Ahead of our film screenings with Bob Dylan Center director Steven Jenkins, we’re taking a look back at Dylan’s only Oxford appearance in 1990 with a new “Yea, I Was There” feature. Don’t miss “Stepping Into the Unknown” at The Lyric in Oxford (March 25) and Crosstown Theater in Memphis (March 26). We hope to see you there! More info and tickets on the screenings can be found here.
More on “Yea, I was there”: For 2026, we’re launching a new web series called “Yea, I Was There,” taking short dives into legendary concerts that have passed through Oxford, Mississippi over the last 60 years. We’ll spotlight iconic shows—from B.B. King and Bob Dylan to Fugazi, R.E.M., and countless Proud Larry’s gigs—along with streaming links and videos when available.
We’re also looking for your stories and memorabilia, so if you were there (or still have the poster or T-shirt), email us and help keep Oxford’s music history alive.
“This is — uh — somebody asked me to play this, somebody just asked me to play this a while back.” -Bob Dylan, on stage in Oxford, 1990, before playing ‘Oxford Town’
Bob Dylan stopped in Oxford in late October 1990 for a show at the Tad Smith Coliseum, where the Ole Miss basketball team played. The venue, also known as the “Tad Pad,” is set for demolition sometime this year. Dylan toured extensively in 1990 playing 93 shows continuing his long-running “Never Ending Tour.” Dylan also released a new album in 1990, Under the Red Sky, which came out in September, just before his show in Oxford. The first show Dylan played in 1990 was the famous 4-hour songfest at Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT, which is now one of the most legendary shows in Dylan’s long career. Dylan’s touring band in 1990 included guitarists John Staehely and César Diaz, bassist Tony Garnier, and drummer Christopher Parker.
Bob Dylan coming to town was a big deal. The show, legendary as an historical event, isn’t top-tier Dylan by any means, but it’s a fun listen and the band really rocks. It’s also the only time Dylan has even played the song, “Oxford Town” (more on that below). The band Wire Train opened the show. (KEEP SCROLLING TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW)
The Ole Miss student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, covered Dylan’s arrival for several weeks leading up to the show. The show did not sell out instantly, but floor seats went fast due to the lack of a ticket purchase limit, upsetting some students that waited in line. 4,500 tickets were sold by showtime–almost capacity.
The Daily Mississippian from the day of the show featured a full page story on Dylan compiled by staff writer Thomas McCrory.
This clip is from the front page of The DM the day of the show:
“Tonight’s the night American music legend Bob Dylan will be playing an almost sold-out show at Tad Smith Coliseum. Wire Train will open the show, which begins at 8 p.m.”
The funnest part of researching this show was certainly the Dylan-related advertising in The DM leading up to the show. There are ads from beloved local Oxford businesses the Hoka, Local Color, and Gin Alley (see below).
SETLIST:
My Head’s in Mississippi (ZZ Top cover), Tangled Up in Blue, My Back Pages, Silvio, Queen Jane Approximately, Masters of War, Gotta Serve Somebody, Oxford Town, Mr. Tambourine Man, Barbara Allen, Boots of Spanish Leather, Joey, Every Grain of Sand, Wiggle Wiggle, All Along the Watchtower, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight, I Shall Be Released, Like a Rolling Stone, Blowin’ in the Wind, Highway 61 Revisited
Listen to the entire show below:
More on the history of the song, “Oxford Town,” taken from the excellent Dylan website, Flagging Down the Double E’s:
The Broadside magazine editors put out this call in the October 1962 issue:
“Broadside is waiting for a song about one of the most important events of this year – the enrollment of James Meredith in the University of Mississippi. His courage is as deserving of the Distinguished Service Cross as any soldier’s bravery on the battle field. Perhaps more so, since he stands alone. The least tribute we could pay him would be a good lasting song in his honor”.
A young Phil Ochs turned in “Ballad of Oxford, Mississippi” (which you can hear on a demo set here). A few lesser-known songwriters turned in titles like “Talking Ole Miss,” “The State of Mississippi,” “James Meredith,” “Ross Barnett” (that was the state governor), and “Ballad of James Meredith.”
Then, two months later, Dylan sent in “Oxford Town.” It was published on the same page as another brand-new composition:
Here’s an article in The Daily Mississippian from 1972 detailing the riots over James Meredith’s enrollment at Ole Miss. Dylan’s song is quoted at the beginning.
Extra! Extra!
Here’s a great recording of Dylan’s show in Starkville, Mississippi from October 24, 1997:
Bob Dylan’s performance at the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville on October 24, 1997, marked the historic opening night of his U.S. Fall Tour. The show is renowned for the live debuts of three tracks from his then-new album Time Out of Mind: “Cold Irons Bound,” “Can’t Wait,” and “’Til I Fell in Love with You.” Accompanied by a celebrated band—Bucky Baxter (pedal steel/organ), Larry Campbell (guitar), Tony Garnier (bass), and David Kemper (drums)—Dylan delivered a 16-song set that balanced bluesy new material with rare gems like “Blind Willie McTell.” This performance signaled a creative rebirth for Dylan following his recovery from a serious health scare earlier that year.
