Bob Dylan turned back the clock when the Outlaw Music Festival stopped at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in New York on August 8th, delivering a powerful rendition of his timeless anti-war anthem. The following nights, he opened his sets with the same song in Hershey, Pennsylvania (August 9th) and Syracuse, New York (August 10th), proving its message still resonates decades later.
Reflecting on the track in the liner notes for The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the folk icon once explained: “I’ve never really written anything like that before. I don’t sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn’t help it with this one. The song is a sort of striking out, a reaction to the last straw, a feeling of what can you do?”
Though Dylan has typically kept his thoughts on global conflicts to himself over the years, he notably performed the song at the 1991 Grammys—right as the Gulf War began. He never directly commented on the war that night, but the song choice spoke volumes.
This summer marks Dylan’s 35-date trek with Willie Nelson in celebration of the Outlaw Music Festival’s 10th anniversary. The journey began in Phoenix on May 13th, 2025, and will wrap up on September 19th in East Troy, Wisconsin. Along the way, Dylan has dusted off classics like The Times They Are A-Changin’—performed live for the first time since 2010—alongside a generous helping of other ’60s staples.
Later in the year, Dylan will head across the Atlantic for an extensive European tour. His UK and Ireland dates begin November 7th at the Brighton Centre, followed by three shows in Swansea, a stop in Leeds at the First Direct Arena, and two nights at Glasgow’s Armadillo. From there, he’ll cross into Northern Ireland for two shows in Belfast before heading south to Killarney, County Kerry, for back-to-back concerts. The run will conclude at Dublin’s 3Arena on November 25th.
