The wait is over for Bob Dylan fans, because the star is coming back to Ames.

Bob Dylan and his Band are returning to Stephens Auditorium for a performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday for another leg of their playfully-named “Never Ending Tour.” The “Never Ending Tour” is the unofficial title for the almost constant string of live shows that Dylan began in 1988 and has continued ever since. Dylan last came to Stephens Auditorium in 2017, when he played a sold out show for a crowd of over 2,700 people. The upcoming show will feature a hefty 19-track setlist of songs spanning Dylan’s entire career. Tickets are still available as well as VIP packages, which include premium seating and exclusive merchandise for superfans.

Dylan has been a major figure in pop culture for over 50 years now. After the release of his debut album in 1962, the folk-rocker became known for his unique vocal style and dark, poetic subject matter. Dylan’s most highly revered work dates back to the 1960s during the civil rights movement. Songs such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin” became political anthems during this time, and he has been recognized as a counterculturist who transcends the traditional pop-music mold. He has since released almost 40 albums over half a century and has remained active and controversial throughout all of his long career. On top of that, he is celebrated for his virtually unmatched songwriting abilities.

The Duluth, Minnesota, native has received countless awards for his work, including 10 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” according to the Swedish Academy, the committee in charge of deciding each Nobel Prize recipient. He is the first, and so far only, musician to win the award. 

Dylan is a bucket-list show for many, and with this being his second Stephens Auditorium show in two years, Ames can certainly consider itself lucky. His live performances are known for being surprising in his song selections and renditions of his classics. Age seems not to have withered him, as his long-winded performances put emotion at the forefront. The 78-year-old is prominently known for making sure no two shows are alike. He puts unique spins on his older classics, changing instruments, arrangement and even genre for some. He keeps the audience on their toes while seeming to forget about the audience entirely as he gets lost in his art and becomes wholly one with the music. 

Tickets are available at the Stephens Auditorium box office, at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. The north, southeast and southwest doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m.