Watch Billy Strings Join Bob Dylan For ‘All Along The Watchtower’ In Spokane

Two generations of groundbreaking musicians united on Thursday, when Billy Strings sat-in with Bob Dylan on “All Along The Watchtower.” The surprise collaboration came during the Outlaw Music Festival stop at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Washington.

Bob Dylan’s 75-minute set was the penultimate performance of a concert headlined by Willie Nelson. Billy Strings took the stage with his band for a set before Dylan and after Lily Meola and Sierra Hull.

Spokane marked the sixth stop of Nelson’s 10th Anniversary Outlaw Music Festival. While Bob Dylan had been rolling out setlist surprises on the run, he had not brought up any special guests until last night.

Billy Strings emerged with an acoustic guitar in hand towards the middle of Bob Dylan’s set. Dylan has been performing a new arrangement of “All Along The Watchtower” this tour. Strings made his presence felt with multiple solos during the classic from Bob’s 1967 album, John Wesley Harding.

Bob Dylan was on piano throughout the set and traded licks with Billy to close “Watchtower” and then exclaimed, “Thank you, Billy!” Dylan’s band also features Tony Garnier on bass, Anton Fig on drums along with guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio.

Watch Billy Strings team up with Bob Dylan for “All Along The Watchtower” in Spokane via footage captured by videographer Max “Funk Captain Max” Berde below:

The rest of Dylan’s set was loaded with such favorites as “Gotta Serve Somebody,” “Simple Twist Of Fate,” “Desolation Row” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Additionally, Bob played recently debuted covers of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Share Your Love With Me,” Charlie Rich’s “I’ll Make It All Up To You” and George Butler’s “Axe And The Wind.”

Billy Strings also brought out guests during his set. Willie Nelson’s son Micah Nelson and longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael joined for a take on Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” Raphael stuck around to add to the Townes Van Zandt gem “White Freightliner Blues.”

The Outlaw Music Festival continues its run through Washington state this weekend with shows at Ridgefield’s Cascades Amphitheater on Saturday and at The Gorge in Quincy on Sunday.