On June 7, 1988, Bob Dylan started touring every year and has not stopped since. Dubbed by fans as the “Never Ending Tour,” Bob and his crack band recently came to Nashville for the 17th time during this remarkable 28-year phenomenon.
In a nutshell, Bob did the same show here that he has been doing every night on this current installment of the NET. (Yes, that means Sinatra songs.) Given that there’s been enough written about this tour and there was a heavily-enforced strict ban on photos, let’s take a detour and take a brief look at Dylan and Music City.
This really has been the year for Bob Dylan in Nashville: the Country Music Hall of Fame’s launch of its Dylan/Cash and the Nashville Cats exhibit, Old Crow Medicine Shows’ Blonde on Blonde performances and the recent two-night DylanFest at the Ryman for Bob’s 75th birthday. Now we get the Man himself in a live concert that despite its strangeness, was nonetheless thoroughly satisfying.
With that said, here’s the history of the NET in Music City where Bob seems to like variety in his venues. The 17 Nashville shows listed below have taken place in 10 different places. (Opening act info is missing for the early dates.)
July 22, 1988: Starwood Amphitheater
August 20, 1989: Starwood Amphitheater
October 27, 1990: Memorial Hall, Vanderbilt University
April 13 & 14, 1993: Andrew Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
November 8 & 9, 1994: Ryman Auditorium
February 6, 1999: Municipal Auditorium (w/ The Brian Setzer Orchestra)
September 8, 1999: First American Music Center (formerly Starwood Amphitheater / Paul Simon)
May 5, 2001: Nashville River Stages, Riverfront Park (festival that included The Wallflowers)
November 3, 2001: Municipal Auditorium (w/ BR549)
April 29, 2003: The Trap (w/ Robinella & the CC String Band)
June 28, 2005: Herschel Greer Stadium (w/ Willie Nelson & Family and The Greencards)
September 19 & 20, 2007: Ryman Auditorium (w/ Elvis Costello and Amos Lee)
October 19, 2010: Municipal Auditorium (no opening act)
August 1, 2011: Ryman Auditorium (w/ Leon Russell)
June 30, 2013: The Lawn at Riverfront Park (Americanarama w/ Wilco, My Morning Jacket and Bob Weir)
April 27, 2015: Andrew Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center (no opening act)
June 26, 2016: Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater (w/ Mavis Staples)
So where will Bob play on his next visit? Having already played on two makeshift locations on the Cumberland Riverfront, perhaps it will be at the newly-constructed Ascend Amphitheater on said river? We’ll see. I also wouldn’t mind spending the bucks to see him up close at the City Winery.
PS—Some breaking news. Watch for the return of DylanFest for two nights at the Ryman again next May.
SETLIST:
- Things Have Changed
- She Belongs to Me
- Beyond Here Lies Nothin’
- What’ll I Do (Irving Berlin cover)
- Pay in Blood
- Melancholy Mood (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Duquesne Whistle
- I’m a Fool to Want You (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Tangled Up in Blue (with some new lyrics)
- High Water (for Charley Patton)
- Why Try to Change Me Now (Cy Coleman cover)
- Early Roman Kings
- I Could Have Told You (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Spirit on the Water
- Scarlet Town
- All or Nothing at All (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Long and Wasted Years
- Autumn Leaves (Yves Montand cover)
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- Love Sick
BAND:
Bob Dylan—vocals, piano, harmonica
Stu Kimball—rhythm guitar
Charlie Sexton—lead guitar
Tony Garnier—bass
George Receli—drums, percussion
Donnie Herron—pedal steel, lap steel, electric mandolin, banjo, violin
Music City Mike 
Did Tony not play?
He was on the same line as Charlie–thanks I fixed it.
what were the new tangled lyrics?
Need to write them out when I get a chance.
yes, please and thank you