Bob Dylan Retools ‘Desolation Row’ For 1st Time Since 2018

Bob Dylan has sprinkled in subtle setlist changes throughout his time on this summer’s Outlaw Music Festival, continuing the trend at last night’s stop at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien, New York. Dylan broke out his lyrically dense original song “Desolation Row” for its first public performance since 2018.

Dylan’s set on Tuesday night began with another recently busted-out favorite, “All Along The Watchtower,” which was recently played for the first time since 2018 as well. Later in the set, the 83-year-old Nobel Laureate and his band performed another of the tour’s bust outs, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” which entered the rotation last month for the first time since 2017.

After rolling through a few more tunes, including a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Stella Blue,” Dylan revisited “Desolation Row” having last played it on August 26, 2018, in Auckland, New Zealand. According to Dylan’s official website’s setlist database, “Desolation Row” was first performed live on August 28, 1965. The song appeared that same year on Dylan’s album, Highway 61 Revisited and has been performed live over 580 times.

Curiously, Dylan banged on his microphone with a wrench while making his way through the lengthy “Desolation Row” lyrics. Watch/listen to Bob Dylan’s first performance of “Desolation Row” in six years below:

The Outlaw Music Festival wraps on Friday, September 20 at BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire. Follow JamBase’s Instagram account (@JamBase) for updates from the Outlaw Music Festival by Southern Avenue during their stint on the tour.