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“Play ‘Like a Rolling Stone!'” one Bob Dylan fan repeatedly yelled during his 2025 Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour finale in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The plea for Dylan's signature song didn't stop there. It lasted from him crooning “It's All Over Now, Baby Blue” to “I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You,” going from a plea to a demand; “Play something good!” the fan eventually yelled.
In fairness, the fan was likely under the influence of something at this point. They were one of the 1,800 fans who would leave disappointed, as a seasoned Dylan fan told me walking into the Community Arts Center. There are around 2,100 seats in the venue, and the fan predicted 1,800 of them would leave bummed.
You see, seeing Dylan in concert is more than your average show. It will make you wonder who exactly he is performing for. What often feels like a ticketed rehearsal has an intrinsic mystique and intrigue you can't look away from.
Bob Dylan does what Bob Dylan wants. He is there to perform his latest album of original material, Rough and Rowdy Ways, with minimal explorations of his back catalog. Don't like it? As that fan learned, he doesn't care.
At his age, it wouldn't be surprising if Dylan simply did not hear the fan. But if there was ever an anti-jukebox artist, it is Dylan. In fact, that fan probably kicked any live performance of “Like a Rolling Stone” down the line about four or five more years. He may never ask his fans how they feel again.
Going in with tempered (and appropriate) expectations is key. Dylan closed out his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, which has kept him occupied for the better part of four years, with a spiritual experience.
Bob Dylan 2025 Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour review
One of the most interesting parts of going to a concert is the pre-show playlist. I like to think it represents what the artist enjoys listening to. For Inhaler, it was a mix that ranged from Sam Fender and Billie Eilish. At the Sphere, U2 included everything from David Bowie to the Beatles.
For Dylan, it was a relaxing mix of classical music. I sat there imagining him listening to the music with wired earbuds backstage. The official start time for the concert was 8:00, and surprisingly, he and his band went on stage at 8:10. It is rare for a headliner to get on stage at the start time.
The trickiest part of listening to Dylan live in 2025 is how he sets up his songs. His band usually begins jamming before making it clear what song is coming next.
Ed Sheeran similarly sets up his songs during his shows. He layers the various parts of songs on his loop pedal before starting it. Sometimes, it's a little awkward when it requires several layers, but Dylan is a different story.
It is like they begin playing at a rehearsal before someone finds a familiar melody. Suddenly, a song arises from the ashes. If you go in blind without knowing the setlist, it makes for a fun game. Even if you are aware of the bones of the setlist, it still takes you on a journey with each song. At one point, I could have sworn we were getting “Wiggle Wiggle,” but alas.
In some cases, it's easy to identify — the guitar riff of “Desolation Row's” melody made it instantly recognizable. In other cases, it can take until Dylan sings the title line that you know what he is performing.
This is especially true with his older material. Songs like “It Ain't Me, Babe” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece” have been re-arranged. Granted, it is not unfamiliar practice, as Dylan has made ballads like “Don't Think Twice It's Alright” into reggae anthems.
Bob Dylan's voice
These days, though, Dylan has two gears. The first is a combination of jazz and classical music, much like the arrangements on Shadow Kingdom. The other is a '50s-style rock-and-roll. It makes his old songs sound like they were written during the Rough and Rowdy Ways sessions, for better or worse.
So, it can make songs blend together, especially with Dylan's voice. While he deserves credit for performing so many shows over the last six decades, his voice fits his Rough and Rowdy Ways material more than anything.
Songs like “False Prophet” and “I Contain Multitudes” sound similar to their album counterparts. He doesn't have to strain trying to hit high notes nearly as much.
It is especially hard to distinguish the words he is singing. Dylan is still a passionate singer, but he doesn't have the timbre that Elton John has into his 70s.
If you haven't heard Dylan's live recordings, his current voice may be jarring. Going in, you need to be aware of his vocal state. There is still beauty in the rough, but you can't go in expecting the same voice Timothée Chalamet impersonated in A Complete Unknown.
Committing to Rough on Rowdy Ways on tour
Still, it is rare to see an artist as old as Dylan commit to his newer material. Sure, hearing the old classics would have been great, but a certain level of respect is given for him not caring about what the audience wants.
If nothing else, I would love to know what connects Dylan to the Rough and Rowdy Ways material so much. Dylan may have lost his voice over the years, but his lyricism and musical genius haven't been lost.
I'm not even sure legacy artist best defines Dylan since he runs away from his own. Bringing It All Back Home and Blood on the Tracks turn 50 and 40, respectively, this year, and yet, he acknowledges them as much as he does the audience he's playing to. Bringing It All Back Home was only represented once in the 17-song set, that being “It's All Over Now, Baby Blue,” which Dylan settled into nicely after a rocky start.
Even after A Complete Unknown, Dylan refused to perform songs Timothée Chalamet covered and made popular with a new generation. “Baby Blue” and “It Ain't Me, Babe” may be the only songs in the film that he still plays.
Like it or not, the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour is about the namesake album — Bob Dylan performs nine of 10 songs (it's a bummer the 17-minute “Murder Most Foul” doesn't get played).
A minimalistic set
Seeing Dylan in concert is unlike anything else I've seen. His stage setup was minimal, with a half-dozen or so stage lights illuminating the band — Dylan doesn't even have a spotlight on himself. It reminded me of U2's stage at the Sphere, except there wasn't a 16K screen behind Dylan, as fascinating as that'd be.
In turn, the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour show felt like a shindig, not a concert. Fans hooted and hollered at their favorite lines, but there was no dancing or singing along. Don't let one particular fan at this show who said, “We're getting rough and rowdy tonight,” fool you — there was nothing rowdy about it. The crowd was tamer than Phoebe Bridgers' on her Reunion Tour.
You are there to breathe the same air as Bob Dylan and listen to his latest album. There will be no crowd members brought on stage or sign requests; just music.
Should you see Bob Dylan on the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour?
As noted, Dylan does as he pleases, even if that means singing off-beat. It makes for an interesting viewing as he seemingly adjusts on the fly.
And yet, he and his band are a well-oiled machine. Bob Dylan and his backing band made minimal mistakes, and after 250 shows on the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour alone, his backing musicians have to be used to it.
While the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour is over — at least with its 2025 shows — Dylan will be back on the road with Willie Nelson and others for the Outlaw Music Festival.
For casual fans, they may enjoy that more. Judging by what he played when he did the festival in 2024, he dropped all Rough and Rowdy Ways songs from his setlist, instead opting to perform songs familiar to his fans from the '60s and '70s.
Real ones understand what a Dylan concert entails in 2025. Go in with the right expectations, and you may be surprised at how good his newer material is.
