Music · 2
What significant musical change did Bob Dylan make at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival that shocked his traditional fanbase?
Answer
He performed with an electric band instead of acoustic instruments
Dylan abandoned his acoustic folk setup at Newport 1965 and took the stage backed by an electric rock band, including members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Traditionalist folk fans considered it a betrayal, and the resulting backlash nearly led the sound engineer to cut the power.
💡 Did you know?
Bob Dylan's 1965 electric guitar switch at Newport Folk Festival caused booing so severe a sound engineer nearly pulled the plug mid-performance.
Other options people guess
- He debuted an entirely new setlist of unreleased songs
- He brought a full orchestral string section on stage
- He performed with a backing choir for the first time
Topics
- bob-dylan
- 1960s
- folk
- electric
- newport
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