Bob Dylan continues to surprise fans new and old during his ongoing 2026 tour, pulling out songs he hasn’t played in years during each new concert. While playing for the audience at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Oregon on June 9, Dylan made some fans’ dreams come true when he played the track “I Shall Be Released.”
It was his first time playing the song live since a 2008 performance in Warsaw, Poland, making it 18 years since fans last heard it in concert. Written and first recorded by Dylan with the Band in 1967, the first official release of the track was actually performed by Boz Burrell and came out the next year.
After Burrell’s version, released under the name Boz, the Band recorded and released a version a couple of months later. The first version of “I Shall Be Released” recorded by Dylan to come out was in 1971 on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II. But it wasn’t until years later, in 1991, that the original recording would come out on The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete.
At the 2026 concert in Oregon, fans were ecstatic to hear Dylan add the classic track to his setlist.
In reaction to one fan’s video of the performance, someone commented, “It’s super exciting when Bob plays a song he hasn’t performed in a long time. I’m always on the lookout and here we have it.”
Others said, “What a gem. A gift from Bob,” and “First time since 08′ Incredible stuff!”
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Dylan wrote “I Shall Be Released” after surviving a serious motorcycle crash in 1966, and the song deals with themes about the pressures of society, fame, and more. Since its release, the singer-songwriter has played the song 493 times throughout the course of his career.
During earlier June shows, Dylan played some other rare songs from his extensive repertoire, including “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” and “Baby, Won’t You Be My Baby,” much to the fans’ delight.
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