It’s well-timed to remind ourselves that Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour, so-called by fans and the media, is one Bob Dylan never really announced the name himself. Back in 1989, Dylan’s tour name was cemented when journalist Adrian Deevoy published his interview with Dylan in Q Magazine. The critic Michael Gray listened to Deevoy’s interview tape, and points out in The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia that though Deevoy’s article put the phrase into Dylan’s mouth, in fact the label came from Deevoy in the following exchange:
AD: ‘Tell me about this live thing. You’ve gone straight into this tour again — one tour virtually straight into the next one.’
BD: ‘Oh, it’s all the same tour.’
AD: ‘It’s the Never Ending Tour?’
BD: (unenthusiastically) ‘Yeah, yeah’.
Dylan has been dismissive of the Never Ending Tour tag. In the sleeve notes to his album World Gone Wrong (1993), Dylan wrote:
Don’t be bewildered by the Never Ending Tour chatter. There was a Never Ending Tour but it ended in 1991 with the departure of guitarist G. E. Smith. That one’s long gone but there have been many others since then: “The Money Never Runs Out Tour” (Fall of 1991) “Southern Sympathizer Tour” (Early 1992) “Why Do You Look At Me So Strangely Tour” (European Tour 1992) “The One Sad Cry Of Pity Tour” (Australia & West Coast American Tour 1992) “Outburst Of Consciousness Tour” (1992) “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Tour” (1993) and others, too many to mention each with their own character & design.
So there you have it. He’s been on this tour for 30 years without a name.
Bob Dylan Tour Dates:
August
08 – Perth, Australia @ Perth Arena
11 – Adelaide, Australia @ Botanic Park
13 – Melbourne, Australia @ Margaret Court Arena
14 – Melbourne, Australia @ Margaret Court Arena
18 – Sydney, Australia @ ICC Sydney Theatre
19 – Sydney, Australia @ Enmore Theatre
20 – Wollongong, Australia @ WIN Entertainment Centre
22 – Newcastle, Australia @ Newcastle Entertainment Centre
24 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
26 – Auckland, New Zealand @ Spark Arena
28 – Christchurch, New Zealand @ Horncastle Arena
October
04 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Comerica Theatre
05 – Tuscon, Ariz. @ Tuscon Music Hall
07 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Kiva Auditorium
09 – Midland, Texas @ Noël Performing Arts Center
10 – Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at the Toyota Music Factory
12 – Tulsa, Okla. @ River Spirit Casino Resort
13 – Thackerville, Okla. @ WinStar World Casino and Resort
14 – Sugar Land, Texas @ Smart Financial Centre
16 – Lafayette, La. @ Heymann Center
17 – Mobile, Ala. @ Mobile Saenger Theatre
19 – St. Augustine, Fla. @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
20 – Clearwater, Fla. @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
21 – Sarasota, Fla. @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
23 – Fort Myers, Fla. @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
24 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla. @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
26 – Orlando, Fla. @ Walt Disney Theater
27 – Macon, Ga. @ City Auditorium
28 – Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Tivoli Theatre
30 – Huntsville, Ala. @ Mark C. Smith Concert Hall
31 – Knoxville, Tenn. @ Tennessee Theatre
November
02 – Asheville, N.C. @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
03 – Durham, N.C. @ Durham Performing Arts Center
04 – North Charleston, S.C. @ North Charleston Performing Arts Center
06 – Savannah, Ga. @ Johnny Mercer Theatre
07 – Augusta, Ga. @ The Bell Auditorium
09 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Ovens Auditorium
10 – Roanoke, Va. @ Berglund Performing Arts Theatre
11 – Richmond, Ky. @ EKU Center for the Arts
