Key developments
Dayton review details stripped-down spring set
Eric Gilliland's April 12 review from the Schuster Center in Dayton says Bob Dylan played a roughly 90-minute show from behind the keyboard, wearing a hoodie and adding occasional harmonica solos. The set opened with "To Be Alone with You" and moved through "Man in the Long Black Coat" and "All Along the Watchtower" before the second half leaned heavily on Rough and Rowdy Ways songs, including "False Prophet," "Crossing the Rubicon," and "Goodbye Jimmy Reed." The review also notes covers of "I Can Tell" and "Nervous Breakdown," plus a zero-tolerance phone policy.
Why it matters
It captures the current live-tour format and the songs Dylan is centering night to night.
Sources & driving stories
BOB DYLAN: ALBUM BY ALBUM · Eric Gilliland
Bob Dylan: Album by Album coveragePadgett flags setlist changes for spring tour
In his April 14 post, Ray Padgett says he will catch the spring tour in a few days and file reports from Bowling Green, Chattanooga, and Jackson. The post revisits requested shows from Asheville 2004, Atlantic City 2005, Atlanta 2015, and West Lafayette 2025, then notes that Spring 2025 and Spring 2026 are already looking different. Padgett specifically points to "My Own Version of You" as a song that appeared last spring but not in the current run.
Why it matters
It suggests Dylan is still adjusting arrangements and setlist choices during the 2026 tour.
Sources & driving stories
FLAGGING DOWN THE DOUBLE E'S · Ray Padgett
Flagging Down the Double E's coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Koella says kidney failure cost gig
Padgett quotes former guitarist Freddy Koella saying sudden kidney failure between tours led to missed dates and Dylan keeping the replacement player.
WORTH NOTING
Asheville 2004 brought rare returns
The post says Dylan played "If Dog Run Free," "I Believe in You," "If Not For You," and "Unbelievable," with the last back for the first time in almost 10 years.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will spring tour setlists keep shifting?
Padgett's comparison of Spring 2025 and Spring 2026 suggests Dylan is still changing the live arrangement mix rather than settling into a fixed pattern.
OPEN QUESTION
Do the upcoming dates show the same template?
The Bowling Green, Chattanooga, and Jackson reports should show whether Dayton's stripped-down, keyboard-forward format is becoming the tour standard.