Bob Dylan performed a 16-song set on July 4 as the United States celebrated 250 years of independence. The veteran songwriter made no changes to the setlist that could mark the occasion, though some fans did believe Dylan would do so. Instead, the 85-year-old performed songs from Oh Mercy, Nashville Skyline, and his Greatest Hits Vol. II album.
The Kansas City tour date comes as fans are still making sense of Bob Britt and Doug Lancio’s departure from the tour. Britt confirmed he had quit the tour while Lancio has been absent since mid-June. Joel Paterson has been drafted in as a replacement, though Dylan is yet to add a second guitarist to his line-up.
A full setlist for his show at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City can be found below.
- To Be Alone With You
- Man in the Long Black Coat
- It Ain’t Me, Babe
- Tryin’ to Get to Heaven
- False Prophet
- I Can Tell (Bo Diddley cover)
- Black Rider
- Share Your Love With Me (Bobby Bland cover)
- When I Paint My Masterpiece
- I’ll Make It All Up to You (Jerry Lee Lewis cover)
- Crossing the Rubicon
- Soon After Midnight
- Under the Red Sky
- I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You
- Goodbye Jimmy Reed
- I Shall Be Released
Before the show, a fan outlined their hopes of hearing new material from Dylan. They wrote: “I am travelling to Philadelphia and will see Bob Dylan live for just the second time. Does anyone think he will switch up the setlist to commemorate the occasion [America 250]? I did see someone post on here a picture from the merch tent, in which The Times They Are A-Changin’ and Chimes of Freedom t-shirts were being sold. So I have some hope. It seems Philly and Boston would be great places to premiere those songs on tour since they were so important in the strive for independence.
“I first saw Bob Dylan live nearly 25 years ago in November 2001. I was less than 10 yards from the stage and was in awe. He played Mr Tambourine Man, Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, Tangled Up in Blue, Like a Rolling Stone, Blowin’ in the Wind, and All Along the Watchtower. I certainly do not expect that again, as it was such a landmark concert. I only wish there was a recording of it.
Fans were quick to remind the future attendee that Dylan rarely changed his setlist, and certainly not to commemorate dates. One wrote: “Absolutely not.” Another joked: “That seems like something he would never do. So he’s probably gonna do it.”
A third added: “If he does change up the set list, it will be for no reason other than that’s what he decided to do. Would love to hear him cover Grateful Dead’s US Blues, but he isn’t that kind of performer. More often than not, setlist changes are undone the following night. The bustouts were exciting at the beginning of this tour (You Ain’t Goin Nowhere, I Shall Be Released), but it’s been the same for about a month now.”
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