The climax of “A Complete Unknown” is set during that iconic 1965 performance. Even then, fans knew it was a historic moment. On the night of Sund

What Really Happened the Night Dylan Went Electric?

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2024-12-28 21:00:04

The climax of “A Complete Unknown” is set during that iconic 1965 performance. Even then, fans knew it was a historic moment.

On the night of Sunday, July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan appeared at the Newport Folk Festival. He played a Fender electric guitar, and he was backed, for the first time onstage, by an amplified rock ’n’ roll band. They performed three songs. Chaos ensued.

That much everyone can agree on. For almost 60 years, though, the details of this cataclysmic concert have been endlessly analyzed and debated. A depiction of these events makes up the climax of the new biopic “A Complete Unknown,” with Timothée Chalamet as Dylan. The film recreates the Newport show complete with deafening boos, objects being hurled at the stage, and fury from the folk music establishment like festival board members Pete Seeger and Alan Lomax, the ethnomusicologist.

Dylan recently tweeted that Newport was a “fiasco” (yes, he’s tweeting now), but those 20 minutes became one of rock’s most legendary moments. “Dylan going electric” remains universal shorthand for artists pursuing their own musical path, bravely defying the expectations of their audience regardless of consequence.

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