Bob Dylan is making headlines again, not just for his iconic legacy but for fresh moves on stage and a record-setting auction sale.
Fans lucky enough to catch the 83-year-old music legend on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour got more than they bargained for, with Dylan dishing out live rarities, fresh covers, and unexpected collaborations.
During the Spokane, Washington stop on May 22, Dylan surprised the crowd by performing a new take on his 1967 track All Along the Watchtower. He was at the piano while bluegrass phenom Billy Strings, 32, handled the acoustic guitar. It was a cross-generational moment that reminded everyone why Dylan continues to inspire musicians across genres and decades.
That wasn’t the only shock of the tour. On May 13, at a different stop, Dylan brought Mr. Tambourine Man back to life, his first live performance of the 1965 classic in 15 years. It was a moment that sent chills through longtime fans, especially since he’s known for avoiding setlist repetition. And the surprises kept coming. He closed that night’s 13-song set with a cover of The Pogues’ A Rainy Night in Soho, another curveball that few could have predicted.
Adding to the list of rare performances, Dylan played Forgetful Heart, a haunting track he hadn’t touched live since 2015. The entire tour has become a goldmine for Dylan diehards, offering up a rotating set of songs that rarely see the stage.
While Dylan’s tour has been full of musical gems, his work is also commanding major attention at auction. Earlier this year, Julien’s Auctions in Nashville hosted a major sale of Dylan memorabilia. The top item? Two typewritten pages of Mr. Tambourine Man lyrics, complete with Dylan’s handwritten notes, which sold for a jaw-dropping $508,000. That one item made up a third of the total $1.5 million in sales from over 60 Dylan-related lots.
The yellow lyric sheets were part of the personal archive of late music journalist Al Aronowitz. His son Myles, who uncovered the pages while digging through 250 boxes of his father’s collection, called it a remarkable find. Other notable items included a signed 1968 oil painting by Dylan ($260,000) and a 1983 custom Fender guitar he once owned and played ($225,000).
Dylan might be pushing into his mid-80s, but he’s not slowing down. Between his unpredictable tour setlists, standout collaborations like the one with Billy Strings, and continued influence on collectors and fans alike, Bob Dylan remains as vital and fascinating as ever.
Whether on stage or at the auction block, he’s still rewriting the rulebook.
