Bob Dylan Offers Break Outs Galore & Debuts Pogues Cover At 1st 2025 Outlaw Festival Stop
Watch Dylan perform “A Rainy Night In Soho,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “To Ramona” and more in Phoenix.
By Scott Bernstein May 14, 2025 • 7:16 am PDT
Willie Nelson's 10th Anniversary Outlaw Music Festival began on Tuesday in Phoenix, where Bob Dylan loaded his setlist with one surprise after another. Dylan dusted off long-lost songs, premiered three covers and reworked a classic at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre.
This run marks Bob Dylan’s second consecutive year co-headlining the traveling festival. Lily Meola, Sierra Hull and Billy Strings each performed in Phoenix before Dylan set the stage for Willie Nelson to close the concert.
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Bob Dylan established a precedent in 2024 by shaking up his setlist for the Outlaw Festival in comparison to his shows since 2021, which found him focusing on material from his 2020 album, Rough And Rowdy Ways. The legendary musician returned to typical Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour fare upon resuming the trek last fall and earlier this spring.
After opening with staples “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “It Ain’t Me, Babe” in Phoenix, Dylan dusted off “Forgetful Heart” for the first time since July 11, 2015. The song from Bob’s 2009 LP, Together Through Life, was co-written with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Next came a debut cover of George “Wild Child” Butler’s blues number “Axe And The Wind.”
The setlist surprises continued with the return of “To Ramona.” Originally released on 1964’s Another Side Of Bob Dylan, the beloved favorite was last played in 2017. Dylan dug even deeper into his repertoire with the ensuing cover of Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66,” which had been shelved by Bob since 1986 according to Setlist.FM. He then led his band through a fresh arrangement of “All Along The Watchtower.”
Another cover debut, Charlie Rich’s “I’ll Make It All Up To You,” followed. Dylan then performed fan-favorite “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” for the first time since November 3, 2021. Next, Bob busted out the beloved “Mr. Tambourine Man” after a 15-year absence from his concerts. From there, the 83-year-old icon delivered the 2025 debuts of “Under The Red Sky” and “Scarlet Town” before unveiling his take on The Pogues’ “A Rainy Night In Soho” to close his set.
Watch more fan-shot video clips from Bob Dylan’s set in Phoenix below:
The Outlaw Music Festival resumes on Thursday, May 15 in Chula Vista, California. Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, Sierra Hull and Lily Meola are slated to perform.
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Setlist
- I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
- It Ain't Me, Babe
- Forgetful Heart
- Axe and the Wind
- To Ramona
- Route 66
- All Along the Watchtower
- I'll Make It All Up To You
- It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- Under the Red Sky
- Scarlet Town
- A Rainy Night in Soho