Bob Dylan Performs Robert Hunter Co-Write ‘Silvio’ For 1st Time In 20 Years

Jerry Garcia and members of the Grateful Dead weren’t legendary lyricist Robert Hunter‘s only famous collaborators. Hunter also co-wrote songs with Elvis Costello, Jim Lauderdale, Bruce Hornsby, Cesar Rosas and many others including Bob Dylan.

The Bob Dylan and Robert Hunter partnership initially yielded two songs featured on Dylan’s 1988 album Down In The Grove. One of them, “Silvio,” features backing vocals from Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Brent Mydland. Bob Dylan broke out “Silvio,” which was last played in 2004, on Friday at Wisconsin’s Somerset Amphitheater to start his set at Willie Nelson‘s traveling Outlaw Music Festival Tour.

The return of deep cut for the first time in over 20 years came just weeks after former president Barack Obama included “Silvio” on his 2024 summer songs playlist. Bob Dylan has been digging deep into his catalog for his Outlaw Festival run. On August 4, Dylan revived “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” for the first time in over seven years following actor Timothée Chalamet singing the song in the trailer for the forthcoming A Complete Unknown biopic.

Both bustouts may have been coincidental. Just as when Dylan went heavy on Grateful Dead last year, Bob’s motivations remain “A Complete Unknown.” While the original artist may have shelved “Silvio” since March 16, 2004, Bob Weir has kept the song in the spotlight with his various outfits including RatDog and Wolf Bros. Weir performed the song as recently as New Year’s Eve 2023. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead also added “Silvio” to their repertoire in 2016 and have played the Hunter/Dylan co-write 13 additional times through May 17, 2024.

Bob Dylan kicked off both his set in Wisconsin on Friday and his set at the Chicago area Outlaw Festival stop on Saturday with “Silvio.” Another surprise followed on Saturday as Dylan then dusted off “It Ain’t Me, Babe” for the first time in nearly five years. Friday’s set also featured “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” amid other songs he’s played frequently this summer.

Watch Bob Dylan perform “Silvio” and “It Ain’t Me Babe” near Chicago on Saturday below:

The Outlaw Music Festival Tour resumes on Wednesday, September 11 in Cincinnati. Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp, Southern Avenue and Charley Crockett will conclude the tour on September 20 in Gilford, New Hampshire.