Epic Bob Dylan Anniversary Concert Performance Of “My Back Pages” In Stunning Quality

On October 16, 1992, Madison Square Garden hosted a landmark event dubbed “Bobfest,” a concert organized to commemorate Bob Dylan’s three decades in the music industry. The stage featured an unprecedented assembly of legendary artists, including Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Tom Petty, and Roger McGuinn. The house band was anchored by Booker T. & the M.G.’s, with G.E. Smith serving as musical director. During the performance of “My Back Pages,” this ensemble was further augmented by Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Al Kooper, Jim Keltner, Anton Fig, and Stan Lynch.

The collective transformed Dylan’s 1964 acoustic folk track into a driving electric powerhouse. Roger McGuinn began the song with a nod to the 1967 version by The Byrds. The vocal responsibilities shifted seamlessly from Tom Petty to Neil Young, then to Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, before George Harrison brought the song to a close amidst a thunderous crowd response. Instrumental highlights included a soaring guitar solo from Clapton and a climactic, guitar-heavy jam led by Young, which underscored the transition from the song’s original folk roots to its new electric arrangement.

This performance is etched into rock history for several significant reasons, most notably serving as one of the rare live United States appearances by George Harrison in his later years. The collaboration received critical industry recognition, securing a 1994 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. While the live footage captures the raw intensity of the evening, archival session notes confirm that Dylan’s vocal contribution on the official audio release was later overdubbed. This “sweetened” version has become the standard audio track featured on most widely distributed digital archives.

Watch the full performance on page two