Fans of Bob Dylan’s music stream into Rahway, NJ’s historic UCPAC theater this Friday, June 6, 2025 evening for a Dylanology Live concert by singer Joan Osborne. Osborne is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter known by many for her 1995 hit, “One of Us,” as well as for appearing in the 2002 documentary film, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
The lights dim and steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, keyboardist Will Bryant, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey, and drummer Lee Falco take the stage. The crowd cheers as Joan Osborne makes her entrance and she and the band launch into Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me.”
In her bourbon-laced voice, Osborne cries, “She’s an artist, she don’t look back/She can take the dark out of the nighttime/And paint the daytime black,” on this 1965 Bo Diddley-style rocker.
The audience applauds and Osborne and the band launch into a shuffle version of Dylan’s 1965 classic, “Highway 61 Revisited.” On this number, Joan’s bluesy voice conjures up mental images of a diverse selection of individuals whose lives intersect “on Highway 61.” “Hello, Rahway, how are you all doing tonight?” asks Osborne mid-song, and music lovers respond with cheers before Cindy Cashdollar renders a screaming lap steel guitar solo and Bryant plays a rollicking piano solo.
Music lovers hoot and holler and Osborne replies, “Thank you so much! My name is Joan Osborne and I brought with me an incredible bad-ass band to play for you!” Slipping into “Shooting Star,” Osborne whispers, “Seen a shooting star tonight/And I thought of you,” on this tender 1989 Dylan ballad.
The crowd claps along to “Everything is Broken” where Osborne chants, “Ain’t no use jiving, ain’t no use joking/Everything is broken,” before Will Bryant plays a swirling organ solo on this appealing rocker.
Bryant and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey are the featured vocalists on “Shelter from the Storm,” a lovely 1975 Dylan folk-rock tune, and Osborne and drummer Lee Falco sing, “Someday, everything is gonna be different” on the folksy “When I Paint My Masterpiece.”
Music lovers groove to the infectious rhythm of “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” where Joan and the band cry, “Everybody must get stoned,” and the entire crowd joins in clapping and singing on the tune’s mysterious “Oh oh oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh oh” coda.
Osborne says, “Give a rowdy New Jersey welcome to Mr. Anders Osborne!” explaining, “We don’t think we’re actually related, although in another dimension I’m his wife — we haven’t done the DNA test yet, but we feel like family!” Here, Anders sings lead on Dylan’s 1970 folk rocker, “The Man in Me,” and follows up with the ’50s style rocker, “Maggie’s Farm,” vocalizing “No, I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more” before offering up a scintillating electric guitar solo.
Audience members hoot and holler and Joan asks, “Now how do you expect me to follow that?” prior to announcing, “This is a special song from Dylan’s Time Out of Mind album which Cindy Cashdollar played on, so it’s a thrill to have her perform it with us.” On “Trying to Get to Heaven,” after Osborne sings, “I’ve been walking that lonesome valley/Tryin’ to get to heaven before they close the door,” the crowd cheers for Cashdollar who plays a haunting lap steel guitar solo on this 1997 Dylan ballad.
Osborne and Co. conclude Act I with “Saved,” where Joan wails “I’ve been saved/By the blood of the lamb,” on this rousing 1980 gospel tune.
Following a short intermission, Osborne opens Act II with “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” a lively country swing number which gets music lovers singing and clapping along.
Osborne recalls, “I recorded this next song on my first major record label release, Relish, and I believe my recording of this song came to the attention of Bob Dylan and his people, which is the reason I was invited to record a duet with Bob for a television show.” Here, she gives a seasoned vocal performance on Dylan’s 1989 minor key swing tune, “Man in the Long Black Coat.”
Bassist Dorsey sings lead on the 1969 Dylan classic, “Lay Lady Lay,” before the band leaves the stage to drummer Falco who channels a young Bob Dylan as he sings and plays acoustic guitar on “Song to Woody,” a number which was prominently featured in the 2024 Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown.
Backed by Bryant and Dorsey, Joan renders a sweet lead vocal performance on “Buckets of Rain,” a tune with a lilting old-fashioned feel.
Joan invites Anders Osborne to sing “Mozambique,” a 1976 folk rocker with an island feel which has music lovers dancing in the aisles. Anders follows up with a hypnotic rocking version of “Isis,” an extended 12/8 modal jam where he plays tremolo guitar under streaming lights and inspires a standing ovation.
The performers conclude Act II with the 1975 Dylan classic, “Tangled Up in Blue,” where after introducing her bandmates, Joan informs music lovers in her bluesy voice, “Me, I’m still on the road/Headin’ for another joint.” Concertgoers respond with a standing ovation and Osborne and friends take a group bow. Returning to the stage, Osborne declares, “This has been a really special show. Thank you very much for being here — we really appreciate you!”
Here, Osborne and the band give an encore performance of the 1969 Dylan gospel tune, “I Shall Be Released.” Strong harmonies ring out on the song’s “I see my light come shining/From the west unto the east/Any day now, any day now/I shall be released” refrain and the crowd whistles and cheers as Osborne exclaims, “Thank you so much! Goodnight!”
To learn more about Joan Osborne, please go to joanosborne.com. For information on great upcoming performances at UCPAC — including Best of the Eagles: The Hotel California Album and More on June 20, Tito Puente, Jr. on September 27, and the Cherish the Ladies Celtic Christmas Concert on Dec. 7 — please click on ucpac.org.
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