"BobDylangoingelectric"atthe1965NewportFolkFestivalisoneofthoseepochalmomentsinrockhistorythatseeminglyeveryonehasheardabout,butwhatfewpeopleseemtoknowisthatitwasn’tsomeephemeraleventthatweonlyknowfromwordofmouth--filmmakerMurrayLernerdocumentedtheperformancesattheNewportFestivalforseveralyearsrunning,andTheOtherSideoftheMirrorcollectsfootagefromthethreeyearsDylanappearedatthecelebratedfolkgathering,allowingustoseeDylan’srisethroughthefolksceneforourselves.WatchingLerner’sdocumentary,what’smostremarkableishowmuchDylanchangedoverthecourseof36months;theyoungfolkieperformingattheafternoon"workshop"atthesideofJoanBaezin1963isatoncenervyandhesitant,singinghiswordytuneswhilechoppingawayathisacousticguitarandenergizingthecrowdwithoutseemingtoknowjustwhathe’sdoing.In1964,DylanallbutownsNewport,andheclearlyknowsit;he’sthetalkoftheFestival,withBaezandJohnnyCashsinginghispraises(andhissongs),andhiscommandofthestageisvisiblystrongerandmoreconfidentwhilehisnewmaterial(including"Mr.TambourineMan"and"ItAin’tMe,Babe")seeshimmovingawayfromthe"protestsongs"thatfirstmadehisname.WhentheaudiencedemandsanencoreafterDylan’seveningset(OdettaandDaveVanRonkwerescheduledtofollowhim),PeterYarrowtriestokeeptheshowmovingalongwhileDylanbeamsatthecrowd’sadulation,liketherockstarhewasquicklybecoming.Bythetimethe1965NewportFestivalrolledaround,Dylan’sepochal"LikeaRollingStone"wasstartingtoscalethesinglescharts,andthehardcorefolkaudiencewasclearlyoftwomindsabouthispopular(andpopulist)success.WhenDylan,FenderStratocasterinhand,performs"Maggie’sFarm"backedbyAlKooper,MikeBloomfieldandtherhythmsectionfromthePaulButterfieldBluesBand,theraucousbuthard-drivingnumberinspiresacuriousmixtureofenthusiasticcheeringandequallyemphaticbooing,andwhilelegendhasitthattheversionof"LikeaRollingStone"thatfollowedwasashambles,thesongcooksdespitedrummerSamLay’sdifficultyinfindingthegroove,thoughifanythingthedivisionofthecrowd’sloyaltiesisevenstrongerafterward.Afterthesetwonumbers,Dylanandhisbandleavethestage,withYarrow(onceagainservingasMC)citingtechnicalproblems(ifPeteSeegerreallypulledthepoweronDylan,aslegendhasit,there’snosignofithere);Dylanreturnstothestagewithanacousticsix-stringtosing"Mr.TambourineMan"and"It’sAllOverNow,BabyBlue"beforevanishingintothenightwithoutcomment.WhilemuchoftheaudienceatNewportin1965wantedthe"old"Dylanback,hisstrong,willfulperformancesevenontheacousticstuffmakesitobviousthatthescrappysemi-amateurwesawatthebeginningofthemoviewasgoneforever,andtheovationssuggestmorethanafewpeoplewantedtoseeDylanrock.Lerner’sfilmtellsusacertainamountofwhatwealreadyknows,butitgentlydebunksafewmythsaboutDylanduringthispivotalmomentinhiscareer,andhisperformancesarecommittedandforcefulthroughout;nomatterhowmanytimesyou’vereadaboutDylan’sNewportshoot-outof1965,seeingitisarevelatoryexperience,andLernerhasassembledthisarchivalmaterialwithintelligenceandtaste.Thisismust-seeviewingforanyoneinterestedinDylanorthefolksceneofthe’60s.
