The Times They Have a-Changed

In the Sixties — decades before he starred in a Victoria’s Secret commercial — Bob Dylan was a generational spokesperson, a warrior wielding an acoustic guitar, using razor-edged lyrics to cut away at the social issues of the day. Then, in 1965, he pissed off a whole lotta hippies by plugging a Fender into an amp. It’s hard to understand the controversy now, in an era when socially conscious bands such as Green Day can segue between hard-nosed punk and contemplative strum-alongs within a single album, but when Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival, it had a seismic impact on both his standing within the folk music community and the future of rock and roll. It was musical history in the making. You can see the uproar as it occurred when the Miami Beach Cinematheque screens The Other Side of the Mirror: Live at Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965.

This is Dylan at his influential best — Jew-fro blowin’ in the wind as he crooned meaningful anthems to eager audiences, singing alongside the likes of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, and the man in black, Johnny Cash. Thanks to the MBC’s recent HD upgrade, the picture and sound quality are so stellar you’ll practically smell the schwag smoke and patchouli oil through the screen. Oh wait, that’s the person sitting next to you.
Sat., May 24, 8:30 p.m., 2008