.Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on piano)

15.I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob on piano)

Hopefully Scarlet Town, Long n Wasted and Beyond Here reappear along the way.... All played night 1

 

Bob sounds great:

https://youtu.be/3NGA08OzhVU?si=LNYmiopx8o_sAidl

For anyone in the general hood, Old Bob is playing in Westport this Saturday.

They primarily play late model Dylan, everything from 1997 forward (Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, Modern Times....all the way up to Rough and Rowdy). It's nice to hear renditions of "new" stuff as opposed to the same ole' Dylan classics.

Screenshot 2024-06-27 at 10.22.13 AM.png

Have a great show tonight Fish.

A week before the tour, I heard Under the Red Sky and was thinking how weird it was, and how we'd never 

hear it....

   So based on what I listened to today, you should get Love Minus Zero, Train To Cry, or Just Like A Woman....

.....Or not!!!!!

    I'm sure it will be good no matter what he plays.

Willie still out?

Hope you get a highlands fish

> Willie still out?

Screenshot_20240628_161458.png

No highlands for me since Worcester 99.... but Simple Twist with Mickey Raphael was off the charts good. Bob sounds so good right now it's amazing 

That's great. Glad you enjoyed it. I hope you can post a photo or two....

I'm sure the front row was a blast...

I got just a couple as i recorded the full show audio, got Plants set list from earlier in the night too!

IMG_6074.jpeg
IMG_6070.jpeg
 

IMG_6051.jpeg

Syracuse, New York
Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview

June 28, 2024

1.Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on piano)

2.Shooting Star (Bob on piano and harp)

3.Love Sick (Bob on piano)

4.Little Queenie (Bob on piano) (song by Chuck Berry) (Tony on standup bass)

5.Mr. Blue (Bob on piano)(song written by DeWayne Blackwell) (Tony on standup bass)

6.Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano and harp)

7.Can't Wait (Bob on piano)

8.Under The Red Sky (Bob on piano and harp)

9.Things Have Changed (Bob on piano)

10.Stella Blue (Bob on piano) (song by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia)

11.Six Days On The Road (Bob on piano)
(song by Earl Green and Carl Montgomery)

12.Soon After Midnight (Bob on piano and harp)

13.Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob on piano and harp)

14.Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on piano)(Mickey Raphael on harp)

15.I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (Bob on piano)

My audio recording is now in the hands of Dylan remaster pro Bennyboy, hopefully he will work some magic and get it into the hands of those who desire such things...

IMG_6075.jpeg
a nice zoom
 

Who played first?

I love that set list!

Celisse then Plant/Krauss then Dylan then Lukas with Edie Brickell/Family Band

IMG_6094.jpeg
Bob Dylan
Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
Syracuse, NY

28th June 2024
Outlaw Festival Show #5

Taper: Fishcane - iPhone, front row sec 102, seat 8

Remastered with artwork by Bennyboy, June 2024

01. Highway 61 Revisited
02. Shooting Star
03. Love Sick
04. Little Queenie (Chuck Berry)
05. Mr. Blue (DeWayne Blackwell)
06. Early Roman Kings
07. Can't Wait
08. Under the Red Sky
09. Things Have Changed
10. Stella Blue (Hunter & Garcia)
11. Six Days on the Road (Dave Dudley)
12. Soon After Midnight
13. Ballad of a Thin Man
14. Simple Twist of Fate (Mickey Raphael on harp)
15. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight

Band Members
Bob Dylan - vocals, piano, harp
Bob Britt - guitar
Doug Lancio - guitar
Jim Keltner - drums
Tony Garnier - bass

 

avail over at ER or drop me an email and I'll send you the link

[email protected]

Thanks, fishcane. Sounds great.

Here's Mickey on Simple Twist. Cameo by me in the Billy Strings shirt, grooving on the rail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMk4ixdQg3M

Great video, thanks for posting....always funny to see yourself on camera at a show!

What a great version of the song....Mickey and Tony smiling at each other and then Bob at the end, clearly happy as hell. Awesome.

So Fish, were they just letting people film? It seems that you're pretty safe to do it if you are second row or further back....

probably depends on the particular venue/staff?? Did they have the signs up that said No photos or Video??

Just curious.....Hopefully my friend is going to sneak his very good video camera into Hershey and see if he can pull off a good 

one.

    Great time to be seeing shows on tour!!!

So the official word from security up front was no pics or video from the rail. I was happy enough to stay by my seat but everyone in front row was allowed rail so it was either be up there or no longer be in "front"... weird because most shows security at that venue keeps you back by your seat. So if I was in my seat it was ok or at least no one was gonna stop me... I took a good number of pics of plant n Krauss( no rail riders for that set oddly enough) but only got a couple shots of bob just to be respectful and I didn't stay at my seat. So I just set uo my audio recording in my seat and left it for the show, just checked battery a couple times.

 

regarding Mickey, he has guested before but this was the most latitude I've seen Bob give a guest EVER. Another interesting fact, I saw Bob do Shooting Star in Syracuse once before, April 96
 

ill probably grab a few pix at  Bethel and I'll be at Hershey also but I'm no pro

Thanks Fishcane.  Phantastic recording.  Much enjoyed....

That's great, thanks for the security info. Nice photo you took there.
If you've seen any videos shot between 1999-2014, I'm sure you've seen my friends "work". (Part of the Dylan Project

videos on YouTube).

     Yes, he gave him a shitload of space on that and as far as I'm concerned, he delivered. I think Bob agrees...

Ok here is a short story, long....

 

A funny one for me was at Oakland at the Paramount Theater in 2014 when the Giants were playing for the Pennant.
 

We happened to have front row that night (three night stand, went to all 3). and before the show they told everyone

in the front row, "Look, Bob knows about the Giants game tonight but he doesn't want to see everyone looking at their

phones all night, so You Cannot Take It Out  to even look at it, or else!" Ok, we get it.....

      At one point during the show I felt it was safe to take a quick peek so I did....of course I look up a couple seconds later

and Bob is about 8 feet away, looking right down at me and gritting his teeth....Whoops, sorry Bob!!!! Hahahaha....

A little while later during the middle of Working Man's Blues, I'll never forget the Wave of cheers cascading down from the 

back to the front when they won, and the look on Bob's face for a minute, like "why are they cheering now?'

 

   I fully expect him to go back to the "phones in the pouch" policy when he returns to theatres in the fall, so

get that little bit of footage while you can!!!

 

 

 

 

Not too shabby of a spot Fishcane.

Jones Beach with the same setlist as 'Cuse. Getting it tight.

Now that NY&CH canceled , the Outlaw Fest is my only Gorge show this Summer.  We'll have Billy Strings in the Plant/Krauss slot, and hopefully Willie to close.  Wouldn't be surprised if it's filmed for official release.

Thanks for the video.

Willie will be back at Mansfield on the 2nd

It's kind of like getting a MLB starter back off the disabled list with no warmup starts in the Minors.  Hope Willie is up for it.  

Don't be fooled by the static nature of the setlist, Bob still mixing things up nicely... example, here's Simple Twist from last night(compare to 2 nights earlier in Syracuse, also with Raphael, posted above)

https://youtu.be/WdqlLW3rD1c?si=KPo-50MS-wK0Axks

Anyone hitting up Great Woods 2-night?

 

Someone mentioned they are hitting up tonight via email request for my Syracuse recording.. can't remember who but should be a great night and weather looked good last I saw 

Fishcane, that vid of you on the rail makes it looks like an empty auditorium.   Can't remember the last concert I was at where the rail wasn't full smashmouth

Only those with front row were even allowed to approach the rail.  We had a ten foot buffer between us and the second row. Best possible front row experience I've prob ever had in that sense and I've been front n center for Dylan at least a half dozen times. It's usually either a complete free for all or stoic meat in your seats 

at least 3 feet of open space to my left as I told Bob what number he is... 

IMG_6149.jpeg

Looks like no Willie til Camden 

Will be going to Bethel Saturday, looking forward to the shoe...kinda wouldn't have minded seeing the Lukas Family Band version but seemingly will eventually be seeing that band and Willie is Willie no matter how many times ive done or seen his shows... 

Peace

My daughter and I will be at Bethel, see you there

Beautiful night @ Great Woods last evening. Packed house as well...probably a good 18,000 people in attendance.

Growing up in the Boston area I'll always have an appreciation of the Massachusetts hoi polloi but there are just some plain tragically behaved people. This one clown (there with his girlfriend no less) was an absolute drunk ass mess during Robert Plant, stumbling all over himself and trying to high-five and mimic the sign language translator. After the set he projectile vomited all over the aisle and they had to drag him out in a wheel chair, while he gave the finger to everyone. Oye vey.

Anyway, then Bob. Same setlist as the previous 4 shows. The sound was superb and while I'd prefer to have the piano turned down a bit n the mix, it really filled up the ampitheater quite nicely. Just an overall magic glow to the performance.  With I could hit another on the tour...

Awesome, here is a nice couple vids

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE8yPS_I4JU

https://youtu.be/mFqUK8zMj_U?si=AFrVkZ8E4N5gD2yN
 

such a different feel to these tracks each night

IMG_6201.jpeg
 

 

Chimes of Freedom break-out coming in Camden today. You heard it here first;-)

Tears of Rage with Mavis and Willie...

>>>stumbling all over himself and trying to high-five and mimic the sign language translator. After the set he projectile vomited all over the aisle and they had to drag him out in a wheel chair<<<

That made me laugh, because that, exactly that (and more) was my stock & trade for 37 years. I can't say how many times I lived that exact scenario. This is not new behavior; no matter what the show, that's the daily bread of a shed and has been since at least 1986 when I started, and is why it's a shame that Dylan is involved in a large multi-headliner shed tour like this.

The good side of it is, since it's not his tour he can't demand the phones-in-a-bag deal so we get videos and recordings of his sets.

From those examples the new band sounds good but a little spare to me, which isn't helped by the vast generic venues the tour is playing, so I'm still on the fence about Shoreline.

Then again, what do I really know unless I go to the show?

We will see.

The sparse arrangements and minimalist nature of these performances is imho its endearing quality. The band actually seem to be enjoying themselves up there, Bob is in good spirits and Tony has been on fire leading the charge for the others and quite up in the mix. Taken on its own merits and not compared to other versions of his band, I'm enjoying the heck out of these shows. Bobs voice is strong and singing very well imho. The defiance toward the festival crowd through both the setlist and his arrangements is amusing to me and the exasperation and befuddlement by the non-bobs is like an old friend at this point. The only annoying part are the show talkers who seem to be invading everything nowadays 

I have 2 extra tickets to Bethel on Sat if anyone is interested 

7/4 via Setlist FM

Highway 61    Shooting Star    Love Sick    Little Queenie    Mr Blue    Early Roman Kings    Can't Wait    Under The Red Sky    Things Have Changed    Stella Blue    6 Days on the Road 

Soon After Midnight    Ballad of a Thin Man    Simple Twist    I'll Be You Baby Tonight

2 freebies in sec 8 tonight if anyone in area

nice offer fishcane, have a great show!

chula vista on a monday...may see if can stub hub something near showtime.

Dylan at Woodstock....I hope you get a great show Fish, I bet Bob is great to go after the day off....

Great offer.....

Turtle, go to the show. I think it would be worth it for you. I'm going to Shoreline and Sacramento....

I'd love to come down; last time I was in Chula Vista was for the Garcia Band in '92....

I can't imagine how much it has been built up since then.....

(Note: Bob has played Highlands there. Go).

Glad to read that Willie played the show in Camden on the 4th:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK7ifhMgkg8

Ran across this Betty Cantor recording of Willie at the Oakland Coliseum in July of 1979 the other day. The files are MP3s, but sound pretty good.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/a4dxhoycsf84d9og6nfw3/AA3Sw40yGASH_ZLIPqh...

Well I wrapped up in Hershey a great run of shows.... Willie was just amazing, Just Breathe duet with Lukas poignant, baring it all on Always on my Mind and Texas Flood still showing his chops with Trigger. Gave my daughter a beautiful smile point and wave in Bethel before Livin in the Promised Land. 
 

here's Bob on his own, bearing it all...,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xekEdNL94rE

willie with Lukas just Breathe

https://youtu.be/_C96P-gSh_w?si=K0uwqDd_Qm46AenG


Always on my Mind

https://youtu.be/_uJe2k1LlwE?si=0PcD6mg78JSBJJjz

 

Texas Flood:

https://youtu.be/U2OYBgual9g?si=FgokukWpF_kkv9Un

Heavenly....

 

 

From the front row in Bethel, didn't plan on being there but kindness prevails at the Hallowed Grounds 

IMG_6439.jpeg
 

my daughter told me it was "the best day in her life so far"
IMG_6425_1.jpeg

Hey Fishcane ^^ great pic and heart that sentiment frm your daughter...you've taught her well and seemingly led her to having good taste!!

for us it was hard to say which set was best of the day, kinda' feel that Willie and Co/Blackbird delivered an exceptional lineup...

Peace

I agree, ordinarily the Outlaw historically had a very defined graduated "tier" set of acts. This year, it was like 3 headliners with Celisse opening(who was impressive on her own). This festival delivered. I'll see one more on the final leg in Darien Lake with Mellencamp in Sept. Willie performed better than I've seen in a few years 

>Turtle, go to the show. I think it would be worth it for you. I'm going to Shoreline and Sacramento....

I'd love to come down; last time I was in Chula Vista was for the Garcia Band in '92....<

 

yeah, it's all filled up. especially in the summer.

Fall UK/Europe dates... 

I mean OK now we're talking.

.Image-1_1.jpg

Where can I order one?

 

 

oh and the shirt is cool also...

SD setlist. I missed it...

Jul 29, 2024

Chula Vista, California

North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Set List

Highway 61 Revisited

Shooting Star

Love Sick

Little Queenie

Mr. Blue

Early Roman Kings

Can’t Wait

Under the Red Sky

Things Have Changed

Stella Blue

Six Days On The Road

Soon After Midnight

Ballad of a Thin Man

Simple Twist of Fate

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Last night's show at the Hollywood Bowl was sweet. Same setlist as Chula Vista, but the performance felt fresh and full of life. The Bowl holds about 18,000 people, but somehow this band managed to make it feel intimate, much like they did when I last saw them at the Pantages a couple of years ago.

The first half of the show was quite good, but from Stella Blue on it seemed like they really took it to the next level. Willie's harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, sat in for a few tunes, which to my ears sounded just exactly perfect. Willie's set was super good too. It's hard to believe he's in his 90s and was ailing just a few weeks ago. It was a great night of American music under the stars at one of the greatest venues on the planet, and while I'm feeling kind of beat this morning, I feel renewed in the ways that really matter.

Mike:  Sounds like you had a fun time.  Smiles and Happy Jerry Day.  devil

Did you like the new Willie tune? The Border 

I found it dark and timely, and what I liked most about it is its cinematic view of things. Willie's a great songwriter, and that's due in large part to his being such an amazing storyteller.

I really liked the two Particle Kid tunes they did last night: (Die When I'm High) Halfway to Heaven and Everything Is Bullshit. They both come from a place of enlightened humor, I'd say, and the placement of Everything Is Bullshit right after The Border made for an interesting pairing.

I believe it's a cover(Rodney Crowell maybe?) but like all of his songs he makes this his own both in voice and poignancy. Current events! His shows often seem superficially American, but on closer look reveal a real deep character of both thought and timing. After he returned to the stage last month, he performed Texas Flood almost like a handing off of the baton of gratitude toward Lukas for carrying the torch in his absence. I haven't seen Willie play guitar like that in decades.
check out Willie at 2:43 and especially at 4:42

https://youtu.be/gyDIxgV3uDc?si=p2EKQQ5sBl_7webL

 

Then following that up later with the bittersweet duet between father and son, Just Breathe, had us all in tears. And of course Livin in the Promised Land  to end things gave us hope in this land, being the holiday weekend. I found The Border incredibly relevant to the set as well as to his show. I wish him continued health and prosperity as this tour rolls on and look forward to seeing a couple more in September(Buffalo and Farm Aid)

I thought phase two of the tour would offer up a few song variations but Bob appears hell bent on cementing this set list. He's locked in tight. 

Elvin Bishop on ERK and Can't Wait. No Mickey last night(didn't play with Willie either). Also looks like Willie debuted a new song in the Border slot

IMG_7106.jpeg
 

 

Who's going to the show in Sacramento/Wheatland tonight? I know a few Zoners have said they might. This is my only show this tour and I'm really looking forward to it- but it will be hot out there!

Great show last night, I loved it. Having Elvin come out and actually adding something meaningful to a song was cool.

Clear, crisp vocals, lots of harp....All good. It's rare these days for me to see a Dylan show where he does 5 songs I've 

never heard him play before, so that was something.

I had to leave before Willie so I'm not sure how that went...

 

Jacko, I'll be there tonight. Its supposed to be 103 by 5 pm.

That part won't be fun!

Enjoy gang!!! He is sounding great right now

Bob on guitar, at least partially, for Hard Rain?

Highway 61^^^
 

but Hard Rain and Scarlet Town both played 

Looking forward to Saturday at the Gorge.  It won't be Sacramento hot, but it is currently forecast as 93 with partial clouds.  Dylan and Willie will be on after sunset, when it's cooler, but Britney Spencer, Billy Strings, and John Mellencamp will guide us through the Sundance part of the day.

Great show last night. First Hard Rain in 7 years, which was a shocker....

Second row center, perfect view, good sound, stage twice as high as Shoreline but that was OK....

Some seriously strong harp work. So great to have him come out and immediately sit and hide behind 

the piano with his back to the crowd, playing guitar Just Because.....

The last time I was at this in-the-middle-of-nowhere venue was 24 years ago, which was the last time Bob

played here, with Phil....

Now THAT show was EPIC, but hey, that was 2000....

 

    Enjoy the Gorge Dave, I think it'll be another strong one!

Awesome glad we have some good zone representation at these shows 

Wow, still enjoying the post-show glow from last night. It was hot as hell but once the sun went down (right after Mellancamp) it was really comfortable. The sound was excellent, I can't remember being able to hear every word so clearly in along time. Didn't realize that was Bob playing guitar on Hwy 61 because he was wearing black, I expected white. Didn't figure it out until he sat down at the piano. Actually thought 61 was the "lowlight" of the show. I thought it might portend a sloppy show but I was really wrong. Things got turned around for "Shooting Star", which was clear and beautifully played, and the show went from there.

Hard Rain was, obviously, the highlight. I'm not sure I've ever seen Bob play that one and, being a surprise change to the setlist, it was worth the price of admission all by itself. Had my teenage son with me and it is his favorite Dylan tune. He asked a few weeks back if Dylan might play that one and I said "not a chance". So happy to be proven wrong! It was a special moment.

Bob just sounded great vocally, I though Stella Blue was a really solid version among the ones he's done this year. Glad I caught a pretty fine show from what's looking like an interesting tour.

Willie was great too, it's strange to see his once muscular touring band whittled down to 3 acoustic guitars, bass and a single drum. He sounded pretty good and he's such a musical treasure. All in all it was a great time. The show was well sold but the crowd was subdued throughout, even for Willie. Maybe it was the heat? They were gracious though, and I don't think the artists minded. Again, the sound was fantastic throughout. Kudos to the venue, even though if I never go back to that horrible venue it will be too soon. What a night!

>>>stage twice as high as Shoreline but that was OK<<<

Every stage is twice as high as Shoreline's, which is only two & a half feet (except when the Grateful Dead played there, who always demanded a higher stage). Probably the worst of the many design flaws of the Dump.

Ultimately, I couldn't muster the energy to get out to Shoreline for just the Dylan set. From watching the videos, Keltner is a great addition and it looks like the legend Elvin Bishop really added some electric punch to those blues songs; I would have really enjoyed that, otherwise I don't feel too bad about missing this one.

Hopefully he'll make it back this way again, but even if this turns out to be the last time he comes through the BA I'm satisfied with my Dylan experience.

Visited Wheatland, CA for the first time last night and got in very early on the lawn  Suffered through the 103 degree heat and had a great time. I also had my 15 year old son who's first ever show was basically the same lineup minus Brittney Spencer at less than one year old in August 2009.  We both thought the highlight was 'Simple Twist of Fate'

It's not lost on me that Mellencamp (72), Dylan (83) and Willie (91) are still touring strong when younger bands like Aerosmith and Ozzy have to hang it up for health reasons. 

The concert was basically and arguably a reflection of American musical tradition at it's finest (minus the Grateful Dead of course).

Anyone else go to the Ports ballpark for the 2009 Ballpark tour? Referenced briefly below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkN8HrawwEI

Hey Jacko:  So glad you and M made it.  Sounds like a great evening had by all.  Excellent.  Smiles angel

Jay, I was at that show at the ballpark. I remember To Ramona because it was the first time I'd seen it....

The night before in Fresno was a scene, there were about 20 Fresno Hells Angles next to the stage,

behind a fence which separated them from the crowd. It was surreal.

 

I think it's very cool that you, Jacko, and Fish are able to take your kids to these shows, and they are into it....

It gives me a shred of hope for the future. My wife fell back a few rows last night to get away from some talkers,

and ended up next to three Filipino brothers, very young, who were totally into it and paying attention the whole time.

At the end they said they loved it.

Local wrote: <<I think it's very cool that you, Jacko, and Fish are able to take your kids to these shows, and they are into it....

It gives me a shred of hope for the future. My wife fell back a few rows last night to get away from some talkers,>>

 

Thank you Local.  I really appreciate your kind words. I'm a very lucky dad for sure. Sounds like Jacko and Fish are in that same boat.

I was on the lawn and there were seemingly a LOT of talkers during Dylan's set. I didn't say anything to anyone but thought to myself

that it was really disrespectful to do that while arguably the greatest lyricist and poet (perhaps ever) is up on that stage. (Subjectively) :)

Awesome! Do not miss this show if it comes your way, you never know if it will happen again.

Rainy Day Women and Spirit on the water both make appearances in Boise...Hard Rain still in set

First Bob breaks out his old Bieber cap, now Rainy Day makes an appearance. He's getting all frisky.

Billy the Kid called him Alias...perfect 

Lukas joining Bob. Given their history I'm surprised it took this long to get him up there with him

Bob was sounding good last night, but aside from Rainy Day Women, Ballad of a Thin Man, and Six Days on the Road, all the tunes were played with Bob's unconventional phrasing.  Even Stella Blue.  Have no idea how his band follows the guy, let alone someone sitting in.

"Unconventional Phrasing".  That's one way to put it...

That's what you're gonna get if you go see Dylan!

I think the band just plays the music straight and leaves it to Bob to fuck up his own songs.

So Bob has dropped out of the final gig of the outlaw tour on 9/20, his last performance will be in Buffalo. Rumor is Greg Leisz(shadow kingdom) will be the new multi instrumentalist on fall tour

The tour resumed last night in Wisconsin, and Dylan opened his set with the first Silvio in 20 years....

(song co-written with Robert Hunter).

   Many Dylan tour heads grew to dislike this song, I still like it and glad he threw another curve ball to

start the shows.

   Tonight is Tinley Park.....

 

Silvio but still no Duquesne Whistle.

PSl. Zentricksters always slay Silvio. 

Dylan killed Silvio at The Gorge in 88... roaring show overall!

It Ain't Me, Babe last night.

Always loved the '84 version via Real Live - https://youtu.be/L64DeX03F_M?si=X78H9g36ifF0NjPc

 

So mellencamp plays watchtower tonight for the first time in years so Doesn't Bob walk out and open with it. Hilarious 

This will be my 4th Outlaw show this summer and if he doesn’t show up at Farm Aid Saturday(unlikely) will probably be my last Bob show of the year. Being his last Outlaw appearance and possibly his last with this lineup as it stands, I’m hoping for some plot twists. In an interesting personal side note, both of my siblings will be at this show marking what we believe is the first time all 3 of us have attended the same show since childhood. Despite all being avid concert goers for decades, this will be a rare alignment of stars for us as a family.

I hope you have a great show Fish.....really cool to have the family there.

I'm pretty bummed that im not there, but i couldn't make it happen. Last time i was at that venue, it was just a stage and a field....

It would be cool if he started his set with Truckin', but i suspect it will be the same set as the last couple shows. Who knows?

It seems like he always delivers a strong one for the last of a tour, and tonight should be no exception.

Saw Bob in '98 in Maui on 9-17....now that was a fun one!

Enjoy!!

Thanks! Lukas played at the end of last leg and probably last chance for a Willie sit in, probably ever...either way, it's been more fun than I expected 

Desolation to start.....yet another new old opener.....Awesome

Whoops, not the opener, 12th song of the set!

Another tour in the books.

Keep on Truckin Bob

 

What a wild night... keltner pushed Bob right to the precipice tonight, to the point where he just stopped playing during RDW and just stood with hands on his hips beside the piano. Returning to the song shaking his head he began hammering out the tempo he wanted. on piano. A lot of backwards glances and even some between song pacing. Hilariously, he started clapping about mid song Desolation Row for keltners sake and when that didn't work, he resorted to tapping the harp loudly against the mike. Was an incredible moment as the crowd thought he was trying to engage them so began clapping along.total Bob moment.... thickest Thin Man I've ever heard. Snarling and edgy. Lovely Hard Rain and Red Sky tonight but most of tonight's magic was in the angst, great night 

My recording of the final night is up on ER if anyone wants to listen... or drop me a line I'll send it along 

> he resorted to tapping the harp loudly against the mike

Apparently, it was a wrench. Hard to tell if it was the left-handed monkey variety though.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bobdylan/comments/1fjqgmn/bob_dylan_insults_his...

Yes it was hard to tell at the time but yes it was a wrench 

Listening to this summer compilation now, a couple of my recordings made the cut  

IMG_8228.jpeg
 

So that's it then - the Outlaw Tour has ended, and Bob is speeding Europe-bound as the deafening chatter of the idiot crowds are still ringing in our ears. 

I'm probably being a bit harsh there - I mean, I was human once so I know what it's like - but come on, this has probably been the most prolonged stretch of pain in arseness from a listening to Bob live perspective for decades. 26 individual shows full to the brim with indifference that goes up to 11. It's made my job about a thousand fold harder, I can tell you that much. 

But hey ho, on the upside we got some good stuff, didn't we? Bob with tools! Lots of photos and videos! A new drummer that has driven some of you to the edge of madness and beyond! And best of all, quality chunes he hasn't done for years, mostly in new arrangements! Woohoo!

Here's 23 of the cats, herded for your consideration. All have been buffed as best I can, and audiences nuked accordingly where necessary. And worry not, no spanners/ wrenches (it's a spanner, of course, but I'm trying to be friendly here) were harmed in the course of this production. 

Bob Dylan
Let the Bird Sing - Best of Summer '24 - a Bennyboy production

All songs selected and remastered with artwork by Bennyboy, September 2024

Thanks as always to the tapers, without whom I'd have a life.

01. All Along the Watchtower (Buffalo 17th Sept)
02. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Cuyahoga Falls 12th Sept)
03. It Ain't Me, Babe (Tinley Park 7th Sept)
04. Mr. Blue (DeWayne Blackwell) (Bethel 6th July)
05. Love Sick (Mountain View 3rd Aug)
06. Early Roman Kings (with Luke Nelson) (George 10th Aug)
07. Desolation Row (Buffalo 17th Sept)
08. Cold, Cold Heart (Hank Williams) (Alpharetta 21st June)
09. Silvio (Dylan & Hunter) (Somerset 6th Sept)
10. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (Somerset 6th Sept)
11. Simple Twist of Fate (with Mickey Raphael on harp) (Bethel 6th July)
12. Under the Red Sky (Tinley Park 7th Sept)
13. Things Have Changed (Mountain View 3rd Aug)
14. Shooting Star (George 10th Aug)
15. Six Days on the Road (Dave Dudley) (Chula Vista 29th July)
16. Can't Wait (with Elvin Bishop) (Mountain View 3rd Aug)
17. Scarlet Town (Alpharetta 21st June)
18. Stella Blue (Hunter & Garcia) (Mountain View 3rd Aug)
19. Pay in Blood (Alpharetta 21st June)
20. Soon After Midnight (with Lukas Nelson) (George 10th Aug)
21. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (with Lukas Nelson) (George 10th Aug)
22. Ballad of a Thin Man (with Mickey Raphael on harp) (St. Louis 8th Sept)
23. Long and Wasted Years (Alpharetta 21st June)

Band Members
Bob Dylan - vocals, piano, harp, spanner/wrench
Bob Britt - guitar
Doug Lancio - guitar
Jim Keltner - drums
Tony Garnier - bass

The underrated MVP of this tour may have been Bob's liberal application of Grecian Formula. He's got the mop looking might fine.

Thanks for the review Fish. Glad you were there to witness it live. A right-hand monkey wrench, indeed..........

The old timer still filled with vim and vigor.

"Billy the Kid died at twenty-one, Jesus thirty-three, I've outlived both of 'em, but it's taken a toll on me.

I wonder sometimes about the will to succeed, if it's worth it to go on."

      Bob Dylan, 1974

    Fifty years on, I think we know the answer......

 

Has anyone found out way Bob canceled his appearance at the last Outlaw Fest show this Friday in NH??

I was gonna take the ride up but not now.

Glad I didn't buy tickets.

Speculation was so he can rehearse with Greg Leisz and possibly others before heading over seas for fall tour.  Of course the selfish side of me wants to believe so he can rehearse his Saturday guest appearance at Farm Aid but we all know Bob doesn't do anything twice 

Speculation was so he can rehearse with Greg Leisz and possibly others before heading over seas for fall tour. <<<

Europe tour starts on 10/4. I tend to doubt that the NH show would interfere with a rehearsal regiment. Given that is was canceled weeks ago, it gives off the impression that a personal engagement arose.

Or he just wants extra time in his welding studio, creating a series of tone-perfect wrenches.

 

 

Any theories on where the wrench came from? Left behind by the piano tuner?

Paper weight 

Dylan ChatGPT lyrics about wrenches. Not bad actually.

-------

"Wrenches in My Hand"

By Bob Dylan (Imagined)

Verse 1:
Well, I was born with a spanner in the palm of my hand,
Twistin' bolts and turnin' gears, ain't no great demand,
A wrench for the weary, a socket for the soul,
Fixin' all the pieces in a world that don't feel whole.

Chorus:
Oh, the wrenches, they keep on turnin',
In the darkness, fires burnin',
Tighten the screws in this broken land,
I'll keep walkin' with wrenches in my hand.

Verse 2:
Down by the river where the old cars rust,
I found a monkey wrench covered in dust,
I tightened up my life but the threads don't stay,
Seems the more I fix, the more it slips away.

Chorus:
Oh, the wrenches, they keep on turnin',
In the darkness, fires burnin',
Tighten the screws in this broken land,
I'll keep walkin' with wrenches in my hand.

Bridge:
Some folks are hammers, some folks are nails,
Some folks just drift like a ship that sails,
But me, I’m turnin’ sockets in the pouring rain,
Tryin’ to fix a world that’s feelin’ so insane.

Verse 3:
I met a man on the road, said, “Son, what's your trade?"
I showed him my wrench and he smiled and said, "You’re made."
But no tool’s gonna fix the cracks in your heart,
Even the strongest wrench won't keep love from fallin' apart.

Chorus:
Oh, the wrenches, they keep on turnin',
In the darkness, fires burnin',
Tighten the screws in this broken land,
I'll keep walkin' with wrenches in my hand.

Outro:
So I'll wander on down this dusty trail,
With a wrench in my pocket and dreams that fail,
But I'll keep on turnin’, I’ll do what I can,
Still walkin' this road with a wrench in my hand.

You thought Bob Dylan going electric was crazy? Here’s some shock and awe for the digital age: Our favorite iconoclastic weirdo, whose interview frequency is so rare it lends itself to its own type of subterranean blues, is now tweeting random musings and stories from his official account for the first time.

https://www.vulture.com/article/bob-dylan-tweets.html

Just in time for Fall Tour....

No Greg Leisz and Keltner still behind the kit...

 

and.... Dignity! 
 

 

Yes indeed.

Great bust out.

Fish, could you start a new thread for the Fall Tour?

This one's getting a little long.

Haha sure, not something that usually happens to one of my threads