We are right in the middle of the Fall Tour, and the momentum is building. This week, we’re not only reflecting on the past few shows, but also looking ahead to what’s coming. This past week brought us to Copenhagen, Hamburg and Lingen, three cities that witnessed Bob’s ever-evolving performances and the quiet intensity of his current Rough And Rowdy Way’s setlist. Starting today, the three concerts in Brussels mark a central point of the tour. They promise to be the first core moment, a kind of nucleus around which the energy of the coming days will revolve.
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Let’s dive into the highlights of the past week and prepare ourselves for what lies ahead.
Live from Brussels: BOZAR triple-header (Oct 26 to 28)
Bob Dylan plays three consecutive nights at BOZAR in Brussels. Clustering three shows in one city is a magnet for us traveling fans, so expect the most concentrated crowd of the tour so far and a buzzing atmosphere before and after the shows!
Daily Dylan Lunch in Brussels, Tue Oct 28 at 13:00
We’re hosting a casual Daily Dylan Lunch on Tuesday, Oct 28 at 13:00 at Brasserie de la Ville (near Grand-Place). We have 25 seats and a short waiting list. If you’re strongly interested, reply to this email or leave a comment; we’ll check on options with the venue on Monday. Address: Rue des Chapeliers 14, 1000 Brussels.
Concert Review: Lingen (by Michael, Daily Dylan Social Media Manager)
Michael filed a field report from Lingen. Full review below.
“Before setting out for my eight planned shows on this tour, I had a few concerns after the first performances: the same setlist (at least on paper) as the R&RW Tour in the spring, Bob hidden behind his music stand and mostly visible only from the right — and, as usual, I had booked most of my tickets on the left.
Still, with these thoughts — and plenty of excitement for the first show — I set off for a city I only knew from Bob’s touring history (the first concert there took place in 2017) and otherwise knew nothing about.
I arrived quite early and followed my beloved pre-show ritual: coffee in hand, I walked around the venue, watched the tour buses (whenever I see them, I know I’m in the right place!), greeted a few familiar faces, and observed the band’s arrival from a respectful distance.
Pre-Show Impressions in Lingen
Before the show, I caught up with many old and new friends, then took my seat in the front row, quite far to the left.
My worry about the view turned out to be mostly unfounded. Bob moved his microphone stand back and forth between left and right, and after the second song he even pushed the music stand a little further to the left. So whenever he placed the mic on the right, I could clearly see his face — minus the mouth, but still close enough to catch many details of his expression.
The concern about the “same old” setlist also quickly faded. I felt genuinely happy to hear this now so familiar set again. The opener, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, surprised with an atmospheric arrangement and a wonderfully catchy guitar part. And yes — the old tradition that Bob can’t be heard or understood properly during the first song was, unfortunately, back again. I loved hearing Bob play guitar on It Ain’t Me, Babe — his unmistakable, idiosyncratic style drew me in.
One of the highlights for me was the trio When I Paint My Masterpiece – Black Rider – My Own Version of You. The first has been one of the best moments in the set for all of last year, and this time drummer Anton Fig, new to the band this year, added his own distinctive flavor. I really want to give him special praise — it was a pure joy to watch him at work, effortlessly switching between styles and instruments.
My Own Version of You came with yet another new arrangement which made it probably the highlight of the night for me (shoutout to the version of the final London show in 2024 which is still my favorite ever). Last night the band built a floating soundscape — reminiscent of Murder Most Foul — and Bob sang the lyrics powerfully over it. The way he delivered the final word “...tears” was breathtaking — the tone, the expression, the emotion packed into that one syllable.
Another standout moment was It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. Last autumn the song went through several transformations on tour, and this time Bob performed it almost a cappella, with only the softest backing from the band. It was an incredibly intense delivery — every word clear, deliberate, and full of feeling. By contrast, To Be Alone With You — warmly welcomed by the audience after two quieter numbers — had him half-singing into the mic, as he sometimes does.
The whole performance felt intimate, almost chamber play. The band stood close together — Doug Lancio right beside Bob’s piano, with Bob Britt on the other side — and the beautiful lighting reinforced that sense of closeness. As always, Bob directed his musicians when something wasn’t quite as he wanted: during Mother of Muses, for example, he shot Doug Lancio one or two serious looks that seemed to spur him into an inspired guitar part.
Every Grain of Sand was, as always, a perfect and deeply moving closer — it never fails to touch me. As the final notes faded, the audience moved to the rail, and I found myself standing right in front of Bob during the well-deserved applause. In his slight bow and faint smile, I sensed that these performances give him just as much as they give so many of us.
After the show, I drove off into the night, and about thirty minutes later, I spotted the familiar Beat the Street buses on the highway, already heading toward Brussels. See you there!”
Road to 100, Part 3 of 7: My wild year, 2013
Part 3 went out yesterday: the year I pushed the limits, 24 shows in 12 months. First-time Amsterdam, a return to London’s Royal Albert Hall, a whirlwind Milan (3) and Rome (2) run, plus Hannover, Hamburg (2) and Düsseldorf back home. If you’re catching up, you’ll find Part 3 in the feed now.
We set up dedicated Daily Dylan channels on Instagram and Facebook for this fall tour. I’m posting live updates from the road, including travel notes, encounters, and concert impressions. It is essentially a lightly curated travel diary of the journey to my 100th Dylan show in Dublin. Join via our social profiles to follow in real time.
I made a reservation at the restaurant at 13.00 for 2 persons. Can I join the Dylan table in the restaurant we have tickets for the 28th evening in BOZAR
I made a reservation at the restaurant at 13.00 for 2 persons. Can I join the Dylan table in the restaurant we have tickets for the 28th evening in BOZAR
Would love to join the lunch of a seat becomes available! Thanks vanessa