bob dylan, electric dylan event
posted in music
freebody park
from bob dylan, electric dylan event posted in music by crabapple
On Jul 25, 1965, Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. Dylan had drawn widespread support from fans for his 1963 and 1964 Newport Folk Festival sets with Joan Baez.
In 1965, Dylan was supporting his fifth studio album, Bringing It All Back Home. The first side of the album was Bob Dylan's signature acoustic folk style; the second side of this album featured a backing band and was rock. When Dylan walked on stage with an electric guitar and a band, the boos started immediately.
The band launched into "Maggie's Farm," and the distaste from the folkies was immediate. Boos and jeering rolled out from the crowd. Pete Seeger wanted to take an axe to the power cables to the set.
The debate still exists whether the audience was angry about the short set or angry that Dylan had betrayed folk and played electric, but the results were the same- they were pissed, and Dylan had gone rock.