Dylan Performs Surprise Set at Farm Aid

Not quite Newport but still a shock--and he played mid-'60s classics with Heartbreakers. See it all here.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books and now writer/director of award-winning films. He was also the longtime executive editor of the legendary Crawdaddy. This newsletter somehow remains free when you subscribe. His film “Atomic Cover-up” became free via Kanopy this month.

Just a quickie, as awoke to discover that Bob Dylan made a surprise appearance at Farm Aid late last night in Indiana, the first time he’s done that since mid-1980s, and with members of the Heartbreakers, and even stood and played guitar, which rarely happens these days (usually sits at piano). Opened with “Maggie’s Farm” (get it?), then “Positively 4th Street” and “Ballad of a Thin Man,” for first time in years. BTW, others who played: Neil Young (watch here), Dave Matthews, Bob Weir, Margo Price, and John Mellencamp and, of course, Willie Nelson, watch his full set.

Anyway, here is full set, 15 minutes, and then below excerpts from Rolling Stone, which is behind pay wall for most.

Bob Dylan was back on the Farm Aid stage for the first time since the inaugural event in 1985, which was inspired by his off-hand comments at Live Aid a few months earlier about helping family farmers. Joining him were 3/5th of the Heartbreakers – guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboard Belmont Tench, and drummer Steve Ferrone – alongside members of Campbell’s other group, the Dirty Knobs. Dylan was playing electric guitar.

This was an extraordinary moment for many reasons. Dylan almost never makes unannounced appearances or performs without his own band; He hasn’t played with the Heartbreakers in 20 years; Campbell, Tench, and Ferrone have rarely performed together in public since Petty’s death; Dylan usually plays piano at his shows; There wasn’t even a tiny hint anywhere throughout the day that this might happen.

On [“Positively 4th Sttreet”] Campbell channeled guitarist Mike Bloomfield, Tench flawlessly executed Al Kooper’s organ parts, and the hardcore Dylan fans in the audience had to blink a few times to make sure they weren’t dreaming. Dylan last played the song in 2013, but it’s hard to remember a time it sounded anything like this. It was quite possibly sometime in early 1966 when the Hawks were backing him.

And flash back to….1965-1966…when I saw him do this in Buffalo…