Bob Dylan switched up his live lineup once again, bringing blues veteran Jimmie Vaughan onstage during his US tour closer at Nashville’s Ascend Federal Credit Union Amphitheater on August 1.
Vaughan appeared five songs into the set, joining Dylan for Rough and Rowdy Ways track False Prophet before sticking around to help cover Bo Diddley’s 1961 deep cut I Can Tell. He later returned near the end of the night to play on Goodbye Jimmy Reed, another song from Dylan’s 2020 album.
Vaughan – older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan – first worked with Dylan in the early 1990s, amid his Under The Red Sky era, playing on Handy Dandy and teaming up with Stevie Ray for God Knows, Cat’s In The Well and 10,000 Men. He also joined Dylan for several tracks at a 2024 Austin show.
His latest appearance comes amid a period of rapid guitarist turnover in Dylan’s touring band. Bob Britt, who had played with Dylan since 2019, recently confirmed he left the lineup “of his own accord” after fans speculated that he’d been fired. Britt said he wouldn’t disclose his reasons but insisted there was no bad blood, adding he planned to return to session work.
Britt’s exit followed Doug Lancio’s departure earlier in the summer, with Julian Lage stepping in for several dates. At present, Joel Paterson is reportedly Dylan’s only full-time guitarist – though Vaughan’s Nashville cameo suggests Dylan may continue rotating players as the tour evolves.
It remains unclear who will join Dylan for the UK and European leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which begins in Norway in October before reaching Bournemouth on November 25. With Lage committed to US shows around that time, he is considered unlikely to appear overseas.
Dylan’s current run has become as notable for its shifting guitar roster as for its setlists – and Vaughan’s return adds yet another chapter to the ongoing reshuffle.
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