Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Dylan Revives Masters Of War
Coverage from Flagging Down The Double E's, Relix, and others
Articles
24
Latest Article
03/16
Active Days
7046
Executive Summary
Dylan reopened Masters of War live in Darien Lake, pairing a rare revival with a fuller band sound and a new studio recording session
- Dylan played Masters of War for the first time since 2016 and opened the show with it for the first time ever
- The Darien Lake set featured a heavier bottom end with Anton Fig on drums and prominent bass
- Bob Britt was pushed more to the front, trading solos and adding sharp counterpoint lines
- The performance included Forgetful Heart, I Can Tell, All Along the Watchtower, Desolation Row, and Positively 4th Street
- Doug Lancio added acoustic moments while the arrangements left more space than usual
- The encore was Dont Think Twice, Its All Right, ending the show with understated tenderness
- Between tour stops, Dylan and band members booked two days of recording at White Lake Studios in Colonie, New York
Quick Facts
- What: Revived Masters of War and recorded in studio
- Where: Darien Lake near Buffalo and White Lake Studios
- Why: The song fit the moment and marked new studio work
- Who: Bob Dylan and his touring band
- When: During the Outlaw Music Festival tour in recent days
Coverage Timeline: 7046 Days
Featured Article
Greil Marcus analyzes Masters of War, a 1963 Dylan protest song, tracing its reception and revivals in the United States from 1963 through 2004.
Additional Articles
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Dylan opened last night's Darien Lake show with Masters of War in Darien Lake, New York.
Bob Dylan performed in Buffalo for the Outlaw Music Festival and scheduled two days of recording at White Lake Studios in Colonie, New York.
Bruce Eaton reports that Bob Dylan opened a recent Darien Lake performance with "Masters of War", his first performance of that song since 2016, featuring a heavier band sound.
In this Untold Dylan article, the author analyzes Bob Dylan’s live versions of Masters of War from 1978 to 2000 using recordings linked from Never Ending Tour coverage.
In this bob-dylan.org.uk blog post, the site reviews Bob Dylan's Masters of War, its English folk roots, and notable cover versions.
An article examines Bob Dylan's Masters of War and With God on Our Side as post-1962 Cuban Missile Crisis protest songs using biblical moral language.
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Bob Dylan performed Masters of War at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on August 8, in Darien Center, New York.
In this Untold Dylan article, the author examines Bob Dylan's early-1960s songwriting, focusing on Masters of War and its traditional Nottamun Town melody.
On Folkworks, a contributor examines Clinton Heylin's book The Double Life of Bob Dylan and criticizes its limited treatment of Dylan's creativity.
On 2025-08-08, Bob Dylan performed Masters Of War for the first time in almost a decade at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, New York.
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Bob Dylan performed a landmark 1994 touring year across Japan, the USA, and Europe, including Nara, Woodstock, and MTV Unplugged performances.
On 2025-08-11, Cult Following reports Bob Dylan opened the Syracuse Outlaw Music Festival with Masters of War on July 10, 2025, in Syracuse, New York.
Bob Dylan opened his Outlaw Music Festival set with Masters of War on 2025-08-09 in Darien Center, New York, marking the song's first appearance in nine years.
Masters of War appeared in Broadside in 1963 with Susie Rotolo on the cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
On August 8, 2023 Bob Dylan performed 'Masters of War' at Desert Trip Festival, then opened shows in Hershey and Syracuse, reviving the protest song live.
Dylan uses a melody from Jean Ritchie's Nottamun Town for Masters of War, appearing on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
Dylan performed Masters of War at the Outlaw Music Festival on Aug 8–10, 2025, in Darien Center NY, Hershey PA, and Syracuse NY.
In 2025, Bob Dylan performed his 1963 protest song "Masters of War" at Outlaw Music Festival shows in Buffalo and Hershey.
Bob Dylan performed 'Masters of War' at Darien Lake in Corfu, New York, marking the song's first live appearance in nearly nine years and drawing notable fan reaction.
Bob Dylan released Masters of War in 1963 on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan as a stark anti-war protest song.
Grandson released a sparse cover of Dylan's Masters of War recently online via social media and music blogs.
Bob Dylan performed "Masters of War" on opening his set at Darian Lake Performing Arts Center in Corfu, New York in 2025, its first appearance in nine years.
Bob Dylan performed 'Masters of War' on consecutive nights at Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival stops in Buffalo and Hershey in 2025.