Bob Dylan Break Outs In Boise: Idaho Outlaw Festival Set Features Unexpected Classics

On Wednesday, Bob Dylan continued to dig into his back catalog during his set at Willie Nelson‘s traveling Outlaw Music Festival tour show near Boise. Dylan performed “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” for the first time since 2016 to open in Nampa, Idaho and later in the night ended a gap of six years between plays of “Spirit On The Water.”

Bob Dylan has been using his Outlaw Festival stint to change up his setlist between legs of the Rough & Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 2021 – 2024. Dylan has yet to perform a song featured on the 2020 album that gave his tour its name after focusing heavily on material from the LP over the past three years. The two bust outs in Nampa followed the return of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” in Wheatland, California on Sunday, August 4.

“Rainy Day Women #12 & #35,” famously known for its chorus, “everybody must get stoned,” was released by Bob Dylan as the opening track on his 1966 album Blonde On Blonde. Bob only played the tune eight times between 2012 and 2016. The last performances before last night’s concert at Ford Amphitheater came during his appearances at the Desert Trip festival in Indio, California.

View fan-captured video of Bob Dylan performing “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35” near Boise below:

The second surprise of Dylan’s set came towards the tailend of his 15-song performance, when the Nobel Laureate dusted off Modern Times (2006) gem “Spirit On The Water.” Dylan hadn’t played the genre-defying song since March 28, 2018.

Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan were joined on the bill in Nampa, Idaho last night by John Mellencamp and Brittney Spencer. The same lineup takes the stage on Friday for the Outlaw Festival stop in Spokane, Washington before Billy Strings comes aboard at The Gorge on Saturday.