Bob Dylan performed a traditional folk ballad for the first time in 34 years last weekend. Listen below.
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The legendary singer-songwriter recently played two shows at the Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney as part of his 2025 ‘Rough And Rowdy Ways’ UK and Ireland tour.
At the first date on Sunday (November 23), Dylan showcased a live rendition of the traditional folk ballad ‘The Lakes Of Pontchartrain’ – marking its first appearance in his set in almost three-and-a-half decades.
The musician last performed the song at the Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire, on July 6, 1991, according to Rolling Stone. He had debuted the cover at a concert in California in 1988 as part of his ‘Never Ending Tour’.
‘The Lakes Of Pontchartrain’ originated in the US, and directly references New Orleans and its surrounding region. Irish folk outfit Planxty recorded a rendition of the tune for their 1974 album ‘Cold Blow And The Rainy Night’, transforming it into an Irish standard.
A fan captured the audio from the concert in Killarney – listen here:
Dylan played a second night in Killarney yesterday (Monday November 24). He is set to wrap up his current tour with a show in Dublin tonight (Tuesday November 25).
The icon has covered the likes of Chuck Berry, The Pogues, and Willie Dixon at previous gigs. In 2023, he delivered a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Dance Me To The End of Love’ in Montreal, took on Muddy Waters in Chicago, and covered John Mellencamp in Indianapolis.
Dylan also performed his own versions of numerous Grateful Dead tracks that year and in 2022, including ‘Truckin” and ‘Stella Blue’.
In other news, the operator of a Dylan fan site has claimed he was asked to leave the artist’s show in Glasgow last week, and told he was an “unwanted person”. He said he was ejected from the event because he had been recirculating live photos and footage from Dylan’s tour – which prohibits the use of video cameras and mobile phones.
Meanwhile, Dylan has accepted an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
Over the summer, it was reported that the musician had been working on new material with “members of his band” in Albany, New York.