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Key developments
Dylan brings deep cuts to Berkeley set
Cult Following's Ewan Gleadow reported that Bob Dylan played a 16-song Summer 2026 tour set at the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California. The set included the first tour performance of “Baby Won’t You Be My Baby,” drawn from Basement Tapes material, and what was described as the first tour appearance of “I Shall Be Released” in nearly 20 years.
Why it matters
The Berkeley stop suggests Dylan’s Summer 2026 tour is continuing to rely on unpredictable deep-catalog rotations rather than a fixed legacy set.
Sources & driving stories
CULT FOLLOWING · Ewan Gleadow
Cult Following coverageBerkeley arrangements show continued tour experimentation
The same Berkeley report noted multiple instrumental variations on familiar Dylan material. “When I Paint My Masterpiece” received the most prominent change, described as taking on a “Puttin’ on the Ritz”-style twist, while audience notes highlighted a harmonica solo and altered instrumentation on “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven.”
Why it matters
Arrangement changes are a key Dylan live-performance signal, showing that the tour is evolving not only through song selection but also through reinterpretation.
Sources & driving stories
CULT FOLLOWING · Ewan Gleadow
Cult Following coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Four covers featured in Berkeley
The reported set included “I Can Tell,” “Share Your Love With Me,” “I’ll Make It All Up to You,” and “Nervous Breakdown,” reinforcing the tour’s roots, blues, and rock-and-roll framing.
WORTH NOTING
The Times receives new review
altrockchick published a fresh critical reassessment of The Times They Are a-Changin’, emphasizing the album’s protest-era urgency and themes of civil rights, war, poverty, racism, and social change.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will the rarities stay in rotation?
The Berkeley additions could be one-night surprises or signs of a broader Summer 2026 setlist shift.
OPEN QUESTION
Are the arrangement changes expanding?
If the reported instrumental revisions continue across venues, they may become the tour’s defining feature alongside the rare-song selections.