Bob Dylan sparked a new chapter of his long-running “Rough and Rowdy Ways” world tour on Saturday night, delivering a series of radical surprises at the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, per ultimateclassicrock.com. While the tour has been strictly electric since its 2021 debut, Dylan pivoted to a fully acoustic set to launch his latest run of dates.
The shift in instrumentation forced a creative overhaul of his current repertoire. Several tracks from his 2020 album were debuted in stripped-back arrangements never heard before by the public. Furthermore, the legendary songwriter streamlined his set, reducing the focus on his latest material from nine tracks to just six, making room for long-lost gems.
The evening opened with a familiar choice, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” but the momentum shifted immediately with a haunting rendition of “The Man in the Long Black Coat”. It marked the first time the Oh Mercy track had appeared in a Dylan setlist since 2013. The set continued with a masterful acoustic take on “All Along the Watchtower” and the standout “I Contain Multitudes”.
Fans were also treated to rarities that had previously only appeared during his Outlaw Festival appearances last year, including “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” and a spirited cover of Bo Diddley’s “I Can Tell”. However, the true highlight for collectors was the live debut of Eddie Cochran’s “Nervous Breakdown”. Performed as the penultimate song of the night, it was the first time Dylan had ever tackled the rock ‘n’ roll classic on stage.
This latest leg of the tour is scheduled to run through to 1 May, concluding in Abilene, Texas, followed by several one-off summer performances. Despite Dylan’s strict ban on mobile phones during his shows, the performance has already cemented itself as a landmark moment in his late-career evolution.
•Featured image: Bob Dylan/Christopher Polk/Getty Images
