John Mellencamp Didn’t Know Bob Dylan Will Perform “All Along The Watchtower” Too On The Same Show

On September 13, Bob Dylan brought a thrilling surprise to his performance at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. For the first time since 2018, Dylan played his iconic track “All Along the Watchtower” during his 17-song set. This came about 90 minutes after John Mellencamp, his fellow Outlaw Music Festival Tour artist, performed the same song earlier in the evening.

A Last-Minute Song Choice

Dylan’s decision to reintroduce the 1968 classic seemed to be a last-minute choice, as the onstage dynamics among his band suggested. The show at Blossom Music Center was part of the Outlaw Music Festival, headlined by Willie Nelson, which also features Mellencamp, who joined the tour in July, taking over from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Mellencamp’s rendition of “All Along the Watchtower” occurred during his 12-song set at approximately 6:30 p.m., following his performance of the song at a tribute show for music executive Clive Davis in April. Mellencamp had previously played the track seven times in 2020 and sporadically since 1984.

Dylan took the stage around 7:55 p.m., starting his set with “All Along the Watchtower,” a song that had been a staple of his performances for decades before he retired it six years ago.

The Outlaw Music Festival Tour continued with a performance in Burgettstown, PA last Sept. 14, followed by three additional shows concluding on September 20 in Gilford, NH. Fans can find videos and set lists from the shows below.

John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan’s September 13 Set List

John Mellencamp’s Set List at the Outlaw Music Festival:
1. “John Cockers”
2. “Paper in Fire”
3. “All Along the Watchtower”
4. “Small Town”
5. “Check It Out”
6. “Longest Days”
7. “Jack & Diane”
8. “Rain on the Scarecrow”
8. “Lonely Ol’ Night”
10. “Crumblin’ Down”
11. “Pink Houses”
12. “Hurts So Good”

Bob Dylan’s Set List at the Outlaw Music Festival:
1. “All Along the Watchtower”
2. “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
3. “Shooting Star”
4. “Love Sick”
5. “Little Queenie”
6. “Mr. Blue”
7. “Early Roman Kings”
8. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”
9. “Under the Red Sky”
10. “Things Have Changed”
11. “Stella Blue”
12. “Six Days on the Road”
13. “Can’t Wait”
14. “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”
15. “Soon After Midnight”
16. “Simple Twist of Fate”
17. “Ballad of a Thin Man”