Dylan Goes Electric

The Folk music scene and movement that was experiencing a profound revival in the early 60's with its roots in political songs would be forever changed in 1965 when Bob Dylan plugged in with a fully amplified band. Up until this point - the folk scene would never have imagined that one of their own would ever play an electric instrument. It went against everything they knew or though-of as music.

Two documentary films showing the moment Dylan went electric called  Festival (1967) and The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 (2007) begins with Dylan being introduced by Master of Ceremonies Peter Yarrow: "Ladies and gentlemen, the person that's going to come up now has a limited amount of time ... His name is Bob Dylan." You can hear the sounds of both booing and cheering as Dylan plays "Maggie's Farm", and the audience heckling continues throughout his second, "Like a Rolling Stone".

It goes without saying that people are resistant to change - but if it weren't for leaders and visionaries, people who challenge the status quo, challenge the norm of what is expected and excepted, then we would never have things that are truly great, revolutionary, and push us to discover more about ourselves.

So here are a couple bars that celebrate a visionary and a guy who never gave a damn about what anyone thought. Get out there and turn your amps up loud!