Bob Dylan isn’t known for impromptu sets of late but at his show in Phoenix this week he threw together a totally unique setlist.
Dylan played at the Outlaw Music Festival in Phoenix and the fans were treated to something completely different from Dylan’s usual set setlist.
For starters there were covers of songs he had never played before like The Pogues ‘A Rainy Night In Soho’, Charlie Rich’s ‘I’ll Make It All Up To You’ and George ‘Wild Child’ Butler’s ‘Axe and the Wind’. The old Bobby Troup ‘Route 66’ was also played for the first time since 1986.
Bob played ‘To Ramona’ from ‘Another Side of Bob Dylan’ for the first time since 2017, ‘Forgetful Heart’ from ‘Together Through Life’ was performed for the first time in a decade and ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ was back in a Dylan setlist for the first time since 2010.
Dylan setlist Phoenix, 13 May 2025
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight (from John Wesley Harding, 1967)
It Ain’t Me, Babe (from Another Side of Bob Dylan, 1964)
Forgetful Heart (from Together Through Life, 2009)
Axe and the Wind (George “Wild Child” Butler cover)
To Ramona (from Another Side of Bob Dylan, 1964)
Route 66 (Bobby Troup cover)
All Along the Watchtower (from John Wesley Harding, 1967)
I’ll Make It All Up To You (Charlie Rich cover)
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (from Highway 61 Revisited, 1965)
Mr. Tambourine Man (from Bringing It All Back Home, 1965)
Under the Red Sky (from Under a Red Sky, 1990)
Scarlet Town (from Tempest, 2012)
A Rainy Night in Soho (The Pogues cover)
This has happened as word leaks (via Sean Penn) that Dylan has a ‘Chronicles Volume 2’ book on the way. Volume One was published in 2004. The book focused on three eras of Dylan’s career, 1961, 1970 and 1989.
Dylan was said to have started work on Volume 2 in 2008. He confirmed in 2012 that he was “working on it” and now, with thanks to actor Sean Penn who voiced the audiobook off Volume One, we hear Volume Two must be soon as he said in a podcast with Louis Theroux that he thinks he is about to do the second one”.
Amazon has a Coming Soon page for Volume Two but its released date is in 2030.
There is still no word on Australia being included in Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways worldwide tour. Bob Dylan last played in Australia in 2018. It was Dylan’s 11th Australia tour. Dylan also performed in Australia in August, 2014. He has also toured Australia in 2011, 2007, 2003, 2001, 1998, 1992, 1986, 1978 and 1966.
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