Julian Lage Joins Bob Dylan Tour 6 Shows In, Replacing Doug Lancio

Q: With two guitarists suddenly gone, is Bob Dylan's legendary touring band about to be completely rebuilt?

Yes — at least the core guitar section appears to be in the middle of a rapid rebuild, though there is no evidence yet that Dylan is overhauling the entire band. The immediate issue is that both guitar chairs have been disrupted at once. Doug Lancio, Dylan’s lead guitarist since the 2021 Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, has disappeared from the lineup for unknown reasons. Bob Britt, the acoustic guitarist who had been with Dylan since 2019, then confirmed on June 28 that he had quit for private reasons. That leaves bassist Tony Garnier and drummer Anton Fig as the only publicly confirmed long-standing players still in place. Julian Lage has stepped in and has already changed the sound of the band in noticeable ways. Reviews from the Santa Barbara Bowl and other recent shows praised his “tender and spooky” playing, and his arrival seems to have helped stabilize a setlist mixing Rough and Rowdy Ways songs, classics such as “All Along the Watchtower,” and blues covers. But all signs suggest Lage is not a long-term fix: he has solo dates that conflict with Dylan’s schedule, including June 29 in Austin, plus further July commitments and an August master class. So the likely answer is that Dylan now needs at least one new permanent guitarist, and probably two, very quickly. That is a major reconstruction of a crucial part of his touring band, even if it does not yet amount to a complete rebuild of the whole ensemble.

3 articles · Updated · Guitar World · Jun 26

Julian Lage has quietly taken over guitar duties in Bob Dylan’s touring band and was already six shows into the run before the switch drew notice.
Doug Lancio, who had played with Dylan since the 2021 Rough and Rowdy Ways tour, appears to have been replaced, though Dylan’s camp could not say whether Lage is a temporary fill-in or a longer-term addition.
Santa Barbara Bowl coverage praised Lage’s “tender and spooky” playing on Tryin’ to Get to Heaven, underscoring why the jazz guitarist has stood out despite the unannounced arrival.
Live reports suggest Lage’s stint has coincided with a steadier set list mixing Rough and Rowdy Ways songs with classics such as All Along the Watchtower and a few blues covers.