The Bob Dylan Week in Review
About Front Row's, Exclusive "Phantom Gate" Photos and Daily Dylan Expanding
It’s been another packed week in the world of Bob Dylan: From unexpected ticket drops and new releases to a surprising Broadway appearance. With just four days to go until the Fall Tour kicks off in Helsinki, excitement is steadily building across Europe. Before the first notes ring out in Finland, here’s a quick look back at the stories, sounds, and surprises that shaped this week.
Surprise Ticket Drop in Hamburg
Midweek, sharp-eyed fans noticed new Front of Stage tickets — including two front row spots — quietly reappearing on Eventim for Dylan’s Hamburg show. Daily Dylan was quick to share the news, but it’s a timely reminder: even official ticket portals sometimes release new allocations closer to the date. If you’re hoping to upgrade or still hunting for seats, it’s worth checking in every few days. And of course, we’ll keep you informed whenever new batches surface.
Fancy working with us? Join the Daily Dylan Team!
We’re currently looking for a video editor to join our growing team — ideally a fellow Dylan fan with passion, creativity, and attention to detail. The position is part-time and remote, with access to Pro versions of Riverside, Descript, and Canva. Applications are open until October 15. If you’d like to be part of the Daily Dylan project, drop us a message at info@daily-dylan.com.
A Stunning Alternate Take of “Boots of Spanish Leather”
The rollout for The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 continued with a breathtaking alternate take of “Boots of Spanish Leather”, newly available on streaming platforms. Sparse yet deeply affecting, this version strips away some of the fragility of the original Times They Are A-Changin’ recording and replaces it with a quiet resolve. The phrasing feels more deliberate, less a farewell and more an act of acceptance.
It’s one of eleven tracks from the forthcoming set now live on Spotify, and it’s easy to see why it’s sparking excitement online. One fan summed it up perfectly on X this week: “Didn’t have a single interest in the new Dylan Bootleg Series release until I heard that stunning alternate take of ‘Boots of Spanish Leather.’”
Bob Dylan’s “Phantom Gate” Ironwork on Broadway - Exclusive Behind The Scenes Photos
Bob Dylan’s artistic vision keeps finding new stages, this time, quite literally. His forged iron gates, long admired in galleries, have now made their way onto the New York theater scene.
As Vulture reports, Dylan was commissioned to create two custom iron gates for Masquerade, an immersive reinterpretation of The Phantom of the Opera, staged in a secret midtown Manhattan venue. The production features contributions from several fine artists — among them Marina Abramović — and Dylan’s work serves as both set piece and metaphor.
The gates, named “Phantom Gates,” were designed and built in Bob’s Los Angeles studio and later transported to New York. Like his previous sculptures, they’re made from found metal objects: Fragments of bridges, railroads, and other industrial relics, many sourced from Minnesota. Shai Baitel, Masquerade’s creative director and longtime curator of Dylan’s art, described the gates as “a repetitive motif” in Dylan’s body of work. Symbols of movement, memory, and passage.
Originally intended for an outdoor graveyard scene, the gates ultimately found their home in Masquerade’s indoor “mirror maze” — a carnival-like space that marks a key turning point in the show. “When you enter the mirror maze, there’s Dylan’s gates that are welcoming you,” Baitel explained. “And when you exit, it’s a farewell.”
The installation marks the first time Dylan has created a work specifically for the theater. Baitel revealed that the project took shape between 2024 and 2025 and required months of persuasion before Dylan agreed to the commission. “Bob is very specific,” he said. “He isn’t easy to convince.”
For Bob, who often travels anonymously between concerts and studios, the symbolism feels fitting: gateways made of the past, framing a world of illusion and reflection. As Baitel put it, “The Phantom is the genius of music — and Bob is the genius of everything.”
Exclusive Behind The Scenes Photos from Phantom project on Broadway
Daily Dylan Lunch in Brussels – Fully Booked!
Our Brussels meet-up on October 27 is now fully booked with twenty attendees and a waiting list forming fast.
Join waiting list here:
We’ll gather at Brasserie de la Ville at 1:00 p.m., just a short walk from the venue, for what promises to be a vibrant get-together of fans before Dylan’s second Brussels concert. A perfect occasion to connect, exchange stories, and share the anticipation of this fall’s European tour.
Two New Podcast Episodes Recorded
This week we recorded two brand new episodes of the Daily Dylan Podcast, both featuring wonderful guests and lively conversation. They’ll be released just before — or right after the start of — the upcoming European tour. Stay tuned.
Check out our YouTube-Channel to check out more episodes in the meantime!
Spare Tickets Corner
Find the current list of spare tickets from us and our followers below!
Thanks for supporting!
Daniel
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Daily Dylan to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.