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The 2025 incarnation of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan‘s Outlaw Music Festival Tour launched Tuesday evening at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix. And much like last summer, Dylan sent shockwaves through his fan community by shredding his standard Rough and Rowdy Ways set list, and breaking out surprise covers and originals he hadn’t touched in ages.
The set began in standard 2025 fashion with “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” and then it veered off course with “Forgetful Heart,” a Tempest tune he hadn’t touched since 2015. What followed was initially described as “unknown blues song” until fans frantically googled the lyrics and realized it was “Axe and the Wind” by relatively obscure blues singer George “Wild Child” Butler. There’s no record of Dylan playing the tune at any point in history.
Dylan returned to his song catalog for the first performance of “To Ramona” since 2017, and he followed it up with the Forties R&B classic “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” which has been covered over the years by everyone from Nat King Cole to Bing Crosby and the Rolling Stones. It’s the first time Dylan performed it live, and he was likely inspired by the close proximity of the original Route 66 to Phoenix.
Another surprise cover came just two songs later when he broke out Charlie Rich’s 1958 Sun Records classic “I’ll Make It All Up to You.” This was yet another live debut for Dylan, and the first time he’s performed a Rich song.
Dylan has completely ignored the vast majority of his hits in concert over the past few years, which made the reintroduction of “Mr. Tambourine Man” into the set after a 15-year absence even more stunning. This was a stripped-down version that emphasized the lyrics, and it was spellbinding.
The final shock of the night came at the very end when the band kicked into “A Rainy Night in Soho” by the Pogues. It’s the only time Dylan has played a Pogues song, and it was a beautiful tribute to the late Shane MacGowan.
The Outlaw Music Festival continues Friday night at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California. It’s impossible to know if Dylan will stick to this set or continue to play around with it. The opening date of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival featured a unique set that included Little Walter’s “My Babe” and Sanford Clark’s “The Fool.” They were both one-offs, and he settled into a predictable (albeit eccentric) set later that week.
What we do know is that Dylan will be on the road with Nelson and the rest of the Outlaw gang until Sept. 19. And on any given night, it’s possible that he’ll play basically anything.
Bob Dylan’s May 13 set list at the Outlaw Music Tour Festival in Phoenix:
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
It Ain’t Me, Babe
Forgetful Heart
Axe and the Wind
To Ramona
(Get Your Kicks On) 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
