Photo Credit: William Claxton

Bob Dylan has once again added a Grateful Dead favorite to his live catalog. After continuing the long-standing trend during the Japanese leg of his Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour this spring, where he debuted “Truckin’” and The Crickets’ original, “Not Fade Away,” a song that has been a part of the San Francisco jamband’s archive since June 1968. The artist turned around and added another core cover to his repertoire on June 23, the Robert Hunter-penned “Stella Blue.” 

In addition to the aforementioned borrowed songs, Dylan had previously delivered the first 90 seconds of “Brokedown Palace” during a Sunday, April 16 show at Tokyo Garden Theater in Tokyo, Japan. Then, after some time away from the Dead’s catalog, the famed musician picked up another classic during Friday night’s stand at Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain, delighting the audience, many of whom recognized the 1973 Wake of the Flood favorite. 

Friday’s run-through was a true-to-form delivery, as Dylan embraced the composition in a similar format as the Dead, letting the lyrics lead, given its heartfelt utterance. The frontman was positioned behind the piano and supported by a full band during the cover, which peaked with the soft addition of pedal steel. 

Before this year, Dylan had added Grateful Dead classics into his live shows, including “Friend of The Devil,” “West L.A. Fadeaway,” “Black Muddy River,” and “Alabama Getaway.” The covers harked back to Dylan’s 1987 summer tour with the Jerry Garcia-led unit, which eventually resulted in the favorable Dylan & The Dead album, which dropped in 1989. 

Scroll down to watch a fan-shot video of Dylan performing the Grateful Dead’s “Stella Blue.”