Welcome to Flagging Down the Double E’s: Audio Edition!
For a change of pace, I’m sharing an audio conversation I had a few days ago previewing the Spring 2026 leg of the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, which kicks off one week from today. I chatted with Matt Simonsen, who’s reviewed a number of shows for the newsletter (most recently Eau Claire last spring) and will be reporting in about opening night.
We discussed The State of the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, hashing out questions like:
Are fans burned out on the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour by this point?
Have the Outlaw tours stolen some of Rough and Rowdy’s thunder?
Will the setlist change at all this spring?
Will the surprise covers return?
How different is it seeing the show in person versus hearing tapes?
What other songs should he bring in from Shadow Kingdom?
What makes any one Rough and Rowdy Ways show stand out?
Will he finally play “Murder Most Foul”?
Why, after all these years, is Dylan still so committed to these same songs and this same tour?
As I say in the intro, this is sort of a pilot episode. I’m not currently planning on producing a super-regular Flagging Down podcast, but audio could be a fun format for the occasional timely thing I’m not planning on writing about, and a good excuse to chat with some of the sharpest people I know in the Dylan world. The vibe I’m aiming for is the sort of conversation you might have at the bar with another fan before or after a Bob show.
Give it a listen and let me know what you think. If people like it, maybe I’ll do more of these. And feel free to comment with your own answers or predictions about what we’re due for this spring!
Matt Simonsen will be back next Sunday to report on opening night in Omaha. I’ve got a number of next-day reviews lined up this tour (including three of my own!). As always, new tour reviews go out to paid subscribers only.
Note: You should be able to listen to this episode in your favorite podcasting app as well as in your browser. There will be links to the various platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc) on the episode page on flaggingdown.com. I’m unclear if those app links will appear immediately, or if the various services will need to each approve it first. Like I said, this is all an experiment. So if you don’t see the podcast-app links there yet, check back.
