Bob Dylan Stuns Fans with Rare Traditional Folk Ballad 'The Lakes of Pontchartrain' After 34 Years
In a surprise move, legendary folk rocker Bob Dylan revisited his past and performed the traditional folk ballad "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" for the first time in over three decades. The rendition took place at INEC Arena in Killarney, Ireland on November 23rd as part of his Never Ending Tour.
According to Rolling Stone, this performance marked a significant departure from Dylan's recent setlists, which have mostly consisted of newer material like tracks from his 2020 album "Rough and Rowdy Ways". This particular ballad was actually first performed by Dylan in June 1988 when the Never Ending Tour kicked off in California. It wasn't last heard until July 6th, 1991 at Holman Stadium in New Hampshire.
Interestingly enough, "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" has a strong connection to Ireland and New Orleans. The song originated in America but was later revived by an Irish folk group called Planxty on their 1974 album 'Cold Blow and the Rainy Night', transforming it into an Irish standard.
Dylan's decision to revive this classic piece from his past highlights his penchant for covering local favorites and lesser-known tracks, a trend he has been carrying out over the past few years. He has performed various regional covers such as Chuck Berry in St. Louis, Muddy Waters in Chicago, John Mellencamp in Indianapolis, and Leonard Cohen in Montreal.
As Dylan's tour continues with another show in Killarney tonight before concluding in Dublin on Tuesday, fans can only hope for a mix of both the expected hits from "Rough and Rowdy Ways" and some unexpected surprises.
In a surprise move, legendary folk rocker Bob Dylan revisited his past and performed the traditional folk ballad "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" for the first time in over three decades. The rendition took place at INEC Arena in Killarney, Ireland on November 23rd as part of his Never Ending Tour.
According to Rolling Stone, this performance marked a significant departure from Dylan's recent setlists, which have mostly consisted of newer material like tracks from his 2020 album "Rough and Rowdy Ways". This particular ballad was actually first performed by Dylan in June 1988 when the Never Ending Tour kicked off in California. It wasn't last heard until July 6th, 1991 at Holman Stadium in New Hampshire.
Interestingly enough, "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" has a strong connection to Ireland and New Orleans. The song originated in America but was later revived by an Irish folk group called Planxty on their 1974 album 'Cold Blow and the Rainy Night', transforming it into an Irish standard.
Dylan's decision to revive this classic piece from his past highlights his penchant for covering local favorites and lesser-known tracks, a trend he has been carrying out over the past few years. He has performed various regional covers such as Chuck Berry in St. Louis, Muddy Waters in Chicago, John Mellencamp in Indianapolis, and Leonard Cohen in Montreal.
As Dylan's tour continues with another show in Killarney tonight before concluding in Dublin on Tuesday, fans can only hope for a mix of both the expected hits from "Rough and Rowdy Ways" and some unexpected surprises.
like i've been following his tour and it's clear he's trying to shake things up and reconnect with the fans on a deeper level 
and can we talk about how beautiful the lakes of pontchartrain sounds? it gives me chills every time 
i'm also loving how he's giving more attention to local covers like this one, it's like he's trying to bring folk music back to its roots 
and honestly, who wouldn't want to hear a live performance of that song after 34 years? it's like a dream come true for die hard bob fans like me 
i've always loved how he surprises us with these unexpected covers, like when he did chuck berry in st louis or muddy waters in chicago 
and now this... i'm just dying for his next tour show! i wish he'd play more songs from his older albums tho, 'rough and rowdy ways' is cool and all but some of his old stuff is just on another level 
. But hey, it's cool that he brought out this super rare song, even if it's from like 1988 or something. What's with Irish music being so popular in Killarney, anyway? My friend went there last year and they had the craziest pints of Guinness... I'm still trying to figure out how they make that stuff 
.
I'm loving this comeback 
'the lakes of pontchartrain' has such a rich history & connection to both america & ireland, its dope to see dylan payin' homage to that 
and lets be real, his never endin tour is the ultimate experience for die-hard fans like me 
but i guess it's cool that he's performing 'the lakes of pontchartrain' again after all these years...it's not like people haven't been asking for that song for ages 
. i love how he revisited this classic track after all these years, it's like he was saying "you know what? let's get this party started again 
I'm loving this surprise move by Bob Dylan! It's awesome to see him revisiting his classic tracks after 34 years... that's like, forever in music years 
. 'The Lakes of Pontchartrain' has such a cool history and connection to Ireland and New Orleans, it's like he's bringing a piece of their culture to life on stage 
. It's like he's transported us back in time to the '80s and '90s, when folk rock was all about storytelling and vibes 
. what's your favorite food from ireland? i'm also curious about this song "the lakes of pontchartrain"... it sounds so old-fashioned and nice 
. plus, who wouldn't want to hear a traditional folk ballad like 'the lakes of pontchartrain' again? it's like a breath of fresh air after all the new stuff 
can't wait for his next show and hopefully some more surprises