Updated

Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 30

Joel Paterson Debuts With Bob Dylan, Handling 16 Songs Alone After 2 Guitarists Exit

Updated

Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 30

Joel Paterson Debuts With Bob Dylan, Handling 16 Songs Alone After 2 Guitarists Exit

Q: How will Dylan's sound change with a single guitarist for the first time in more than thirty years?

Dylan’s band will likely sound leaner, more exposed and more blues-centered with only one guitarist. For more than 30 years, his touring setup has usually relied on two guitars to spread rhythm, fills and counter-melodies across the stage. Removing one guitar naturally thins the texture. That means fewer layered parts, less interlocking accompaniment and more space around Dylan’s piano, Tony Garnier’s bass and Anton Fig’s drums. In practical terms, songs may feel tighter and more focused, but also less dense and less orchestral. Joel Paterson’s style matters here. He comes from Chicago blues, jazz, rockabilly and western swing, and that fits the softer, rootsier direction Dylan has favored in recent years. Rather than trying to imitate a two-guitar wall of sound, Paterson is more likely to shape the music with concise lines, swing-inflected rhythm playing and sharper tonal detail. Early reports from Austin suggest he handled the role confidently, which indicates the band can still sound full even with fewer moving parts. The biggest change may be in arrangement rather than volume. With one guitarist, Dylan’s band may leave more silence in the songs, spotlight harmonica breaks and piano figures more clearly, and give Paterson a more prominent role in transitions and solos. If this setup lasts, audiences should expect a sparser, more intimate version of Dylan’s current live sound, with greater emphasis on groove, phrasing and Paterson’s individual voice.

3 articles · Updated · Rolling Stone · Jun 30

Chicago guitarist Joel Paterson joined Bob Dylan’s band on June 29 in Austin, covering all guitar parts by himself across a 16-song set.
Doug Lancio had left two weeks earlier, Julian Lage was committed to a Brooklyn appearance that night, and Bob Britt had quit days before with a Facebook post saying he left voluntarily.
Paterson came in from Chicago’s blues scene after playing regular Monday gigs at the 150-seat Green Mill; fan reports said he handled the 5,000-seat Austin debut confidently.
Lage is expected to return for additional 2026 dates when his schedule allows, but he is unavailable for at least the July 4 Kansas City show and likely Dylan’s October Europe run.
That leaves Dylan’s touring lineup unsettled: Paterson could remain a temporary stand-in, become the sole guitarist, or fit into a rebuilt two-guitar setup.