Last weekend, Bob Dylan captivated audiences by performing a traditional folk ballad for the first time in over three decades.
The iconic musician recently took the stage for two shows at the Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney as part of his 2025 ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ tour in the UK and Ireland.
During his first performance on Sunday (November 23), Dylan delivered a live version of the folk ballad ‘The Lakes Of Pontchartrain,’ which had not been featured in his set for nearly 34 years.
The last time he sang the song was at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 6, 1991, as reported by Rolling Stone. He initially introduced the cover during a concert in California in 1988 as part of his ‘Never Ending Tour.’
Originating in the U.S., ‘The Lakes Of Pontchartrain’ specifically references New Orleans and its environs. The Irish folk group Planxty included a version on their 1974 album ‘Cold Blow and the Rainy Night,’ turning it into an Irish classic.
A fan captured Dylan’s performance in Killarney—listen here:
The musician performed a second show in Killarney the following night (Monday, November 24) and is set to conclude his current tour with a performance in Dublin tonight (Tuesday, November 25).
Throughout this year, Dylan has covered songs from various artists, including Chuck Berry, The Pogues, and Willie Dixon. Earlier this year, he performed Leonard Cohen’s ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ in Montreal and covered Muddy Waters in Chicago, as well as John Mellencamp in Indianapolis.
Dylan has also showcased his versions of several Grateful Dead tracks throughout 2022 and 2023, including “Truckin'” and ‘Stella Blue’.
In other news, a fan site operator asserted he was asked to leave Dylan’s Glasgow show last week and labeled an “unwanted person” for sharing live footage of the tour, which restricts the use of cameras and mobile devices.
Additionally, Dylan recently received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Over the summer, it was reported that he was working on new material with members of his band in Albany, New York.
