by Jim Piecara, Rose Valley, Pa

Like so many of us here, I grew up with music playing in my head. My radio fed me everything that WIBG in Philly had to offer in the 50’s (I’m an old guy) — Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard. I grew as the music evolved - R&B, doo-wop, surf music, Motown, and of course, the British invasion. As a college student, I turned to Folk music and soon became a Bob Dylan fan early on, during his protest phase. The Times They are a Changing, Masters of War, Blowin in the Wind — classics now, but out of the mainstream then. We had to search to find this music (thanks Gene Shay!). When he “plugged in” at the Newport Folk Festival in the fall of 1965, he set a new direction for the music of the day, changing our attitudes about the power of Music. A pivotal moment.

I was fortunate enough to see him when he came through Philadelphia shortly thereafter. He played the Academy of Music in late February 1966, and my friends and I were excited to see him. None of us had ever been to the Academy, so naturally, we dressed appropriately for the venue. Imagine our surprise to see “bohemian” New Yorkers, the men in bib overalls and the women in jeans and long fur coats. Little did we realize that they were “hippies,” the term had not yet been invented!

The first set was all acoustic, mostly songs from Highway 61 Revisited and the soon to be released Blonde on Blonde — Mr. Tamborine Man, Visions of Johanna, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue. After a short intermission he returned with the Hawks (later to become the Band), and plugged in. There were boos, but certainly not from us. They powered through 7 or 8 songs — Leopard Skin Pill-box Hat, Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues, Baby Let Me Follow You Down. It was stunning!

In retrospect, it was the perfect marriage of the visceral and the intellectual. From that time on, musicians became more aware of their potential. Desolation Row was a long way from Penny Lane! Dylan then was near the peak of his power and influence, and I feel very fortunate to have been a witness to it all.