Recommendations of the Editorial team
Bob Dylan stood on Saturday evening at the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid in Minneapolis on stage. His five songs of comprehensive appearance consisted exclusively of pieces from the sixties, including “All Along the Watchtower”, “to Ramona” and “Don’t Think Twice, it’s all right”.
Dylan in the hoodie – but with livestream
In advance it was long unclear whether Dylan would take part – his name was officially confirmed only a few days before the event. Until his appearance, fans speculated whether he would play with his tour band or, like in 2023, with members of the Heartbreakers. Whether he would hide behind a hood pulled deeply in the face at the Outlaw Music Festival or show himself to the audience remained open.
In the end, Dylan performed in the hoodie, but allowed camera projections and a live stream – a rarity at his concerts. Close -ups failed to materialize, the light was steamed, but the professional recording alone was considered a remarkable exception in his career.
The set was a abbreviated version of his outlaw shows: in addition to “All Along The Watchtower” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, he played “I Can Tell” (Bo Diddley), “To Ramona” and “Highway 61 Revisited”.
No “Maggie’s Farm” return
This time he did without the obvious classic “Maggie’s Farm”, which Dylan played during his farm AID appearances in 1985 and 2023. Instead, Margo Price interpreted the song together with Billy Strings and Jesse Welles.
The line-up also included Kenny Chesney, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Steve Earle, Lukas Nelson, Wynonna Judd as well as the Farm-Aid foundation members Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson.
Political tones by Neil Young, Finale with Willie Nelson
Neil Young followed directly to Dylan with a political set, opened with “Big Crime” and played “Southern Man”, “Hey Hey, My My” and “Old Man”. Willie Nelson decided the anniversary edition with classics and invited almost all guests of the day for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”, “It’s Hard to Be Humble” and “I’ll Fly Away”. Bob Dylan was the only one who did not return to the grand finale.