Last Night in Tulsa (in 15 snapshots)

2025-03-25, Tulsa Theater, Tulsa, OK

Photo by Duncan Hume

Last night, the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour 2021–2024 continued in Tulsa. I had to scratch out that last bit of the usual title. The posters, after having listed 2024 as the closing year this whole time, suddenly didn’t any more. It’s become the Never Ending Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour! Our grandchildren will die from old age, and Bob Dylan will still be out there crooning “Key West” every night. I hope so.

The setlist remained unchanged from Europe last fall, but there was one big change in the band. Jim Keltner has left, and his BobFest drumming partner Anton Fig (who also played on some Dylan albums in the 1980s) has taken the stool. There was also a new ten-minute intermission eight songs in.

I was not in Tulsa last night—I’ll be reporting in from Omaha and Sioux City next week instead (subscribe if you want to read them)—but a bunch of the sharpest Dylan fans I know were. So, instead of just one guest review, I convened a murder-most-foul-ers row of short reviews from the experts on the ground. It’s a similar format to Memphis last spring, where I asked people to comment on one song/moment that struck them about the show.

While I do still feel some FOMO, I enjoyed being able to experience last night’s show through their words, and am sure you will too. Find short reports from our 15 special Tulsa correspondents below. (Plus, there are already tapes! I embedded a few songs people specifically shouted out, in bold.)

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The word of the night for me was jovial. The man in front of me said the whole place had “barn house rodeo vibes.” Well I’d guess he hasn’t been to many of those, but from my point of view in the fourth row there was an element of reckless fun in the audience. A lot of standing, dancing, and people in and out of the aisles. The setlist remained the same as the previous fall European leg, but everything felt fresh. Bob was totally dialed in, naturally, and delivered beautifully. The audience was totally dialed in too, hanging on every word. His outfit was as sharp as ever in black hat, black boots, and a fun shirt. There was some laughter during “Key West” and “Black Rider,” appropriate hoots and hollers throughout, and many standing ovations. A fantastic show we all gleefully chatted about afterwards and had a hard time coming down from. — Olivia Whittaker

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From the first note to last, this was a stunning tour de force. Dylan was completely engaged and delivered every word with strength and clarity. The mix permitted his voice prominent yet every instrument was clear. The Rough and Rowdy Ways songs sounded fresh, bluesier in the slower ones and a bit more swing to them in the uptempo numbers. Fig makes a difference. I do wonder about the slightly late start and the ten minute break. — Terry Gans

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When I first heard talk of the frankly optimistically named Rough and Rowdy 2021-2024 tour, I sincerely hoped he’d still be around and able to perform in 2024. I’ll be honest: I doubted it. Shame on me. Here he is in Tusla in March 2025, literally in the shadow of the Bob Dylan Center and all his memorabilia of an age past. Fascinating as it is, the live performance is what really matters. Tonight I was often reminded of Robert Shelton’s great quote about Bob: “He’s the guy who jumps out of the hearse on the way to the cemetery.”

The show opened with a quirky start to “Watchtower” with Bob sitting behind his piano back to the audience, noodling on his guitar loudly. The volume up high. “It Ain’t Me Babe” followed the same pattern. But then things took off and didn’t look back. With his vocal high and front in the mix, he delivered a quite remarkable show. It’s hard to pick out highlights. Everything sparkled. I mean everything. There were no low points. I saw the last Albert Hall show which was very good. This was, by a country mile, a vastly better show. His focus on the vocal and piano runs were sublime. Oh and yes “Key West” is still in the Gulf of Mexico. A hugely appreciative and enthusiastic crowd would have carried him out of the venue on their shoulders at the show’s close given the chance. We all know no one wins the battle against Father Time but our man isn’t showing any signs of decline. Quite the opposite. Rave on Bob, rave on. — Duncan Hume

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I’m sure others will offer plenty of thoughts on the music, so I’ll take an opportunity here to dwell on the on-stage action. We were seated dead center in the second row, so Bob’s visage—weathered, ruddy, expressive, dignified—was my focus the entire night. I simply couldn’t take my eyes off him (presumably, this is how Swifties feel at the Eras Tour). Britt and Lancio were stolid and silent the whole time, but Tony’s face told the tale: quiet concentration, studied focus, and huge goofy grins anytime Bob nailed a particularly florid piano fill. Not the greatest Bob show I’ve ever seen, but without a doubt the most dramatic. Come on over to the Never Ending Stories Patreon for more thoughts on the show, the Bob Dylan Center, and the best root beer in Tulsa. — Ian Grant

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First things first, a Bob fashion report: Bob was sporting a pair of black trousers with a stripe down the side, galoshes-esque motorcycle boots, a black button-up shirt overwhelmed with a pretty and feathery purple flower print, topped off with an appropriately-sized round brim flat top black hat with a handsome silver band. Shirt unbutton count, to my best estimation: Two.

Second things second: I have never been especially moved by “Black Rider.” It’s not one of my favorite tunes on the Rough and Rowdy Ways album, nor is it a particular live favorite of mine. Tonight, everything I thought I felt about this song was questioned by what was a simply incredible performance. Bob’s vocals were close to the strongest of the show. He has incredible control of his lower register and uses it to great effect. The sneaky humor of certain lines (“go home to your own wife/stop visiting mine”—delivered cheekily) was at the forefront with an extremely receptive audience, who were in on the joke that Bob was offering. It was perfect in both character and tune. I’ve seen “Black Rider” live before, and if you told me before this show that it would be the song I walked away thinking about, I would have said you were crazy. For what it’s worth: Bob and Tony Garnier also loved this one. Almost as sweet as the song itself was watching the two of them enthusiastically consult each other after its conclusion, with huge grins and laughter. — Britt Eisnor

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I was fortunate to go those three Royal Albert Hall shows last November and I thought, what a perfect way to end touring for Bob. But they were certainly back tonight, with the same set list with fun new twists and turns—new drummer! Fig was great and powerful, playing softly as well as a hard-edged beat... After “To Be Alone with You,” Bob leaned in and said, “10 minute break.” I think the last break was 10 years ago. — Peter Gregory

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The Rough: "All Along the Watchtower," "False Prophet," gloriously wrong notes on the guitar

The Rowdy: "It Ain't Me Babe," "When I Paint My Masterpiece," "Goodbye Jimmy Reed," piano like Thelonious Monk

The Ways: all, side, straighta, in some, no two, every which

The Best: "My Own Version of You," "I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"

The State of Democracy: Safe and thriving, at least for two hours — Steven Jenkins

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The moment that truly touched me was in “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You.” One of his most beautiful love songs, and a favorite of mine, and yet these tender, mournful lines caught in my throat tonight:

I traveled the long road of despair
I met no other traveler there
A lot of people gone, a lot of people I knew
I’ve made up my mind to give myself to you

Last September my father died, and his absence and those of other departed loved ones are deeply felt. Hearing these words tonight gave voice to the unspeakable grief I’ve been living with, reminding me that I’m not alone, that others have felt this way, that loss is a human condition we all must endure.

And endure it we will, Dylan reminds us, as he sings of that “perfect finished plan” in the welcome benediction that “Every Grain of Sand” has become. These moments of catharsis and hope are what drew me to his music twenty years ago, and why I continue to see him every chance I get. Time and again Dylan’s songs have spoken to me when I needed to hear them most, and I am grateful to have them as guideposts along my own life’s journey. — Melanie Young

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After a serenely silvery harp solo that puts everything flowing, Bob goes “I'm sitting on my terrace, lost in the stars.” I'm suddenly forced to picture myself in the future, looking back at the torturous 24 hours that took us to get to Tulsa, at the day spent in such a devoid city, diminutive and totally sprawled at the same time, at the smiling and sad masks that adorn the Tulsa Theater facade. In that past future, maybe I'll unlock the contradiction of an artist whose live creations make you navigate constantly between laughter and tears, hope and despair, dignity and armageddon. The “yes” I knew you’d say, the “no” at the prospect of your letters. In the end, you can reduce it all to zeros and ones, to complete silence and the tingling of a piano. I was thinking to myself, yeah that's about right. — Sergi Fabregat

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Tulsa is a spooky town, haunted by many ghosts, friendly and unfriendly. But I like that. I can see why Bob wanted to put his archives here. It’s about as “old, weird America” as you can still get in this country. Have to admit I was disappointed that the setlist was mostly familiar, though I let out a genuinely admiring “you S.O.B.!” when he played, once again, “Watching The River Flow.” Who could have imagined that this much watching of the river flowing would still be happening in 2025? Feels like the evolution of the Rowdy & Rough Ways tour is about Bob paring back the sound more and more to just his voice, his occasional harmonica, and his increasingly frequent piano solos, which he unfurled with Liberace-esque grandiloquence in (I think?) every song. His guitarists, Bob Britt and Doug Lancio, must be admired at this point for their apparent lack of ego. They don’t have much to do this these days other than look sharp on stage in slick suits. This has to be the least guitar solo-heavy period of Bob’s concert life since he went electric. I’m seeing this tour two more times next week, and I can’t wait. I’m already prepping myself for even more river flowing on the horizon. — Steven Hyden

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Beer should not be served. Lasers mounted in the ceiling should evaporate anyone whoo’ing more than three times or for more than three seconds in any one instance. Tapes are no substitute for the real thing. Incredible sound & mix, beautifully spaced arrangements were not sparse but not at all cluttered. Bob’s voice and care in singing was again exceptional, until “Jimmy Reed” when it got a bit low and less crisp. (Recovered mostly for “Every Grain”). The many long Rough and Rowdy Ways ballads in particular were given fresh life and made accessible to those who perhaps didn’t know them, and laughed lightly in all the right place at hearing things for the first time. All may be wrong in the world, but Bob Dylan and his band almost make it worth putting up with. — Craig Danuloff

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For me the most memorable aspect was how Tulsa was run by Bobcats for a day. I played at the Saturn Room across the street before and after the show and met so many lovely people. I’ll never forget it. And the show was outstanding. Most supportive crowd I’ve ever seen for Bob, and I’m thinking it’s gotta be up there for him too! Everyone was locked in to everything he was doing, standing for half the night, ovations for just about every song. Most people were hardcore Bobcats, but the two women standing beside me were first-timers. And what a show they got. They were laughing at every great line (like 5 or 6 times during “Black Rider”) and grinning ear to ear the whole time. Everyone was. — Virgil Kinsley

“Goodbye Jimmy Reed” video clip from Virgil:

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Such an amazing crowd in Tulsa last night! One of the best audiences at a R&RW show I've seen in America. They showed an incredible love for Bob and the songs all along, standing for great parts of the show, and also showing some striking responses to particular lines, as when “the size of your cock will get you nowhere” was answered with applause more than with the more usual laughter! It reminded me that this is the first show in the US after the last election, as if people wanted to demonstrate their revulsion for the misogyny shown by the current incumbent of the White House. There was also a big round of applause at the mention of Leon Russell! Then afterwards, we had a fabulous party celebrating such an incredible evening with music from Virgil, meeting old friends and partying until the wee small hours proving that one of the best ways to measure a show is by the buzz around and during it. — Graham Gaskill

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I know Bob loves to read and reference the Ancients, so if I had to give him a Homeric title based on that performance alone, it would be “the Godlike Bob Dylan.” Maybe I've seen better shows, maybe I've seen better individual songs and maybe some other gigs will mean more to me over the years but man oh man, next time anyone says to me “if you had a time machine, what Dylan show would you go to?” I'm going to say “Take me back to Tulsa in 2025” in a flash. Phenomenal singing, arrangements, and energy. Best crowd I've ever heard, getting so into the show and loving every line (the cheer for a mention of Leon Russell was spine tingling). New drummer played like all of Dylan's drummers since George Receli combined and knocked it out of the park. It might be four months since Bob and the boys last played a show, but it felt like he was picking up where he left off as it it was yesterday. Man alive, he is coming in hot this year. Lastly, that piano playing? I've never heard anything like it. He's like Erroll Garner, Bud Powell, Little Richard and Jerry Lee all rolled into one and burning up in a white hot flame. This stuff he's got will bust your brains right out. — Matthew Ingate

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Seventy degrees, pretty dresses and pink cowboy hats, gentlemen in suits and bolo ties and one intrepid fellow in whiteface, his brimmed hat ringed with artificial flowers. Merch lines were impossible. Whiskey was $10 for a big glass. The crowd was capacious and reveling, making a Saturday night of a Tuesday. We'd come from England and Japan, Mississippi and Arkansas, New York and Los Angeles, across these United States and the world. At exactly 8:05pm on Tulsa time, Bob Dylan hit the old Tulsa Theater, formerly known as The Brady, like a train last night.

What stood out for me? The ones that made me weep: “Desolation Row,” swinging and swaying, Dylan's ripply piano making it a mariachi anthem (as it did with a couple of other songs too). “Key West (Philosopher Pirate),” in which he really lingered on that Gulf of Mexico and the land of Oz alike. Don't tell us you've never been to the land of Oz, Mr. Dylan, when you're the wizard for real. “It's All Over Now, Baby Blue,” one of my favorite songs. The wistful, gentle “I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself To You.” That closing benediction of “Every Grain of Sand.”

No one wanted to leave. We stood in the warm night street and laughed and hugged each other. I called Bill Pagel and was incoherent with the set list; Craig and Terry had to help me, even though I'd written it down—I skipped around and babbled out everything I thought, while Bill was immensely patient and kind, on the long end of the line from Hibbing, Minnesota. Wiping my Dusty-Springfield smudged eyes, happy as hell, heading down the street to a quiet little place with a speakeasy vibe not to post-mortem, but deliriously celebrate, the show with Terry, Janet, Craig, and Barry. He's on the road again. He's 83 and has more energy than all of us put together, and it was such a fantastic show that I couldn't sleep. I wanted to be on the road, too, heading for Little Rock, come following him in the wee small hours of a jingle-jangle prairie morning. — Anne Margaret Daniel

Photo by Tim Swaddling

Thanks to all of our guest contributors! Click the links on each of their names to find more from them on social media and beyond. I’ll be reporting myself next week from the shows in Omaha and Sioux City (only for paid subscribers - join up!)

2025-03-25, Tulsa Theater, Tulsa, OK