In the spring, Bob Dylan sprinkled in some Grateful Dead covers while taking his Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour abroad, in Japan, during an April concert at Tokyo Garden Theater, the musical bard covered “Truckin’” for the first time, making headlines and exciting fans of both groups. Upon the artist’s return to the States for the Midwest leg of his tour, he once again performed the American Beauty standard on night two of three in Chicago, prior to last night’s run-through, which was captured on video. 

The most recent performance of the Grateful Dead original occurred during his Thursday, October 12 concert at Riverside Theater in Milwaukee. The song took the 14 slots of the night, following a mirage of music pulled from studio albums such as Rough and Rowdy Ways, Blonde on Blonde, Greatest Hits Vol. II and more. After hitting his stride on “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You,” Dylan worked into the recognizable arrangement, reminding his fans: “What a long strange trip it’s been.” 

Notably, “Truckin’” is one of the 60 tracks Dylan wrote about in his 2022 book, The Philosophy Of Modern Song. He called the fan favorite one of the Dead’s “signature songs,” saying, “This could easily be a Dead song from one hundred years earlier.” Also adding, “This song is medium tempo, but it seems to just keep picking up speed,” he continued. 

“It’s got a fantastic first verse, which doesn’t let up or fizzle out, and every verse that follows could actually be a first verse. Arrows of neon, flashing marquees, Dallas and a soft machine, Sweet Jane, vitamin C, Bourbon Street, bowling pins, hotel windows, and the classic line, ‘What a long strange trip it’s been.’ A thought that anybody can relate to,” wrote the artist. 

After last night’s concert, Dylan and his band will rest till Saturday, Oct. 14, when they arrive at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, Mich. Tickets remain on sale. 

Scroll down to view a video of last night’s take on “Truckin’.”