Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour (referred to by some journalists as part of the ongoing

Never Ending Tour The Never Ending Tour is the popular name for Bob Dylan's ongoing touring schedule which began on June 7, 1988. The tour amassed a huge fan base with some fans traveling from around the world to attend as many Dylan shows as possible. Dylan him ...

) is a concert tour by American singer-songwriter

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

in support of his 39th studio album ''

Rough and Rowdy Ways ''Rough and Rowdy Ways'' is the thirty-ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 19, 2020, through Columbia Records. It is Dylan's first album of original songs since his 2012 album '' Tempest'', following three ...

'' (2020). The tour began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 2, 2021. It was originally billed as concluding in 2024 but was extended through the end of 2025.

Background

Dylan's 39th studio album was released in June 2020. The release was originally set to coincide with Dylan's 2020

with

Nathaniel Rateliff Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the ...

& the Night Sweats and

The Hot Club of Cowtown The Hot Club of Cowtown is an American Western swing trio that formed in 1997. History The band's name comes from two sources: "Hot Club" from the hot jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli's Quintette du Hot Club de ...

. The 'Never Ending Tour 2020' was then postponed and later cancelled entirely due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. '' Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan'', a live-streamed concert film, was later released in July 2021 in lieu of any live performances. ''Shadow Kingdom'' showcases Dylan in an intimate setting as he performs songs from his extensive body of work, created especially for this event. It marked his first concert performance since December 2019, and first performance since his universally acclaimed album ''

''. The earliest composition in the set list was "

It's All Over Now, Baby Blue "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his '' Bringing It All Back Home'' album, released on March 22, 1965, by Columbia Records. The song was recorded on January 15, 1965, with Dylan's acous ...

" from the 1965 album ''

Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in April1965 by Columbia Records. In a major transition from his earlier sound, it was Dylan's first album to incorporate electric inst ...

'' and the most recent composition was " What Was It You Wanted" from 1989's ''

Oh Mercy ''Oh Mercy'' is the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 12, 1989, by Columbia Records. Produced by Daniel Lanois, it was hailed by critics as a triumph for Dylan, after a string of poorly rev ...

''. The Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour (2021–2024) was announced in September 2021. The shows were announced as the first leg of a world tour in support of Dylan's album ''Rough And Rowdy Ways'', set to run until 2024. It was the first time he had played to a live audience since December 2019, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forcing Dylan to pause his decades-long 'Never Ending Tour'. In

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

on November 2, 2021, the first show of the first leg of the tour, Dylan introduced two new members of his touring band: drummer

Charley Drayton Charley Drayton is an American multi-instrumentalist and producer, known primarily as a drummer. Artists he has recorded or performed with include The Cult, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancoc ...

, replacing

Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session drummer, record producer and songwriter. He has played with various artists, including Pearl Jam, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey, The Wallflow ...

, and guitarist

Doug Lancio Doug Lancio is an American guitarist and record producer, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has worked with a wide range of artists including John Hiatt, Nanci Griffith, Patty Griffin and Bob Dylan. Biography Questionnaires Lancio was a member of ...

, replacing

Charlie Sexton Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded Arc A ...

. Dylan played eight of the 10 songs from ''Rough and Rowdy Ways'' at every show on this leg of the tour, which was acclaimed by critics, some of whom noted that it was rare for a "legacy artist" to focus so extensively on recent material in live performance. On January 24, 2022 a further twenty-seven concerts were announced taking place in the Southern United States, beginning in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

in early March and ending in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

in mid-April. On April 18, 2022, Dylan announced, via his website, the third consecutive U.S. leg of the tour, this time covering the Western United States and running from May 28 to July 6. On July 13, 2022 Dylan announced the fall leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, encompassing the first dates outside of the United States. This European leg kicked off in Oslo, Norway on September 25 and ended in Dublin, Ireland on November 7. On February 8, 2023 Dylan announced the first Asian dates of the tour. These first 2023 concerts took place in Japan, beginning on April 6 and concluding on April 20, and comprised multiple shows in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

and

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

. Starting with the first show of the leg, drummer Jerry Pentecost replaced Charley Drayton. On March 10, 2023 Dylan announced European tour dates in June and July. This leg of the tour began in Porto, Portugal on June 2 and ended in Rome, Italy on July 9. On August 21, 2023 Dylan announced North American fall dates for the tour. The first date for this leg was October 1 in Kansas City, MO and the last date was in Evansville, IN on December 3. On January 22, 2024 Dylan announced the spring leg of the tour, encompassing dates in the American South. The first date for this leg was March 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the last date was April 6 in Austin, Texas. On February 27, 2024 it was confirmed that Dylan would appear at

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

's Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which did not use Rough and Rowdy Ways branding in its advertising and saw Dylan drop all of the Rough and Rowdy Ways songs from his setlists. On July 15, however, Dylan announced that he would be bringing "the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour to Europe and the UK this fall". This leg of the tour began in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

on October 4 and ended at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, on November 14. On January 21, 2025, Dylan announced dates for a new U.S. spring tour that was billed as a continuation of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour. This leg of the tour commenced in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

on March 25, and ended in

Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...

on April 22. As in 2024, Dylan dropped the Rough and Rowdy Ways songs from his setlists when playing on Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music Festival Tour during the summer. On July 10, however, Dylan announced a new fall European leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour beginning in Helsinki, Finland on October 16 and concluding in Dublin, Ireland on November 25.

Set list

This set list is representative of the performance on November 20, 2021 in New York City, New York. It does not represent the set list at all concerts for the duration of the tour. #"

Watching the River Flow "Watching the River Flow" is a song by American singer Bob Dylan. Produced by Leon Russell, it was written and recorded during a session in March 1971 at the Blue Rock Studio in New York City. The collaboration with Russell formed in part thr ...

" #"

Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine", or "Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)", is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released as the first track on side three of his seventh studio album ''Blonde on ...

" #" I Contain Multitudes" #"

False Prophet In religion, a false prophet or pseudoprophet is a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration, or to speak for God, or who makes such claims for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some peop ...

" #"

When I Paint My Masterpiece "When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a 1971 song by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, which recorded it on its album '' Cahoots'', released on September 15, 1971. Background Dylan first recorded the song at New York's Blue Rock Studi ...

" #" Black Rider" #"

I'll Be Your Baby Tonight "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is a 1967 song by Bob Dylan first released on ''John Wesley Harding''. It features Pete Drake on pedal steel guitar, and two other Nashville musicians, Charlie McCoy on bass guitar and Kenneth Buttrey on drums, both o ...

" #" My Own Version of You" #" Early Roman Kings" #" To Be Alone with You" #"

Key West (Philosopher Pirate) "Key West (Philosopher Pirate)" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the ninth track on his thirty-ninth studio album, ''Rough and Rowdy Ways'' (2020). The tracks for the album were written by ...

" #"

Gotta Serve Somebody "Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the opening track on his 1979 studio album '' Slow Train Coming''. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in ...

" #"

I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the fourth track on his 2020 album ''Rough and Rowdy Ways''. The song is performed in 6/8 time and has a lilt ...

" #"Melancholy Mood" (

Walter Schumann Walter Schumann (October 8, 1913 – August 21, 1958) was an American composer for film, television, and the theater. His notable works include the score for '' The Night of the Hunter'' and the ''Dragnet'' Theme; the latter of which earned Sch ...

, Vick Knight) #"

Mother of Muses "Mother of Muses" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the seventh track on his 2020 album ''Rough and Rowdy Ways''. It is a spare and meditative acoustic folk song in which the first person ...

" #"

Goodbye Jimmy Reed "Goodbye Jimmy Reed" is an uptempo blues song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the sixth track on his 2020 album ''Rough and Rowdy Ways''. A tribute to blues giant Jimmy Reed, the song has been sin ...

" #" Every Grain of Sand"

List of songs performed

Tour dates

Cancelled shows

Notes

Band

– vocals, piano, guitar, harmonica *Bob Britt – guitar *

– drums (2021–2022) * Tony Garnier – bass guitar *Donnie Herron – accordion, violin, electric mandolin, pedal steel guitar and lap steel guitar (2021-2024) *

– guitar *Jerry Pentecost – drums (2023–2024) *

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...

- drums (2024) *

Anton Fig Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952) is a South African session drummer perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. David Letterman, for whom the band served as house band on his lat ...

- drums (2025)

Timeline

References

External links

BobLinks
nbsp;– Comprehensive log of concerts and set lists
BobDylan.com
nbsp;– Bob Dylan's Official Website Tour Page

nbsp;– Information on recording sessions and performances {{Bob Dylan Bob Dylan concert tours 2021 concert tours 2022 concert tours 2023 concert tours 2024 concert tours 2025 concert tours