The new film explores Bob Dylan's early career and the pivotal moment when he 'went electric' at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, clashing with Pete Seeger's traditional folk values. This encounter symbolizes the broader conflict between the Old Left's folk music tradition tied to social justice and the emergence of a more experimental and politically charged sound that resonated with young Americans. The article delves into the complexities of the 1960s, highlighting how various social and political movements, including the Vietnam War, fractured the perceived unity between folk music and anti-war activism.
, the new film chronicling Bob Dylan ’s early career, Pete Seeger and the young Dylan have a quiet but tense encounter. Anticipating Dylan “going electric” at the 1965 Newport festival, Seeger offers Dylan an extended metaphor about people working together for social justice, each person bringing a spoonful of sand to outweigh the force of injustice. Dylan, says Seeger, brought a shovel, with his powerful folk songs like “Masters of War” and “The Times They Are A-Changing.
had become the go-to magazine for countless folkies—like the popular folk trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary; newer performers like Tom Paxton; and the “star” of the folk movement, Joan Baez. Long involved with left-wing causes,was also aligned with struggles for racial justice and international peace. My father wrote an irritated critique of Dylan in November 1964, chiding him for turning away from “protest” songs as he became more attached to the “paraphernalia of fame.
Feeling the urgency of these events, Silber wrote to Pete Seeger ten days before Newport to discuss plans for a massive concert against this growing military escalation in Vietnam. Silber hoped to showcase several musical genres, including the Paul Butterfield band, several of whose members would be part of Dylan’s electrified backup band at Newport. At least in this “traditional” folkie’s mind, there was no meaningful divide between acoustic and electric.
This was an overly optimistic assessment on Silber’s part; the issue of Vietnam had already divided those on the folk scene. Peter, Paul and Mary, committed performers for Black freedom, were conspicuously absent from the event. Concert planners heard that the folk trio feared their civil rights work would be less “effective” if they took a stand on Vietnam. One-time supporters of the “Sing-In,” including Dylan and Odetta, also ended up being no-shows.
Bob Dylan Pete Seeger Folk Music 1960S Political Change
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