bob dylan tour december 2022

• New Additions

Bob Dylan Adds 2022 Tour Dates: Ticket Presale & On-Sale Info

by Francesco Marano

Published april 18, 2022.

The "Never Ending Tour" continues!

Bob Dylan just finished one leg of tour dates in America and added another. In conjunction with his most recent studio album, 2020's Rough and Rowdy Ways , the 80-year-old legend has already performed 28 concerts so far in 2022 and just added 14 more shows for May and June at North American venues primarily along the West Coast and Northwest.

The upcoming tour includes multiple nights in Seattle, Oakland, and Los Angeles. According to the description on the announcement flyer, more dates will be added around the world continuing into 2023 and 2024. Check back here when that information becomes available.

Bob Dylan Tour Dates and Tickets Near You

Bob dylan all tour dates and tickets, when do bob dylan 2022 tour tickets go on sale and what is the presale code.

The general public on-sale begins as early as April 22. Presales for VIP packages and local venues / radio begin April 21. Keep in mind, that each date is different and details are subject to change. Click through the individual concert links for more information about the show you're interested in.

For the health and safety of all, please make sure to get fully vaccinated and follow your local guidance about health and safety precautions. The newer variants are more contagious than previous strains of COVID, and booster shots are now recommended for everyone who has been vaccinated for over five months.

We recommend following Bob Dylan on social media and signing up for his free newsletter (top of page), in addition to checking your local venue's social media and email subscription service, to get the most up-to-date information.

For concert tickets and more, check out the Bob Dylan Zumic artist page .

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Bob Dylan Adds 2022 Tour Dates

By Allison Hussey

Bob Dylan has announced a new string of tour dates, the latest leg in an expansive run that Dylan has said will extend through 2024. He’ll start in Phoenix, Arizona on March 3 and will end in mid-April in Oklahoma City. See the full schedule below.

Dylan’s return to the road, which began with a stint through parts of the United States last fall , follows 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways . The Bob Dylan Center , a museum and archive of his work, is set to open in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 10.

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03-03 Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Federal Theatre 03-04 Tucson, AZ - Tucson Music Hall 03-06 Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium 03-08 Lubbock, TX - Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts & Sciences 03-10 Irving, TX - Toyota Music Factory 03-11 Sugar Land, TX - Smart Financial Centre 03-13 San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre 03-14 San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre 03-16 Austin, TX - Bass Hall 03-18 Shreveport, LA - Municipal Auditorium 03-19 New Orleans, LA - Saenger Theatre 03-21 Montgomery, AL - Montgomery PAC 03-23 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium 03-24 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre 03-26 Savannah, GA - Johnny Mercer Theatre 03-27 North Charleston, SC - North Charleston PAC 03-30 Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium 04-01 Greensboro, NC - Steven Tanger Center 04-02 Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium 04-04 Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre 04-05 Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall 04-07 Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre 04-09 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre 04-11 Little Rock, AR - Robinson Center 04-13 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theatre 04-14 Oklahoma City, OK - Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre

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By Jazz Monroe

By Madison Bloom

By Matthew Strauss

Bob Dylan Lets New Material Dominate Dark But Playful SoCal Shows: Concert Review

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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A funny thing happened at Bob Dylan ‘s concert at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach: It got dark… really dark. But only on stage; out in the auditorium, the house lights stayed up, dimmed just a little, for the whole show. That was a first, for most of us, even with thousands of concerts under our belts. Was it an accommodation for latecomers, as seemed likely at first? (Nowadays, Dylan goes on right at 8:05, and if you’re running over from the merch line, you won’t be seated till the next set break.) No, they never did go down, and when some audience members who considered this a vibe-kill asked ushers what was up, they were told it was at the request of the artist.

Reports indicated the same thing had happened at the prior tour stop in San Diego. Did this have something to do with making sure no one was covertly filming the show, right after some footage had leaked out from a previous date, despite attendees being required to lock phones up in Yondr pouches at every date? Or did Dylan just decide that some of the recent material that dominates the show is so thematically dark that timid crowds could benefit from, you know, a night light? Not for the first time in a 60-year career, some decisions may remain impenetrable.

The irony — and you’d have to think it was an intentional one — was that the stage itself was dimmer than any other spot in the 3,000-seat Terrace. The way this “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour (which started on the east coast last fall) has been set up, Dylan starts the show completely in the shadows, playing electric guitar alongside his band for the only time all night, before he steps over and stands upright at a barely illuminated piano, where he’ll spend the remainder of the night. At center stage, guitarists Bob Britt and Doug Lancio get the most lighting, while Dylan gets about the same voltage as drummer Charley Drayton, bassist Tony Garnier and pedal steel player Donnie Herron, also off to the side. Every few song breaks, Dylan will step into what passes for a spotlight in the middle of the stage, striking a pose as he takes in the applause, daring you to decide whether he looks more like a lover or a fighter. And then it’s back to his position at the practically candlelit keys.

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Eventually, maybe, with the house lights up, there may be some kind of metaphor to embrace here: Bob Dylan can see us better than we can see him.

Heavy, right? Go ahead, take a moment to soak the profundity in.

Even if the wattage varies when Dylan comes to your town, the music itself could be described as impressionistic, with band arrangements that rarely draw attention to any one player at a time, and all of them improvising to the extent that 12-bar blues allow it, except for maybe standup bassist Garnier (the longest-standing member of Dylan’s touring unit, having put in 30-plus years), who more than anyone is the anchor of the whole thing. Of course the improviser-in-chief is Dylan, whose piano parts can can straddle the fine line between being a little oddball and deeply lovely, and who is not likely to sing the same line the same way twice in back to back shows, but who seems to reinvent his own language on a nightly basis out of craving exploration, not curing boredom, treating his voice like the fine jazz instrument it is.

Dylan is emphasizing a new album on tour for maybe the first time since his gospel era of 1979-80 (when, of course, for a period he played only new material, having fleetingly forsaken the secular). “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” released two years ago, makes up slightly more than 50% of the set, accounting for nine out of 17 selections. And by and large those picks haven’t changed from night to night, which is another difference from almost all previous Dylan touring, when the idea of a setlist set in stone would have seemed like anathema to the Deadhead-like fans following him from show to show. Anecdotal evidence picked up by talking to folks at the Terrace indicates that he still has a bunch of those nightly followers — and that, surprisingly, they don’t even seem let down that the rundown of songs is unvarying each night. They were overjoyed in the last couple of weeks when, for a few shows starting in San Francisco, Dylan replaced this tour’s usual show-closer, “Every Grain of Sand,” with a less heavenly cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil.” But by Long Beach, “Grain” had been restored, and the show was locked in again. No matter. If these repeat customers are guaranteed not to get a wild-card song selection most nights, they have the sense that every moment feels like a wild card.

“Rough and Rowdy Ways” itself is a deeply impressionistic — read: mysterious — album despite being jam-packed with more specific lyrical details than have ever been crammed into a single Dylan record in his career, it’s still a puzzle to figure out how (or if) they all fit together. So if you want to go beyond just enjoying the mere melodic playfulness of Dylan’s line readings, you can entertain yourself during the show by wondering if the different spin he puts on thing imparts any additional clues about where he’s coming from, given that the songs can even seem self-contradictory. When he’s performing something like “Crossing the Rubicon” live, does he mean to present himself as the seeker who sings something as gentle as “I feel the Holy Spirit inside / See the light that freedom gives”? Or the violent miscreant who moments earlier was threatening to “cut you up with a crooked knife”? (In Dylan’s multiverse, maybe even the Holy Spirit has a penchant for murder most foul.)

Of the eight oldies that fill out the current setlist, only “Gotta Serve Somebody” is a man-on-the-street-famous “hit,” although picks like “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece” are enough to send the patron with even a passing knowledge of catalog favorites home happy. It has been supposed by some writers covering earlier gigs on the tour that he has avoided galvanizing barn-burners like “Highway 61” because he doesn’t want them to overshadow the new material. If that’s true — and it probably is — it’s not necessarily paramount to dialing the energy on the oldies down so as to falsely elevate the mostly mellow newbies. It’s more that there’s a brilliant quality to the way this set has been designed for the songs to loosely be of a piece, a throughline that would be spoiled if “Subterranean Homesick Blues” suddenly popped in.

There, I said it: “Like a Rolling Stone” would have been an absolute buzz-kill in this show. Thank you, Bob, for denying it to us.

It’s almost comical to compare what Dylan is doing at 81 with what Paul McCartney has been doing in stadium shows just on the cusp of 80. One’s a people-pleaser, and the other is a walking Rorschach test, or hall of mirrors. But they’re putting on what may be the two most reliably great shows of 2022, despite flying or bussing in from opposite ends of the solar system. You don’t want McCartney to act his age, but to defy it. On the other hand, it’s fantastic that Dylan is putting on what absolutely amounts to a rock ‘n’ roll show where nonetheless you can believe how old he is, because the depth of his performance is heightened by our awareness of the years he’s logged, which add to the palpable mythos that’s already there in the music. The barely death-defying danger of “Crossing the Rubicon,” or the fountain-of-youth giddiness of “Coming Up” — listen, it’s OK to want both from our favorite octogenarians.

You’re wondering how well he’s singing these days? Well, about as wonderfully as he has in the 21st century, as long as you’re not expecting to hear his “Lay Lady Lay” or even “Slow Train” voice. It’s the voice of ravaged experience — but he sounds pretty , at times, too. (Credit, if you will, the three albums he devoted to covering Frank Sinatra-era standards, one of which, “Melancholy Mood,” shows up late in this setlist.) His voice spins on a time from gentle coddling to the suggestion of fury — and good humor, too. This is a tour where he may actually catch him laughing, as he did in Long Beach at the end of “Masterpiece,” as if he or the band had just told a good joke. There’s enough clarity in his singing these days that the Long Beach audience was there with audible responses to certain lines, like applause during “I Contain Multitudes” for the mention of “them British bad boys, the Rolling Stones.” (Even “The size of your cock will get you nowhere,” from the otherwise doom-laden “Black Rider,” got a murmuring chuckle.)

The most recent material was mostly rendered somewhat faithfully to the “Rough and Rowdy” album versions — with the exception of “Key West,” which from all accounts has gotten a few different arrangements on the tour, and which was getting yet another completely different one Monday, faithful fans reported. Of the old stuff… yeah, it’s not going to sound like the record, but you knew that. In true “Never Ending Tour” fashion, “Gotta Serve Somebody” didn’t get a big round of applause till the chorus kicked in, so unfamiliar did it sound, with the first verse rendered practically a cappella as the two guitarists added a few stingers for good set-up measure. (Lyric changes were to be had there, not all of them easy to make out.) “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” had what amounted to a new — and satisfying! — melody and rhythm, even before its fast pace slowed to a crawl for a half-time finale. “Every Grain of Sand” didn’t depart greatly from its waltz tempo in closing the show, but Dylan added a new piano riff as counterpoint midway through.

The big takeaway from this show, and likely every one on the tour: At 81, Dylan is acting his somber age, and yet, in his fashion, deep at play in the fields of the Lord. As far as these gigs are concerned, even with the near-blackout on stage allowing Dylan to let the mystery be, it’s not dark yet. It’s not even getting there.

Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour” setlist:

1. Watching The River Flow 2. Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll Go Mine) 3. I Contain Multitudes 4. False Prophet 5. When I Paint My Masterpiece 6. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight 7. Black Rider 8. My Own Version of You 9. Crossing The Rubicon 10. To Be Alone With You 11. Key West (Philosopher Pirate) 12. Gotta Serve Somebody 13. I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You 14. Melancholy Mood 15. Mother of Muses 16. Goodbye Jimmy Reed 17. Every Grain of Sand

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• Tour announcements

Bob Dylan Announces New West Coast 2022 Tour Dates

by Jacob Uitti April 18, 2022, 12:11 pm

Bob Dylan has announced new West Coast 2022 tour dates—14 more shows, to be exact.

Videos by American Songwriter

And the new gigs will commence right after Dylan’s 81st birthday on May 24.

Dylan’s official Twitter account announced the news on Monday (April 18), writing, “Bob Dylan’s U.S. tour dates have been announced. The first dates go on sale starting Friday, April 22. See the http://bobdylan.com On Tour page at http://bobdylan.com/on-tour/ for dates and ticket information!”

Bob Dylan's U.S. tour dates have been announced. The first dates go on sale starting Friday, April 22. See the https://t.co/2JlPRaopp9 On Tour page at https://t.co/IlnO4bIndr for dates and ticket information! pic.twitter.com/7dFw1rk3ez — Bob Dylan (@bobdylan) April 18, 2022

The first new date takes place in Spokane, Washington on May 28 and the final date of the new string occurs on June 18 in San Diego, California. Betwixt will be shows in Seattle, Eugene, Oakland, L.A., and more.

Tickets for the new shows go on sale to the general public on Friday via Dylan’s website tour page .

Dylan just concluded his first set of live dates post-pandemic, which had begun in November and ran through April 14.

The new shows will also follow the opening of the official Dylan museum in Oklahoma. For the grand opening, artists like Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello, and Patti Smith are slated to perform—though, as of yet, there is no news that Dylan will be there, himself.

And in other Dylan news, his new book, The Philosophy of Modern Song , is set to drop in November from Simon & Schuster.

New Dylan Tour Dates:

28 MAY 2022 Spokane, Washington First Interstate Center for the Arts

29 MAY 2022 Kennewick, Washington Toyota Center

31 MAY 2022 Portland, Oregon Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

1 JUN 2022 Seattle, Washington Paramount Theatre

2 JUN 2022 Seattle, Washington Paramount Theatre

5 JUN 2022 Eugene, Oregon Hult Performing Arts Center

7 JUN 2022 Redding, Californa Redding Civic Auditorium

9 JUN 2022 Oakland, California Fox Theater

10 JUN 2022 Oakland, California Fox Theater

11 JUN 2022 Oakland, California Fox Theater

14 JUN 2022 Los Angeles, California Pantages Theatre

15 JUN 2022 Los Angeles, California Pantages Theatre

16 JUN 2022 Los Angeles, California Pantages Theatre

18 JUN 2022 San Diego, California San Diego Civic Theatre

Photo by FRED TANNEAU/AFP/GettyImages

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Bob Dylan Just Announced Some New 2022 Tour Dates

The singer-songwriter is bound for the West Coast.

By Fred Sahai

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Bob Dylan is heading back on the road.

The folk legend has just announced some West Coast tour dates for this summer as part of his World Wide Tour , in support of his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways , which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, becoming his 23rd top 10 on the albums chart . Dylan will begin this leg of his tour on May 28 in Spokane, Washington at the First Interstate Center of the Arts. The singer-songwriter and his band will also be stopping in for two nights at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre and three nights in Los Angeles at Pantages Theatre before wrapping up the trek at the San Diego Civic Theatre in June 18.

The 80-year-old just concluded his first round of shows of 2022 last week, which consisted of 26 shows across the U.S., with stops in Phoenix, San Antonio, New Orleans, Atlanta and Oklahoma City. The World Wide Tour follows his Never Ending Tour, the popular name given to Dylan’s regular touring schedule that began in 1988 and was forced to end due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Dylan to Release a Book Dedicated to the Art of Songwriting

See latest videos, charts and news

Tickets for Dylan’s summer shows will be available starting April 22 on his website .

Check out all of the announced tour dates below.

Trending on Billboard

May 28 – Spokane, Washington @ First Interstate Center for the Arts May 29 – Kennewick, Washington @Toyota Center May 31 – Portland, Oregon @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall June 1 – Seattle, Washington @ Paramount Theatre June 2 – Seattle, Washington @ Paramount Theatre June 5- Eugene, Oregon @ Hult Performing Arts Center June 7 – Redding, California @ Redding Civic Auditorium June 9 – Oakland, California @ Fox Theater June 10 – Oakland, California @ Fox Theater June 11 – Oakland, California @ Fox Theater June 14- Los Angeles, California @ Pantages Theatre June 15- Los Angeles, California @ Pantages Theatre June 16 – Los Angeles, California @ Pantages Theatre June 18 – San Diego, California @ San Diego Civic Theatre

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• Live Concert Industry

Bob Dylan Announces 14 New U.S. Tour Dates on the West Coast

Bob Dylan has announced 14 more U.S. tour dates, primarily on the West Coast.

The new tour dates appeared on Dylan’s website this morning. The first of them begins on May 28, just four days after Dylan’s 81st birthday. Dylan’s most recent concert appearance in Los Angeles was in June 2016 at the Shrine. All of the west coast dates will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 22. Pre-sale opportunities for those with promo codes will be available on Thursday.

Bob Dylan just wrapped up his first post-pandemic tour dates, which ran through April 14. These west coast tour dates also follow the official unveiling of the Bob Dylan museum in Oklahoma. Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello, and Patti Smith will perform as part of the festivities for the grand opening ceremony.

It’s unclear if Bob Dylan himself will be on hand at the museum’s opening. The legendary singer has a book called ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’ coming in November 2021.

Bob Dylan West Coast U.S. Tour Dates – 2022

28 | First Interstate Center for the Arts – Spokane, WA 29 | Toyota Center – Kennewick, WA 31 | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall – Portland, OR

1 | Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA 2 | Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA 5 | Hult Performing Arts Center – Eugene, OR 7 | Redding Civic Auditorium – Redding, CA 10 | Fox Theater – Oakland, CA 11 | Fox Theater – Oakland, CA 14 | Pantages Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 15 | Pantages Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 16 | Pantages Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 18 | San Diego Civic Theatre – San Diego, CA

In December 2020, Dylan sold his entire catalog of songs to Universal Music Publishing Group in a deal worth nearly $400 million. That deal covered the music and lyrics rather than the recorded works, which went to Sony. He also faced a lawsuit from a one-time collaborator’s estate over the sale of his catalog .

Back in January 2022, Bob Dylan sold his entire recorded music catalog to Sony Music. The deal included Dylan’s entire body of recorded works since 1962 and the rights to multiple future releases from Dylan. Billboard estimates that the recordings are worth about $200 million, but terms of that deal were not disclosed. Dylan signed with Columbia Records (owned by Sony Music) in 1961 and released his first debut album with the label.

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• March 4, 2022

Bob Dylan Kicks Off 2022 Rough & Rowdy Ways World Tour In Phoenix

• By Daniel Pearson
• 10 Comments

Bob Dylan last night (March 3) performed at the Arizona Federal Theater in Phoenix, AZ for the first stop of 2022 on his Rough and Rowdy Ways World Tour, kicking off the trek with another mighty setlist for his dedicated fans.

Dylan and his five-piece band performed the same set that they did at New York City’s Beacon Theater on November 20, 2021, with one notable exception taking the place of “Early Roman Kings” as the ninth song of the night.

“I crossed the Rubicon on the 14th day of the most dangerous month of the year,” Dylan sang in the live debut of the classic-rock’n’roll-constructed “Crossing the Rubicon.”

Dylan and his band stop tonight (March 4) at the 2,289-seat Tucson Music Hall in Tuscon, AZ, and continue on the 27-date Rough and Rowdy Ways World Tour through April 14 in Oklahoma City, OK.

Thanks to PianoMan’s Bird for posting two 30-second clips from last night’s Phoenix show.

Bob Dylan Live in Phoenix Part 1

Bob Dylan Live in Phoenix Part 2

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10 responses.

Was lucky to see Bob Dylan in Tucson. Was awesome. Did miss seeing him on the guitar. But was just great to see him still singing & playing harmonica/piano. He’s still THE showman I remember seeing in the late 70’s. Had my son with me this time, he loved seeing the man he listened to growing up. Keep the music flowing Bob. Thank you for the concert in Tucson, was such a pleasure.

Saw him in Shreveport on March 18, 2022, and he was terrible. I love his old songs, and not one of them was played. Talked to 20 people after the show, and everyone felt the same. No singing, just talking thru the songs, and the band drowned out all the lyrics.

I have been seeing Dylan since 1974 and I have NEVER seen a bad concert. There is only one Dylan and he is the very best at whatever he creates.I have cherished every concert every album. Godspeed Bob Dylan!

March 29th in Columbia, SC…. Love Dylan, There are no actual words that describe how awful that mess was…..We left after an hour. All of us were struggling to believe anyone could be so bad and not have someone that cares for them tell them to STOP. Never understood a word, He NEVER interacted with the audience in any way. It took 3 songs for my husband to figure out he was even on the stage. Save your money. Save your time…Not worth either of those things… I want my money back!!!

I walked out 45 minutes into his performance tonight in Hull. Absolutely dreadful performance. Waste of my time and certainly a waste of my money. I wasn’t the only person to walk out either.

We sat through half an hour of horror last night in Chattanooga before walking out. The funny part of the entire time was watching the audience trying to do the cool head moves but never being able to get it together. I feel sorry for them enduring such a non performance all because they spent money to put a notch in their belts. So sad.

I bought tickets for the show in Redding on 6/7 (an early Father’s Day present). My husband had always wanted to see Dylan and finally got the chance. What a disappointment. He mumbled through the songs and we never understood a single song he sang .

Dylan is Dylan! He not looking for your approval. You.must think highly of yourself to even fathom he gives a hoot. Last album was great. Too. bad you’ve never listen to it. God is God.Dylan is Dylan. They don’t need us to be them. Or us to love them but I love them both. Serve God not Bob,

These Rags on BOB (Dylan ) will never change ! He didn’t do this and he didn’t do that 🤮🤮🤮. #1 Bob doesn’t spend a lot of time BS ing the crowd which some performers do. Never has. #2 He’s 81 Years Old and still going out on the road.#3 He hasn’t played guitar on tour with an occasional exception in years.#4 He played mostly his new Material ….Rough & Rowdy Ways So “You better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone ….cause The Times They are – A Changing “

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Bob Dylan Announces 2022 Tour Dates

Bob Dylan’s U.S. Spring dates have been announced and will go on sale starting Friday, January 28.

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has recently released Bob Dylan – Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985).

The latest chapter in Columbia/Legacy’s highly acclaimed Bob Dylan Bootleg Series revisits an often-forgotten, rich vein in Dylan’s vast and complex catalog, shining fresh light on the provocative new musical directions Dylan was taking as a songwriter and a recording artist from 1980 through 1985. In the early 1980s, while the music industry was grappling with the arrival of new trends and technology, from MTV to compact discs to digital recording, Bob Dylan was writing and recording new songs for a new decade, creating an essential new chapter in his studio catalog. Bob Dylan – Springtime In New York (1980-1985) celebrates the rich creative period surrounding Dylan’s albums Shot Of Love, Infidels, and Empire Burlesque with previously unreleased outtakes, alternate takes, rehearsal recordings, live performances and more.

See the bobdylan.com On Tour page for dates and ticket information.

Bob Dylan 2022 Tour Dates: Mar 03 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theatre Mar 04 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Music Hall Mar 06 – Albuquerque, NM – Kiva Auditorium Mar 08 – Lubbock, TX – Buddy Holly Hall of Perf. Arts & Sciences Mar 10 – Irving, TX – Toyota Music Factory Mar 11 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre Mar 13 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre Mar 14 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre Mar 16 – Austin, TX – Bass Hall Mar 18 – Shreveport, LA – Municipal Auditorium Mar 19 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre Mar 21 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery PAC Mar 23 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium Mar 24 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre Mar 26 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre Mar 27 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston PAC Mar 29 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium Mar 30 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium Apr 01 – Greensboro, NC – Steven Tanger Center Apr 02 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Apr 04 – Chattanooga, TN – Tivoli Theatre Apr 05 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall Apr 07 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre Apr 09 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre Apr 11 – Little Rock, AR – Robinson Center Apr 13 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theatre Apr 14 – Oklahoma City, OK – Thelma Gaylor Perf. Arts Theatre

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At 81, Bob Dylan is Still Full of Surprises: Live Review

Sort of like a Bob Dylan concert.

Even in this new era of Dylan concerts, where the setlist rarely varies from night to night, after many years when consecutive shows would yield several different songs (perhaps his loved ones intervened to insist on a standardized setlist, to make it easier on his octogenarian ass—the aging rocker’s equivalent of taking away dad’s car keys), there remains a sense of chaos, of anarchy, bubbling under the surface of Dylan’s performance. At times, despite being in full control of his accompaniment and arrangements, he still presents like an ornery mule trying to buck the band off his back.

Yet, rarely, in certain songs, he would seemingly choose to be well-behaved, reining in his knack for hitting off-notes on the keys, and making an extra effort to intone lyrics cogently. Still, that incipient chaos (or was it the threat of an imminent train wreck?) loomed, as his overwhelming aura of don’t-give-a-fuckness permeated the air above the stage.

Listen to “Every Grain of Sand” from another date on the tour

Yes: the keys. If you weren’t aware, one of the world’s most iconic figures-with-a-guitar has, for over a decade now, chosen to almost never brandish one onstage. Other than a few forays center-stage, where he wields a mic stand like a fighting stick, he’s mostly stayed behind the piano. Which is why the first surprise out of the gate in the opening “Watching the River Flow” was the silhouette of Dylan, all the way upstage—and, indeed, facing upstage, his back to the crowd—with axe strapped on, briefly mixing his own lines with those of the two other guitarists in the band, before sitting down at the piano to sing. It was the first time he’d done so since 2019.

Listen: Here’s a recording of Dylan playing guitar at the Portland show. (Ed. note: The sound quality is a bit dicey. We’re including it for historical reference.)

As for the piano, he approaches it with a seeming nod to the oblique style of (if nowhere near the actual ability of) Thelonious Monk. It’s far from the honky-tonk/boogie-woogie-derived style that once characterized his work on the instrument. When that type of outside-the-box playing is the defining element in a rock ’n’ roll band, it makes for a very odd overall sound. And this band really does sound like no other. They seem almost to hover around Dylan’s central presence, more a hive than a band.

Listen: Dylan performed the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil” at another stop on his current tour

Dylan seldom names his tours, but is so obviously enamored of his latest album that he’s insisted on labeling this jaunt the “Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour,” and dominating the setlist with all but one of its songs. Dylan, who these days is singing more clearly than at any time since perhaps his early folkie days, elicits laughs and cheers from audiences for specific witty turns of phrase in the new album’s songs. The idea of an audience being able to hear unfamiliar lyrics clearly enough as to elicit laughter, or any sort of reaction, is nothing short of miraculous, given the indifferent mumbling that too often defined Dylan’s vocal delivery in concert less than a decade ago.

Related: Dylan has a new book due this fall

It’s not just the clearer diction, though, but his recent lyrics themselves that seem to come across so well to listeners. He’s packed his verses with common turns of phrase, and stray lines from older songs, a practice that some might experience as clichés or marks of lazy writing. But watching him sing them, it becomes clear that he’s doing so as a conscious effort to “speak the people’s language,” rather than the language of a poet. He must love that feeling of connection with an audience, as they pick up what he’s putting down, which is why he’s so devoted to delivering these new songs onstage.

Highlights? “Gotta Serve Somebody,” which—despite beginning with guitarist Bob Britt switching to a Flying V and bassist Tony Garnier (also the musical director, who’s been backing Dylan now for an astonishing 33 years!) swapping the stand-up for an electric, indicating that some serious rocking might commence—started with several slow-burn verses delivered by Dylan almost unaccompanied, before the band ultimately kicked in and made good on that choice of instrumentation. “To Be Alone with You,” one of the numbers where Dylan was on his best behavior, given a nicely syncopated arrangement more delicate than the original. “Every Grain of Sand,” played in an appropriately reverent manner, and delivered by the composer as if reflecting on the lyrics from a distant height. “Melancholy Mood,” a perfectly pitched, if too-brief, Sinatra cover.

Watch Dylan perform “To Be Alone With You” at a 2021 concert

Among the new songs, “Black Rider” stood out, sung diffidently by Dylan from upstage center. (Even when he did emerge from behind the piano, he always remained all the way upstage, never approaching the audience, and doubtless frustrating those who’d paid good money to sit close, only to have their view of him blocked by the piano all night.) And “Mother of Muses,” which capably followed the Sinatra tune in an alliterative pairing.

The show didn’t necessarily inspire an emotional experience in this reviewer, but a delightful and fascinating one nonetheless. One can no longer really expect to commune with Dylan as a fellow human being, but rather to observe him as an increasingly distant, orbiting alien. We’re lucky to have had him in our solar system all these years. If this tour happens to be the last time we ever see him in the flesh, may he have a good trip home.

Listen to the entire concert from the Albuquerque stop on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour

Tickets to see Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour are available here  and here .

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• At 81, Bob Dylan is Still Full of Surprises: Live Review - 06/14/2022

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4 Comments so far

Although I read the entire article, appreciated some viewpoints, my hair stood up on my arms at other times. I did like the arthritis joke, since my hands hurt at 70 years.

I couldn’t help but wonder if writer was a Dylan fan? An “earworm” bubbled up from the past in a Jerry Jeff Walker song. “…like some writer talkin’ to the wall…”

Saw Dylan again to see/hear his Masterpiece, “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour in Eugene. We LOVE Bob Dylan his lyrics, style, element of surprise and HUS way.

Saw Dylan in Orlando last night, our 1st Dylan concert…. Disappointing to say the least! It was our first Dylan concert…. went with my wife and some friends. We wanted to see him in honor of my wife’s brother who pasted a few years ago (he loved Dylan) and couldn’t wait to hear the songs he loved in his memory. 20 minutes in….40 minutes in…..an hour….90 minutes, Dylan hadn’t performed “any” of his hits from the past? NOT EVEN ONE!!!???? How does a supposed Rock icon/ Hall of Famer leave out what got him there? I’ve never been to a Concert where the performer doesn’t play “any” of their hit songs, never, and I’ve been to several hundred concerts. Unfortunately and sadly, this was the most disappointing music performance we’ve ever witnessed. We spent hundreds $$ to get upfront seats, hoping to relive the memories of my brother in-law…. oh well. We’re not upset just truly disappointed. At the very end he played his harmonica, which I was surprised we hadn’t heard….. and 40 seconds later it was over….. even other people around me were like….wow… Sorry for the rant but want other people to know what to expect… Have a great day everyone!

It’s pretty well known that Dylan rarely performs his hits. If you’d Googled his recent setlists you would have seen that he mostly concentrates on recent material and only throws in about a half dozen old songs. His shows have been like this for many years now. Sorry you were disappointed in any case.

Yowie. I’m going on Thursday. Didn’t know about him not playing his hits. I’m already disappointed.

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Bob Dylan Plots Fall 2023 North American Tour

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Bob Dylan ‘s Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is coming back to North America in the fall. The leg kicks off Oct. 1 at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. An Oct. 30 show at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York is the final confirmed date, but Dylan’s website notes that “more Fall 2023 dates will be announced soon!”

The Rough and Rowdy Ways tour kicked off November 2, 2021 in Milwaukee. Dylan had been off the road for nearly two years at that point due to the pandemic. Prior to that, he hadn’t missed a single year of touring since the Never Ending Tour kicked off in 1988. He made up for lost time by taking the show all over the world, but he hasn’t played the East Coast of the U.S. since the fall of 2021.

The show did take a surprise left turn earlier in the year when he started playing songs from the Grateful Dead catalog, including “Truckin,” “Brokedown Palace,” “Stella Blue,” and “West L.A. Fadeaway.” He even trotted out Bob Weir’s 2016 solo song “Only a River,” Merle Haggard’s 2010 obscurity “Bad Actor,” and Van Morrison’s 1970 classic “Into the Mystic.” Dylan fans were thrilled by the additions since it added a degree of uncertainty to every show.

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Bob Dylan’s Fall 2023 North American Tour Dates

Oct. 1 – Kansas City, MO @The Midland Theatre Oct. 2 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre Oct. 4 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre Oct. 6 – Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 7 – Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 8 – Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Palace Theatre Oct. 11 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater Oct. 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater Oct. 16 – Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre Oct. 20 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J. Brady Music Center Oct. 21 – Akron, OH @ Akron Civic Theatre Oct. 23 – Erie, PA @ Warner Theatre Oct. 24 – Rochester, NY @ Auditorium Theatre Oct. 26 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall Oct. 27 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall Oct. 29 – Montreal, QB @ Place des Arts – Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Oct. 30 – Schenectady, NY @ Proctors Theatre

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THE PAUL LESLIE HOUR

Helping People Tell Their Stories

Bob Dylan at Fayetteville, North Carolina’s Crown Theatre — The Concert Review

Hey. It’s me. I’ll be telling you my thoughts on the March 18, 2024 Bob Dylan concert from the “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour. I’ll also share a video clip of someone with me who talks about seeing Bob Dylan for the first time.

This was my third time seeing a show from Bob Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour, which began in 2021. It’s always an experience unlike any other. It takes on a special meaning that seems to go beyond being just “entertainment.” There is certainly some of that, but for the people who go see Bob Dylan, it’s a chance to reconnect with certain parts of themselves that they don’t always access.

I’d never been to Fayetteville, North Carolina. The venue was close to a friend of mine: a charming pal called Robert McCready, who is also a writer. A little detour had caused a delay, but my hunger was real. A chance to scarf down food at Taco Bell put us in touch with a man intent on robbing us. We all live on the boulevard of crime once in a while. But, crisis averted. 

Dylan performed at the Crown Theatre

The Crown Theatre is a pleasant venue from the 1960s that seats about 2,400 people. I prefer antiquated over modern when it comes to live shows. I’m told the theater will close down next year to make way for something new. I wondered if this was the only time Bob Dylan would perform there.

Bob Dylan hasn’t been too pleased with the ubiquity of cell phones. They sure can put a damper on having a meaningful evening. This time would be different. Everyone’s phones were locked in a pouch. Maybe some don’t like it, but I felt it’s for our own good.

There was a mad rush as the ushers announced one minute until the doors would close. Then 30 seconds. Even 15 seconds. I realized we weren’t going to make it for the first song. But, hey. We were still alive and had our wallets and tickets. 

Once inside, we settled in the especially dark room where we would focus on the words and melodies for the next almost two hours.

A lot of Bob Dylan fans have some kind of tradition they follow when going to his shows. I read about guy named “Philm” who said for him it’s going to Waffle House after the concert. My tradition began by talking to strangers after the show to find out what they thought. I met a very eccentric guy in Augusta, Georgia who came all the way from Sweden to see the show. 

A Dylan first-timer shares his thoughts with me

That’s morphed into the practice of bringing someone with me who has never seen Bob Dylan before. Robert McCready was the one this time, so let’s see a little video clip of Robert telling me what stood out to him this time. Watch his observations in the video .

Thanks for the observations, Robert.

Lots of songs from “Rough and Rowdy Ways”

Compared to the other shows I saw from the “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour, it seemed there was a lighter approach. Or who knows, maybe I just perceived it that way. It looked like Dylan was having fun. One thing I like is that it sounded like Bob’s vocals were brought forward in the mix. 

Bob’s piano playing was more rollicking, and the band seemed more jubilant, although the setlist was roughly the same. Dylan has been playing more songs from “Rough and Rowdy Ways” than from any other source. They did nine songs from that album.

There were a few highlights: “Black Rider” and “My Own Version of You,” seemed to segue into one another. These songs are eerie and I like them more and more. There were two great changes in the show. For one, the addition of the Johnny Cash song “Big River,” and an infectious, revamped version of “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” Although the words remained the same, the melody sounded like it was replaced with Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and had a samba feel. 

The band continues to feature Doug Lancio and Bob Britt on guitars, and the faithful Donnie Herron who is approaching 20 years with the band on lap steel and pedal steel. The new addition was Jerry Pentecost on drums. You should look him up. Of course, longtime bassist (since 1989) Tony Garnier played great and added interesting elements, which could be said of the whole band. They complement Bob perfectly. The band helps keep the shows fresh and interesting.

After the concert, we headed down to Florence, South Carolina where we recorded the conversation about the concert. I liked Robert’s takes.

The lyrics are the star

I was glad Robert mentioned the lyrics. I’ve felt that although Bob Dylan composes out-of-this-world melodies, he’s known for his lyrics. I found myself focusing on the words like never before. They’re almost like the star of the show.

Learning the lyrics, I could anticipate each line and feel a sense of satisfaction with their delivery. Songs like “I Contain Multitudes” and “Crossing the Rubicon” welcome repeated listening and new interpretations by Bob and the band can color your own understanding of the songs.

As Robert mentioned, all of the shows on the “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” tour end with “Every Grain of Sand.” Is there any song that comes close, save hymns? When I think of the three shows I’ve seen from this tour, I vividly recall the evocative delivery of those final lines before he leaves the stage: “I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man, Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.” 

Unreal. No matter what your religious persuasion is, it’s hard to not be affected by it. 

There will be more tour dates across the Southeast into April. Then this summer he’ll hit the road with Willie Nelson and other legends. More innovations are undoubtedly in store. Until then, I’ll sit with my memories from Fayetteville. 

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Bob Dylan Live Review: Latest, and perhaps last, chapter of The Never Ending Tour comes to a masterful close

The penultimate night of the rough and rowdy ways tour caps off one of the strongest stretches of dylan’s live career..

ACL Live, Austin, Texas, April 5, 2024

Bob Dylan has had a long and fruitful relationship with audiences in Austin. Since playing one of his first shows with The Hawks here in September 1965, Dylan has played the Texas capital nearly two dozen times, culminating in a two-night stand here Friday and Saturday that concludes one of the most remarkably consistent stretches in Dylan’s concert history.

Contradicting his decades-long reputation as a mercurial and unpredictable performer, Dylan has delivered almost exactly the same 17-song set since November 2021, when he resumed touring after a nearly two-year pandemic break. 2020’s  Rough And Rowdy Ways  is the fulcrum: For more than 200 shows over the past three years, he’s played nine of the album’s ten songs, leaving off only the epic Murder Most Foul .

READ MORE: Bob Dylan at The London Palladium reviewed

The rest of the show almost always includes the same back-catalogue selections, from openers Watching the River Flow and Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine, to the closing Every Grain of Sand from 1981  Shot Of Love . At this point, die-hard fans know better than to expect his best-known songs: We may never again hear him trot out Like A Rolling Stone or Blowin’ In The Wind or Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door. And that’s all right: We don’t expect a greatest-hits revue from the man who wrote “he who isn’t busy being born is busy dying.”

As such, Dylan shows of late are partly a matter of whether he pulls out a surprise in any given city. If he likes your town, you might get an extra song: Earlier this week in Louisiana, he added a couple of Hank Williams nuggets, playing Jambalaya in Lafayette April 2 and On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain in New Orleans April 1.

Tonight in Austin, we’re treated to Across The Borderline, a Ry Cooder/Jim Dickinson/John Hiatt song first recorded by Freddy Fender in 1982. The new addition to the set seemed to energize Dylan: It features arguably his strongest vocal performance of the night, and his mid-song piano solo is gorgeously lyrical.

The performance marked the first time Dylan has played the song this century. It was a staple of his 1986 tour with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; he may well have brought it back this evening  because it’s the title track of a 1993 album by Austin legend Willie Nelson, with whom Dylan will be touring from June to September.

Those summer shows are part of Nelson’s annual Outlaw Tour, which also will feature Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp, Billy Strings and others. The multi-artist bills almost certainly will require abbreviating the 100-minute sets Dylan has been playing since 2021; as such, this weekend’s Austin concerts may well bring an end to this  Rough And Rowdy Ways  phase of his Never Ending Tour.

Dylan’s band has changed slightly since his March 2022 appearance at Austin’s Bass Concert Hall. Longtime bassist Tony Garnier remains the anchor, with pedal steel/fiddle player Don Herron aboard for nearly two decades now. Nashville guitarist Doug Lancio replaced Austin ace Charlie Sexton when Dylan returned from the pandemic, teaming with fellow guitarist Bob Britt (who joined in 2019). Drummer Jerry Pentecost recently took over from Charley Drayton, who played the 2022 Austin show.

READ MORE: Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks Revisited

Tonight, the band flexes its muscles on occasion, but just as often they hold back to provide space for Dylan’s singing, which has been defying nature for quite some time. His voice, once a ravaged rasp that paled in comparison to his youthful glory years, somehow improved as Dylan reached senior-citizen status. Near the end of 1979’s Gotta Serve Somebody, his full-throated vamp sounds surprisingly like the ghost of David Bowie.

A late-set choice of Johnny Cash’s Big River, which Dylan first covered in the late 1990s and has played at most of his shows in the past month, finds the band digging into a deep rockabilly groove after Dylan’s jaunty piano kicks things off. A highlight from  Rough And Rowdy Ways  was the nine-minute meditation Key West (Philosopher Pirate), on which Lancio switched from acoustic to electric guitar for a more atmospheric wash of sound behind Dylan’s sprightly melodic piano runs that at times brings to mind, of all things, the theme song from the 1980s TV show Hill Street Blues .

And Dylan’s presentation of his older songs, once altered so drastically that even longtime fans couldn’t name the tune till it was half-over, has been reined in. Well-travelled numbers such as 1967’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and 1969’s To Be Alone With You still sound different from their recorded counterparts, but it’s less of a guessing-game now. (An exception: 1971’s When I Paint My Masterpiece, which has been reworked to where it uncannily resembles Irving Berlin’s 1920s classic Puttin’ on the Ritz .)

Dylan speaks not a word the entire night, though he acknowledges the crowd’s rapt attention at the end of the show by stepping out front for a few gracious bows. Then the lights go down, the band stroll off, and Bob Dylan’s 21st Austin concert comes to an end. Another full house at the 2,700-capacity theatre will greet him on Saturday night  — and then, what’s next? These past few years have seemed like smooth sailing for Dylan, which probably means it’s time to rock the boat.

Watching The River Flow

Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine

I Contain Multitudes

False Prophet

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Black Rider

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

My Own Version Of You

Crossing The Rubicon

To Be Alone With You

Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Gotta Serve Somebody

Across The Borderline

I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You

Mother Of Muses

Goodbye Jimmy Reed

Every Grain Of Sand

Main picture: Bob Dylan at London's Hyde Park 2019 (credit: Matthew Baker/Getty Images)

Aerosmith announces rescheduled 2024-25 farewell tour dates. Get tickets

No need to “Dream On” much longer.

Aerosmith has finally announced the rescheduled dates of their ‘Peace Out’ farewell tour with special guests The Black Crowes and Teddy Swims on select dates.

The 40-concert jaunt will take the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to arenas all over North America from September 2024 up until February 2025.

Notable shows include stops at Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Saturday, Dec. 28 and New York’s Madison Square Garden on Feb. 23, 2025.

Their last gig is scheduled for Feb. 26, 2025 at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center .

This upcoming trek will be the second attempt at rescheduling the tour; Steven Tyler sustained vocal cord damage at a Sept. 9, 2023 concert in Long Island — just three shows into their run — and the band had to postpone indefinitely.

“All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled shows,” Aerosmith shared on Instagram .

If you haven’t gotten tickets yet and want to sing along to “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way,” “Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” and so many more hits one last time, tickets can be scooped up for all ‘Peace Out’ concerts as soon as today.

Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, April 12, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

A complete calendar including all rescheduled ‘Peace Out’ tour dates, venues, and links to buy tickets can be found below.

The original Aerosmtih lineup won’t be fully intact on this run of concerts.

Yes, lead singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton and rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford are slated to perform at all shows.

However, drummer Joey Kramer will be sitting this run of shows out to “focus his attention on his family and health” according to  AP News .

Kramer, 72, will be replaced by John Douglas who has drummed with the band since 2019.

Aerosmith got three shows deep into their ‘Peace Out’ Farewell Tour before postponing.

For a closer look, here’s what they played at a recent live show courtesy of  Set List FM :

01.) “Back in the Saddle”

02.) “Same Old Song and Dance”

03.) “Rag Doll”

04.) “Livin’ on the Edge”

05.) “Janie’s Got a Gun”

06.) “No More No More”

07.) “Cryin’”

08.) “Adam’s Apple”

09.) “Hangman Jury”

10.) “Seasons of Wither”

11.) “Movin’ Out”

12.) “Love in an Elevator”

13.) “Stop Messin’ Around” (Fleetwood Mac cover)

14.) “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”

15.) “Rats in the Cellar”

16.) “Sweet Emotion”

17.) “Toys in the Attic”

18.) “Dream On”

19.) “Walk This Way”

On all dates except their opener when they’ll perform with Teddy Swims, Aerosmith will be joined by  The Black Crowes aka Rolling Stone’s “best new band of 1990.”

The band, known for mega hits “Hard To Handle” and “She Talks To Angels,” is also conducting a solo tour of their own this year including a show at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on April 27.

If you want to see them live, click here to see The Black Crowes’ complete 2024 tour calendar.

In 1973, the 25-year-old Tyler was given guardianship of 16-year-old Julia Holcomb so the two could live together.

After a tumultuous three-year relationship, the two broke up.

Nearly 50 years later, Holcomb — who now goes by Julia Misley — filed a lawsuit in December 2022. In the suit, she claimed Tyler sexually assaulted her, forced her to abort their child, and convinced her to drink and take drugs after he promised to serve as her guardian.

In the trial, Tyler alleged the relationship was consensual and had immunity because of his guardian status.

Legal experts have since said “caregiver immunity” does not exist if you sexually abuse the person you’ve taken in.

“The lawsuit came in the final days of California’s Child Victims Act, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to come forward with their allegations,” Consequence of Sound reported.

Jeanne Bellino, another minor that was sexually abused by Tyler in the 1970s, also filed a lawsuit against him; US District Judge Lewis Kaplan threw the case out this February because she “had waited too long to sue Tyler under a New York City law protecting victims of gender-motivated violence,” Reuters wrote.

“(Kaplan) said Bellino did not qualify for a two-year window to pursue claims that would otherwise extend beyond statutes of limitations, because she did not allege that Tyler’s conduct posed a “serious risk of physical injury.”

Many of the biggest acts that defined the sound of the ’70s and ’80s are back on the road this year for another spin.

Here are just five of our favorite classic rockers you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

•  Rolling Stones

•  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

•  Neil Young

•  Bob Dylan with Willie Nelson and Robert Plant

•  Electric Light Orchestra

Need more classic rock in your life? Check out our list of the  52 biggest classic rockers on tour in 2024 to find the show for you.

Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase.

Kiss, Springsteen, Katy Perry: Why music's biggest names are selling their catalogues

Last week, rock band Kiss sold their catalogue, brand name and IP to a Swedish company for an estimated $US300 million ($456 million).

They're the latest in a growing list of iconic musicians selling their back catalogues and music rights for eye-watering prices, including everyone from Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac to Justin Bieber and Shakira.

But who's buying? What's driving this ongoing trend and who's benefiting in these multi-hundred-million-dollar deals?

What are music catalogues and rights?

Generally speaking, the value of a music catalogue boils down to two things: rights to the masters and publishing.

Masters is shorthand for master recordings, which is the original sound recording of a piece of music. All other copies are derived from that master recording (thus the name).

Record labels typically own an artist's masters – historically that's been the standard when signing to a major label like Universal, Sony and Warner Bros, who maintain ownership of the music they're producing in exchange for the resources and marketing they give the artist.

Publishing rights concern the rights to the musical composition and lyrics. These are typically owned by the songwriter (rather than the performer) and essentially encompass who gets credit and royalties to a song.

Publishing determines who gets paid whenever and however a piece of music is used: for streaming, live performance, or being licensed for film, tv and adverts for example.

Typically, publishing rights have stayed with publishers and songwriters, and masters belong to labels and performers. But in recent years, investment companies have begun snapping up rights to big name music catalogues.

OK, so who's buying?

Two new major players kicked off the current acquisition boom – Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Primary Wave.

Together, these two companies own rights to catalogues from Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, John Lennon, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Prince, Whitney Houston, Dire Straits, James Brown and many, many more.

Like investment firms, they've paid huge sums up front in order to reap money long-term from song royalties, licensing, commercial deals and other revenue streams that would typically go to the artist or label.

The trend kicked off around 2018, when Hipgnosis spent millions on the catalogues of two successful songwriter-producers, The-Dream and Poo Bear, who between them penned hits for Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kanye West and Bieber.

That same year, Primary Wave bought up Bob Marley's publishing rights for $US50 million ($75.4 million). And the prices have only surged from there.

What drove this trend?

Like nearly everything currently shaping the music industry, the answer is COVID-19.

With musicians stuck at home during the pandemic, the touring industry essentially evaporated, but streaming numbers skyrocketed. And users dramatically favoured older music, turning to popular artists and classic songs for comfort.

The Recording Industry Association of America's 2022 year-end report showed that two-thirds of all music streamed is made up of catalogue music, and streaming accounts for 84 per cent of all music industry revenue.

Owning the publishing rights to a hugely popular catalogue means getting streaming royalties and, as COVID demonstrated, that is a safer investment and more dependable revenue stream than other parts of the music industry.

In 2020, Hipgnosis read the tea leaves and went on a buying blitz, acquiring rights associated with Bon Jovi, Blink-182, Blondie, Mark Ronson, Jack Antonoff, Barry Manilow, and Rick James.

They also acquired Kobalt Music Copyright for $322.9 million, giving them access to the rights of around 33,000 songs, including hits from Skrillex, Enrique Iglesias, 50 Cent, George Benson and the co-write of Mariah Carey's Christmas blockbuster All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Major labels cottoned on and began throwing lump sums at artists on their roster to ensure startups like Hipgnosis and Primary Wave didn't snatch their prized assets.

Sony bought up Bruce Springsteen's catalogue for roughly $US550 million ($830m), as well as Paul Simon's publishing for his solo work and Simon & Garfunkel songs for an undisclosed amount.

Universal Music Group got Bob Dylan's publishing rights for somewhere between $US300 million and half-a-billion dollars , and spent an estimated $US300 million on Sting's output as a solo artist and with The Police.

David Bowie's estate sold the formidable artist's publishing catalogue to Warner for a rumoured $US250 million ($377 million).

By the end of 2021, the music industry had spent $US5.3 billion on catalogue acquisitions, up 180 per cent from the previous year, according to Midia Research .

If it's so valuable, why would an artist sell their catalogue?

The short, most obvious answer? It's a massive, immediate pay day.

Although they are relinquishing their rights to future revenue, selling rights and taking the money up front means musicians can rid themselves of uncertainty.

Given the current music landscape feels like more of a gamble than ever, a guaranteed cash out looks increasingly more appealing than continuing to roll the dice.

As is the case for many legacy artists, the industry is unrecognisable from the one they came up in, powered less by sales of physical media and press and more with a fascination for internet trends and algorithms.

Who knows when another technological innovation such as Spotify and TikTok, like Napster and Limewire before them, will completely disrupt the way music business works?

Or as Gene Simmons from Kiss put it in an interview with People ,  "We've all seen boxers and artists who will stay in the ring too long and get knocked out by some amateur. You don't want to do that, you want to go out on top."

Kiss are effectively retiring from touring, having completed a farewell tour in December, and sold their music catalogue to Pophouse Entertainment Group .

A Swedish company who owns the rights to works from Cyndi Lauper and EDM stars Avicii and Swedish House Mafia, Pophouse are the brainchild behind ABBA's Voyage hologram tour and are planning a similar project for Kiss now that they own the band's masters, publishing rights and – in a unique twist – intellectual property related to their onstage personas, make-up and likeness.

There's also the banal reality that aging stars like Dylan (age 82), Springsteen (74) and Stevie Nicks (75) are spending as much time thinking about retirement and estate plans as their next album campaign.

It's morbid, but dividing up a lump sum fortune among the beneficiaries of a will is far simpler leaving mourning families to fight over the messy paperwork of managing a lifetime's worth of recording and publishing copyright contracts.

Just ask Dolly Parton.

"That's taken several years to do, and it is really a hard thing to do and put it all in order," the country superstar told Music Week in 2020. "You don't want to be simply leaving a mess behind."

Parton has owned her music catalogue for "years and years" (her songs are currently licensed to Sony/ATV) but said "it's very possible that, for business reasons, estate planning and family things, I might sell the catalogue I have now."

Companies are in it for the long haul

What investment start-ups and major label corporations have that most mid-to-late career artists don't is the patience to reap long-term returns on publishing and recording ownership.

It makes sense that more musos are cashing out when you consider how traditional sources of income (CD sales, digital downloads) have been replaced by the small, slow gains of the over-saturated streaming market.

Opting for instant income takes the financial pressures out of having to market and tour their music, which is more costly than ever post-pandemic. It might even get them out of a bad deal.

Colombian superstar Shakira recently reached a settlement with Spanish authorities over a tax-evasion trial , paying a fine of more than 7.3 million euros in place of serving jail time. The ruling comes nearly three years after she sold her publishing rights for an undisclosed amount to Hipgnosis.

In September, Katy Perry struck a $225 million deal with litMUS music, who now own and manage the master and publishing rights to all five of her studio albums made with Capitol Records.

Having been less commercially successful in recent years (her last big hit was arguably 2013's Dark Horse), Perry's deal prompted speculation that she wanted a better deal with a new company. Or perhaps, as some have speculated, she got a bad deal from Capitol to begin with.

Music rights (Taylor's Version)

There are financial benefits for musicians controlling their artistic output. A host of big-ticket artists own (or bought back) their master recordings: U2, Metallica, Jay-Z, Rihanna, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean among them

Not all artists have had control of their catalogues or consented to their sale.

Taylor Swift is nearing the end of re-recording her first six albums after her former label Big Machine Records sold its masters and rights to music manager Scooter Braun in 2019 for an estimated $300 million… without her approval.

She owns the masters to the re-imagined 'Taylor's Version' albums , which quickly became more popular than the originals, a masterstroke of narrative revenge and a massive commercial success .

Not since Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the 90s as a protest against Warner Bros (a wild tale worthy of its own deep dive ) has an artist done more to educate the wider public on music ownership and the exploitative nature of the music biz.

Swift signed a new record deal in 2018 with Universal subsidiary Republic Records, which has a binding condition that ensures she retains ownership of all future master recordings and licenses them to the label — a similar model used by the likes of Lana Del Rey and Kylie Minogue.

Swift's power play set an industry precedent — these days, major labels insert clauses into artist contracts to stop them pulling the same 're-recording' trick — and influenced other acts, particularly young female artists, to take ownership of their output.

Gen Z star Olivia Rodrigo and Swedish singer Zara Larsson both cited Swift as an influence in retaining ownership of their masters in their contracts.

In 2023, Dua Lipa bought back the rights to her songs from TaP Publishing, a division of the management company she split from in early 2022.

Has the catalogue sale bubble burst?

Late last year, Sony bought up half of Michael Jackson's coveted publishing and masters catalogue — valued somewhere between a whopping $US1.2 to 1.5 billion dollars ($1.8 to 2.2 billion). Meanwhile, Queen is preparing to close the sale of its catalogue (including rights to biopic blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody) to the tune of $US1.2 billion.

You've got wonder how acts who sold early feel about these astronomical sums. Like, say, the Bob Marley estate's $US50 million deal. Though, given the film Bob Marley: One Love is on track to become the biggest music biopic of all time , maybe not so bad.

It might seem that the buy-up of these superstar catalogues will only continue, but business insiders believe there are signs the boom times are coming to an end.

Joe Brenner, the venerated lawyer who brokered the headline-grabbing sales of Springsteen, Sting and Bowie catalogues, says the post-pandemic "feeding frenzy" is over.

"The business will continue, but I don't think it will be quite the same," Brenner told Billboard .

"I don't think the appetite is the same… But look, music publishing is a great business. There's always going to be an opportunity to do these sorts of deals. And there are more and more potential buyers."

In Penny Fractions, his newsletter of music business criticism, David Turner predicted the music catalogue boom was over , only to admit he was wrong. It had simply slowed down and diversified.

"Deals aren't over, but the investment story subtly shifted from a boom period of riding streaming strength to now searching for niches within more unproven markets," he wrote in a follow-up piece titled Can't Stop, Won't Stop .

"This is why more headlines feature deals done across Europe, South Korea, and Latin America," he wrote, with investors looking towards potential in undervalued catalogues — such as electronic, Latin music or the burgeoning K-pop genres — which "may be less thrilling, and revenue-generating, than owning major pop hits."

Even Hipgnosis has found its power waning, going public on the London Stock Exchange and seeing its stock prices dip and sway.

British singer Rod Stewart backed out of selling his catalogue to Hipgnosis after two years of negotiations, saying "it became abundantly clear … this was not the right company to manage my song catalogue, career or legacy."

In February, Stewart sold for $US100 million to Iconic Artists , whose folio includes the Beach Boys, Cher, Joe Cocker and more.

Late last year, Hipgnosis also failed to sell a fifth of its catalogue – including songs by Nelly and Shakira – at a discounted rate of $US440 million ($675 million) to a private equity investor. It later sold 20,000 "non-core" songs for $US23.1 million ($35.4 million) to help pay off mounting debt and, in March, cut the value of its folio by 26 per cent .

The unanswered question is where these songs end up in the shuffle of sales and acquisitions, and how they are used. Who's to say an iconic artist doesn't wind up soundtracking a commercial or crummy movie they'd never had approved?

The future's uncertain but it's clear the genie's out of the bottle, and likely that catalogue sales will continue to shake up the industry and the value of artists for some time.

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