Bob Dylan switches guitarists mid way through ongoing American tour

Bob Dylan appears to be shaking up his regular live band in a pretty significant way during his ongoing American summer tour. Two guitarists who had been part of his traveling lineup for years both seem to have departed, though Dylan himself has not said anything publicly about the situation.

The most striking exit involves acoustic guitarist Bob Britt, who had been touring with Dylan since 2019 and was a familiar presence throughout the so called Rough And Rowdy Ways tour. Around June 28, Britt posted a since deleted message on social media reading "Sayonara Bobby," accompanied by an image of a flight route from Austin, Texas to Nashville during a tour day off. According to screenshots shared online by Dylan fans, he added in a comment: "I quit." Dylan has not responded to his guitarist's apparent departure.

A change in the band had already taken place earlier on the electric guitar side. Lancio, who had been part of the touring band since 2021, was absent from the stage during Dylan's June 17 performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl. A Los Angeles Times review noted that his spot had been filled by acclaimed jazz guitarist Julian Lage. A spokesperson for Dylan said at the time that they had "no information" on whether Lage would be a permanent addition to the band.

Since that Santa Barbara show, Lage has appeared at several Dylan concerts, but his status remains unclear. According to reports, Lage also has solo shows scheduled in July that overlap with Dylan dates, including a performance on the same day as Dylan's concert in Kansas City, Missouri. That overlap has led fans to speculate that the jazz guitarist is only filling in temporarily for part of the tour.

The tour itself has been generating plenty of attention, not least because of the rare songs Dylan has been pulling out. Earlier this month he played "I Shall Be Released" for the first time in eighteen years, at a show at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, Oregon. "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was also heard for the first time since 2012, at a show near Seattle. The remaining tour dates run from June 29, with a show at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin, through August 1 in Nashville. Support acts across various shows include John Doe, Lucinda Williams, and Jimmie Vaughan.

The renewed interest in Dylan has been fueled in part by the biographical film A Complete Unknown, in which Timothée Chalamet plays the young Dylan. The film focuses on Dylan's early years in New York and his shift from folk to electric rock music. It received a wide release and introduced a whole new generation of fans to his work.

Sources: NME, Consequence