Unearthed: Bob Dylan Rehearsals 1989-2002

This is the first in a series highlighting Bob Dylan sets added to bobserve.com that are not otherwise found in the major setlist references. This helps to make bobserve more complete and up to date. It also keeps the team here busy and off the streets.

Today we focus on rehearsals in which Bob Dylan participated, as documented by Ian Woodward in The Wicked Messenger (TWM) series.

Let's begin…

1989 Dublin tour rehearsals with a new band member

After three Scandinavian shows in May 1989, Dylan and the band paused briefly for some rehearsal time on June 2, 1989 at the Windmill Lane Studios. This was just prior to a pair of Dublin concerts. Oh, and it was Tony Garnier’s first time joining the band. He would go on to perform more than 3,200 times with Dylan, and counting!

1990 New York rehearsals

Before resuming the 1990 tour, following almost a one-month break, the band took three consecutive days at the Montana Studios to rehearse. TWM has a setlist for the middle date’s 2-hour session from The Wicked Messenger #641. Of the songs tried out here:

• It was ten years later when 10,000 Men made it into an actual concert, and then only a single time
• 2 x 2 didn’t air live until almost two years later, in Correggio on July 5, 1992.
• The live debut of Unbelievable wouldn’t take place until two years later, in Ottawa on August 22, 1992.

1992 Letterman show rehearsal

On the Letterman show itself, Dylan performed Like A Rolling Stone. Dolly Dagger, on the other hand, he reserved for a one-time performance in Perth in 1992.

1993 Dublin tour rehearsals

A pair of rehearsals on February 3 and 4, 1993 at The Factory in Ringsend, Dublin. In the band were Bucky Baxter, John Jackson, Tony Garnier, and Winston Watson.

1993 Letterman show rehearsal

TWM reports this session included a 9-minute Forever Young, in preparation for its TV performance later that day.

1997 tour rehearsal

At the New Daisy Theater in Memphis Tennessee on October 20, 1997. With Bucky Baxter, David Kemper, Larry Campbell and Tony Garnier.

2002 Grammy Awards rehearsal

What’s new at bobserve.com?

If you’ve logged the concerts you’ve attended, you can now view your stats for individual years using the myevents pages filters. For those lucky enough to see Bob Dylan in 2023, consider this your Year in Review, just like those fancy streaming services offer but, y’know, without all the fancy graphics and animations.