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Key developments
Lage’s Dylan role remains unresolved amid conflicting reports
JamBase’s Scott Bernstein and Relix reported that Julian Lage played guitar with Bob Dylan for several consecutive California shows, beginning with the full Santa Barbara concert on June 17 and continuing through San Diego on June 21, while Doug Lancio was absent. JamBase cited a Los Angeles Times quote from a Dylan spokesman saying there was no confirmation on whether Lage would be a permanent addition. Cult Following’s Ewan Gleadow separately characterized the San Diego date as the first show since June 18 without Lage, leaving the lineup status unresolved in same-day coverage.
Why it matters
The guitar chair is a live-band constant that affects Dylan’s current tour sound and raises questions about the next dates.
Sources & driving stories
JAMBASE · Scott Bernstein
JamBase coverageRELIX
Relix coverageCULT FOLLOWING · Ewan Gleadow
Cult Following coverageSan Diego setlist drops Eddie Cochran cover
Cult Following’s Ewan Gleadow reported that “Nervous Breakdown,” the Eddie Cochran cover last heard at the Santa Barbara Bowl on June 17, was absent from Dylan’s Rady Shell at Jacobs Park set in San Diego. The reported set included “To Be Alone With You,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “False Prophet,” “Black Rider,” “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” “Crossing the Rubicon” and “Every Grain of Sand.” SanDiegoVille reported the San Diego show was sold out with nearly 5,000 attendees, with John Doe Folk Trio and Lucinda Williams also on the bill.
Why it matters
The tour continues to evolve through small but closely tracked setlist changes rather than a fixed greatest-hits format.
Sources & driving stories
CULT FOLLOWING · Ewan Gleadow
Cult Following coverageSANDIEGOVILLE
SanDiegoVille coverageClive Davis dies with major Dylan-era ties
The Guardian and Los Angeles Times reported that Clive Davis died at age 94 after recent respiratory illness. Davis’s Columbia Records history intersects directly with Dylan: The Guardian noted that Davis renegotiated Dylan’s contract while serving as Columbia’s general counsel, and the Los Angeles Times recalled Davis blocking “Talkin’ John Birch Society Blues” from the planned 1963 version of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” over libel concerns. Davis later led Arista and J Records and remained a major music-industry figure for decades.
Why it matters
Davis’s death closes a chapter involving one of the executives who shaped Dylan’s early Columbia-era business and release history.
Sources & driving stories
THE GUARDIAN
The Guardian coverageLOS ANGELES TIMES
Los Angeles Times coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Acrisure review reports early exits
WDC NEWS 6’s Palm Desert review described mixed audience response, including some attendees leaving early, even as it praised Dylan’s stronger-than-expected vocals and the band’s tight interplay.
WORTH NOTING
Dylan painting provenance revisited
Fred Bals’s Medium piece traced Dylan’s 1968 Woodstock painting activity, including Sara Dylan’s role, Bruce Dorfman’s instruction, Chagall influences and uncertain provenance around several works.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Is Lage temporary or permanent?
Multiple tour reports focus on his unexplained appearance in Dylan’s band, while the only cited spokesman comment says no permanent role has been confirmed.
OPEN QUESTION
Will the deep-cut tour template hold?
Recent setlists and reviews show Dylan emphasizing newer material, revived rarities and selective classics despite uneven audience reactions.