The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour kicked off in Alpharetta, Georgia on Friday night (June 21) without leader Willie Nelson, but the show went on with performances from Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Cerise, and more.
Instead of Nelson himself performing, his son's band, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, performed, with guest appearances by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.
Plant and Krauss performed many of the usual tunes, including Led Zeppelin's “Rock and Roll” and “The Battle of Evermore,” as well as the recently officially released “Levy Breaks.”
Dylan, meanwhile, performed a number of unexpected songs, including a cover of Chuck Berry's “Little Queenie,” his first performance of “Under the Red Sky” in more than a decade, and several songs from his 2012 album “Tempest.”
Fan-filmed footage of the concert and the setlist can be seen below.
It was announced Friday afternoon that Nelson would not be performing on opening night.
“Willie Nelson has been feeling unwell and has been advised by his doctor to rest for the next four days,” the post read. “He is expected to recover quickly and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week. In the meantime, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, along with several guests, will play a special set including Willie's classics and more. Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and Celis will continue to perform as scheduled.”
“This year's Outlaw Music Festival Tour will be our biggest and best yet, with a lineup of legendary artists,” Nelson said in a previous press statement announcing the show. “I'm excited to be back on the road again, with my family and friends, playing the music I love for my adoring fans.”
Read more: The best songs from Bob Dylan's albums
This year's tour will feature Britney Spencer, Southern Avenue, Billy Strings and John Mellencamp, and will conclude in Buffalo, New York on September 17th.
Watch Robert Plant and Alison Krauss perform “The Battle of Evermore”
Watch Lukas Nelson and Family Band perform “Find Yourself” with Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Outlaw Festival, Alpharetta, GA, 6/21/24, Setlist
1. “Rich Woman” (Lil Millet and His Creoles cover)
2. “Fortune Teller” (Benny Spellman cover)
3. “Can't Let Go” (Randy Weeks cover)
4. “The Price of Love” (Everly Brothers cover)
5. “Rock 'n' Roll” (Led Zeppelin cover)
6. “Please Read the Letter” (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant cover)
7. “High and Lonesome”
8. “In the Mood” / “Matty Groves” / “Gallows Pole”
9. “The Battle of Evermore” (Led Zeppelin cover)
10. “When the Levee Breaks” (Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy cover)
11. “Gone Gone Gone” (Everly Brothers cover)
Bob Dylan, Outlaw Festival, Alpharetta, GA, 6/21/24, setlist
1. “My Babe” (Willie Dixon cover)
2. “There's nothing ahead.”
3. “A simple twist of fate”
4. “Little Queenie” (Chuck Berry cover)
5. “Mr. Blue” (Fleetwoods cover)
6. “Blood punishment”
7. “Cold, Cold Heart” (Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys cover)
8. “Early Roman Kings”
9. “Under the Red Sky” (first performance since 2013)
10. “Things have changed.”
11. “The Fool” (Sanford Clark cover)
12. “Scarlet Town”
13. “Long, Wasted Years”
The Hottest Country Music Summer Tours of 2024
The summer of 2024 is fast approaching and many of your favorite country stars will be hitting the road. Below are the most notable summer tours in country music for 2024.
Gallery credit: Sterling Whittaker