Songs Bob Dylan Will Play On His 2018 North American Tour

If it feels like Bob Dylan never stops touring, it's because he doesn't.

He is still on his aptly named Never Ending Tour, which kicked off on June 7, 1988. As of November 25, 2017, Dylan and his band had played 2,903 shows in a seemingly never ending run. This tour alone proves Dylan's dedication to the craft; he's played thousands of shows while aging 30 years in the process, and it doesn't look like he's ready to stop any time soon.

Dylan has credited the versatility of his live shows to his band, with whom he recorded each of his 21st Century studio albums: Love and Theft (2001), Modern Times (2006), Together Through Life (2009), Christmas in the Heart (2009), Tempest (2012), Shadows in the Night (2015), Fallen Angels (2016) and Triplicate (2017).

This leg of tour, which kicks off tomorrow (October 9) is in support of his newest upcoming release, More Blood, More Tracks, perhaps one of the most highly anticipated of his acclaimed Bootleg Series.

Check out the first release from the album, "If You See Her, Say Hello (Take 1)."

Bob Dylan "If You See Her, Say Hello (Take 1)"

The Bootleg series began back in 1991 and has now reached its 14th volume. More Blood, More Tracks will be a six-disc collection of alternate versions of all 10 songs from 1975's Blood on the Tracks. If you're a die-hard Bob Dylan fan like me, you're salivating at the thought of this album. The Bootleg series gives fans an inside scoop on the artful and masterful songwriting and recording process Dylan's gone through to create some of our favorite tunes with rare, unreleased and unofficial cuts of songs we know and love. You can sense his mission and passion on these tapes but still it feels wrong, like biting into forbidden fruit.

You don't often get to hear your favorite artists' rough cuts and original versions of songs, so this series is truly a gift.

Always one to do exactly the opposite of what you expect him to, Dylan keeps fans on their toes with his eccentric and non-conformist ways. He's constantly altering the phrasing of his lyrics and evolving as an artist– it's what keeps his live shows breathing.

Having written more than an estimated 700 songs throughout his career, Dylan has a lot to work with when crafting a setlist. The master poet surprised fans on the European leg of tour with new versions of songs and revisited tracks that he hadn't played in decades. Here's a little bit of what you can expect this fall:

Songs you'll hear from Blood on the Tracks:

  • “Simple Twist of Fate”
  • "Tangled Up in Blue"

Songs you'll hear from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan:

  • "Blowin' in the Wind"
  • "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

Songs you'll hear from Highway 61 Revisited:

  • "Highway 61 Revisited"
  • "Ballad of a Thin Man"
  • "Desolation Row"
  • "Like a Rolling Stone"
  • "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"

Aside from these albums, he's also been playing a lot of Time Out of Mind, Tempest, Blonde on Blonde and a collection of greatest hits. According to our setlist data, his average setlist includes “Things Have Changed,” “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” “Duquesne Whistle,” “Melancholy Mood,” “Early Roman Kings,” “Thunder on the Mountain” and more.

Songs you might hear:

  • “Autumn Leaves,” a Yves Montand cover
  • “Visions of Johanna” (1966’s Blonde on Blonde)
  • “The September of My Years,” a Frank Sinatra cover
  • “All Along the Watchtower” (1967’s John Wesley Harding)
  • “Spirit on the Water” (2006’s Modern Times)

Songs you probably won't hear:

  • “Idiot Wind” (Blood on the Tracks)
  • “Bob Dylan’s Dream” (Freewheelin’)
  • “Oh, Sister” (1976’s Desire)
  • “Bye and Bye” (Love and Theft)
  • “Going, Going, Gone” (1974’s Planet Waves)

At a performance at Phoenix's Comerica Theatre on October 4th, Dylan played a few new renditions of songs. "It Ain't Me, Babe" was practically jazz, "Simple Twist of Fate" became slower and lamenting with a soulful harmonica solo in the mix and "Like a Rolling Stone" was more of a slow crawl to an explosive chorus.

Here's the setlist from the show:

Bob Dylan setlist (Phoenix, AZ)

Dylan's career, which has extended over the course of roughly 60 years, is an illustrious one. When Bruce Springsteen inducted Dylan into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he said,

"Bob freed your mind the way Elvis freed your body. He showed us that just because music was innately physical did not mean that it was anti-intellectual."

Dylan is one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, both musically and culturally. His incorporation of political, social, philosophical and literary works in his songwriting keep him a head above the crowd, even today.

I had grown up listening to my parents' Bob Dylan CDs: Desire gave me a quick glimpse at the weird and abstract from the '60s. Freewheelin' served as an introduction to other great artists like Van Morrison, but after revisiting it as I got older, Blood on the Tracks quite literally changed my life. It's become a reassurance that when words seem lost, they can be found again.

Bob Dylan 2018 North American Tour dates:

10/09 – Midland, TX @ Noël Performing Arts Center
10/10 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
10/12 – Tulsa, OK @ River Spirit Casino Resort
10/13 – Thackerville, OK @ WinStar World Casino and Resort
10/14 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
10/16 – Lafayette, LA @ Heymann Center
10/17 – Mobile, AL @ Mobile Saenger Theatre
10/19 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
10/20 – Clearwater, Florida @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
10/21 – Sarasota, FL @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
10/23 – Fort Myers, FL @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
10/24 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
10/26 – Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater
10/27 – Macon, GA @ City Auditorium
10/28 – Chattanooga, TN @ Tivoli Theatre
10/30 – Huntsville, AL @ Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
10/31 – Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
11/02 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
11/03 – Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
11/04 – North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Performing Arts Center
11/06 – Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer Theatre
11/07 – Augusta, GA @ The Bell Auditorium
11/09 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
11/10 – Roanoke, VA @ Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
11/11 – Richmond, KY @ EKU Center for the Arts
11/13 – Youngstown, OH @ Covelli Centre
11/14 – Rochester, NY @ Auditorium Theater
11/15 – Utica, NY @ Stanley Center for the Arts
11/17 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Hotel
11/18 – Springfield, MA @ Symphony Hall
11/20 – Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theatre
11/23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30 and 12/01 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
12/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met

Tickets and tour info can be found on Bob Dylan's website.

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