New York City is an important aspect of who Bob Dylan is. It was there he moved after dropping out of college at the ripe young age of 20, inspired by his idol, Woody Guthrie. It was there he broke into the folk music scene, performing in clubs in Greenwich Village and ultimately meeting John Hammond, who would sign him to Columbia Records and kickstart his career. It was there he posed for his famous The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album cover, at the corner of Jones Street and West 4th Street in the West Village. It was there he wrote many a song in the Chelsea Hotel, a popular hangout spot for the likes of Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg. It was there Robert Zimmerman was reborn as Bob Dylan.

And it's there that people continuously flock from all over the world, decade after decade, in hopes to see the fabled singer-songwriter perform his storied collection of poems on the Beacon Theatre stage. His first show at the Beacon was in 1989, and saw the live debuts of "What Good Am I?," "Everything Is Broken" and "Most of the Time." Three of the songs he played that night are still on his Never Ending Tour setlists 30 years later.

Eight days into Dylan's 2019 Beacon Theatre residency, and one thing's for sure: things haven't changed too much after all. That's right, he's been playing the same setlist he's played every night for the past few months – erm, years – kicking off with "Things Have Changed," "It Ain't Me, Babe" and "Highway 61 Revisited" before transitioning into his newer material like "Pay in Blood," "Make You Feel My Love" and "Tryin' to Get to Heaven."

But much like Dylan himself, the songs undergo a constant transfiguration – no two live versions are ever quite the same. They're radically altered from their original form, and, at times, unrecognizable. But that's all a part of the Dylan mystique.

Other highlights include new tour additions "Lenny Bruce" and "Not Dark Yet." These songs made their tour debut October 11 in Irvine, California, replacing "Love Sick" and "Like a Rolling Stone" this time around. Dylan's setlists also contain a surprising amount of hits, namely Blood On The Tracks favorite "Simple Twist of Fate" and The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country."

Each night, he makes sure to leave his audience with a taste of the golden years, performing a two-song encore of "Ballad of a Thin Man" and "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." Then – without uttering a word – he disappears into the void, leaving us simultaneously satisfied and dissatisfied, blown away and at the same time, wanting more.

He's made it very clear that he doesn't want any videos taken of his performances, so (sadly) I will respect his wishes and not post any. But if you want to see some of the rule-breakers, I won't stop you from clicking the link!

Check out last night's setlist from his Beacon Theatre residency (you can see them ALL here):

Joined by multi-instrumentalist Donnie Herron on the mandolin, violin and banjo, longtime member Charlie Sexton and newcomer Bob Britt jamming on guitars, the legendary Tony Garnier on bass and Pearl Jam's Matt Chamberlain on drums, Dylan is backed by a pretty talented squad. He himself even switches things up from the piano to the guitar throughout his sets, always making time for a harmonica solo or five. Still, the group is trying to fine-tune their sound, not quite as daring as the bands of Bob Dylan's past.

But don't get me wrong, the result is extraordinary. I attended my first Dylan show just last week (shameless plug – read my review!) and it was easily one of the best, if not THE best, musical experiences in my 22 years of life.

Dylan's ten-day Beacon Theatre residency began November 23, and is scheduled to conclude December 6. He has one more North American show scheduled for 2019 before heading to Japan for a string of dates in April. Check out his remaining Beacon Theatre dates below, and head to his website for more information and a full list of tour dates.

And remember ... if you're lucky enough to attend one of Bob Dylan's remaining Beacon Theatre shows, make sure to fill in the setlists. Who knows, maybe he'll throw in a surprise song or two as it wraps up!

Bob Dylan's 2019 Beacon Theatre Residency:

12/03 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

12/05 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre

12/06 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre