Two of the 1960s’ most iconic folk singer-songwriters, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, will perform locally on their upcoming tours.
Dylan’s “Rough and Rowdy Ways” world tour will stop in Topeka, Kansas, on March 30, and Simon’s “A Quiet Celebration” tour will stop in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 26. Though neither artist has associated themselves with Judaism in years, their roots are well known among the Jewish community.
Dylan, last performed nearby in October 2023, was born Robert Zimmerman and raised Jewish. By the 1960s, he’d established himself as a folk icon with songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone,” and his iconic status has continued throughout his career. In 2016, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Bob Dylan pictured in 2019 (Raph_PH, Wikimedia Commons)
Dylan’s Topeka concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, at the Topeka Performing Arts Center (214 SE 8th St., Topeka, KS 66603). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, and more information is available at bobdylan.com/on-tour.
Simon, who last performed in Kansas City in 2016, is famous for his partnership with Art Garfunkel as Simon & Garfunkel, which produced songs such as “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Both he and Garfunkel were raised Jewish in New York City. Simon’s solo career also produced hits such as “Kodachrome” and “You Can Call Me Al.”
Paul Simon pictured in 2018 (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Simon’s Kansas City concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Midland Theatre (1228 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64105). Tickets are available through AXS, and more information is available at paulsimon.com/events.
Both octogenarian artists have been featured prominently in pop culture in the past year: Dylan was played by Timothée Chalamet in the critically acclaimed 2024 biopic “A Complete Unknown,” and Simon opened the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary show earlier this month with a duet with pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
