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Bob Dylan Delivers Moody, Magisterial Performance at Acrisure Arena

Bob Dylan’s "Long Hot Summer '26" tour features a staple from his 2020 album "Rough and Rowdy Ways." The legendary artist showcases his enduring power with a captivating performance.

Variety Music·Jun 21, 2026·via Variety Music

Bob Dylan Delivers Moody, Magisterial Performance at Acrisure Arena

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Jun 21, 2026 3:54pm PT

Bob Dylan Erects a Watchtower in the Desert With Moody, Magisterial Show at Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena: Concert Review

The 'Long Hot Summer '26' tour is like the 'Rough and Rowdy Ways' tour that immediately preceded it: inscrutable, magical and unconcerned with the most obvious hits.

By Chris Willman

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Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

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“I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You,” Bob Dylan sings every night on his recently begun “Long Hot Summer ’26” tour, keeping a song from his most recent album, 2020’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways,” in play as a staple of his setlist. It’s a beautiful affirmation, as one of the purest love songs in his recent catalog, and an outlier in that regard. But it does raise a question: Can you make up your mind to give yourself to Bob Dylan?

It’s a question to keep in mind because this outing, like a lot of the touring that preceded it, does ask you to meet him halfway, without a lot of hand-holding, and certainly no verbal assurances, as he remains as mute between songs as ever. Bluntly put, this is a fantastic show that he’s taken on the road, but appreciating it as such perhaps may require a willingness to surrender to a vibe. With dim lighting, a setlist featuring a lot more deep cuts than world-famous classics, and a hooded central figure who seems to grow more mysterious right before our eyes, the mood is somewhere between “the after-hours roadhouse of your dreams” and “eternity’s waiting room.”