THE OLD ROOKIE TIMES 004
"Dylan Goes Electric!," MJ Lenderman, Ryan Davis and The Roadhouse Band & LA Wildfire Relief Compilation
:Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan and the Night that Split the 60’s:
If you’ve opened your phone or turned on the TV in the last month you’ve seen Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan in the new biopic, A Complete Unknown. Partially due to Chalamet’s magnetism, the film’s promotional cycle has been incredibly hard to miss. Ironically, Dylan himself might’ve been one of a handful of people in the world removed enough from society to have been unaware of the film’s existence. It was fair to wonder whether Bob had any idea this film was happening and more importantly, what he thought of it.
Bob Dylan is fairly new to twitter, or X as we’re supposed to call it now. His posts are often random and without any context which makes them a bit of an event each time he sends a new one. It was a surprise to many when he issued in what essentially constitutes as an endorsement of the film:
Like many Dylan fans, I raced to buy the book, determined to read it in full before I saw the movie. The author, Elijah Wald proves himself to be master researcher and storyteller. Dylan tends to live by the motto “don’t let facts get in the way of a good story” and the truth about any historical moment related to his legacy is always blurred. It takes a studious third party like Wald to get as close as possible to the real story.
The book begins with Dylan’s upbringing in Hibbing, Minnesota and the early years of him performing at school functions, early rock and roll songs and his musical journey as a fan and performer. It’s a history lesson in early American radio, Bo Diddly and Little Richard. As the story goes, a precocious 21 year old Bob Dylan leaves for New York to find his hero Woody Guthrie and pay homage to the man who was known to be slowly dying in a hospital in New Jersey, with fame and fortune to follow. Alongside the music, Wald perfectly sets the scene of the political landscape of the era and the counterculture mecca that was the West Village in the early 60’s. Dylan’s budding music career, his own personal myth making, his relationships with folk singers and its peripheral players all run alongside the bubbling intensity of what’s to come. July 25th, 1965 of course. The night Dylan “went electric” at Newport Folk Festival and the utter shitstorm it caused. It’s a story we all think we know, but how well do we know it? Dylan Goes Electric! honorably attempts to answer that question.
With the gift of retrospect, it certainly seems silly that a man playing electric guitar at a folk festival caused such upheaval, vitriol and chaos. There was a cultural weight to that moment that cannot be denied or overstated, and Wald’s book sets the scene more than a film ever could. Ultimately Dylan never asked to be “the voice of the generation,” but was bestowed the crown anyways. Watching interviews from those years, he actively pushes back on the title at every turn. His songs became the soundtrack to the counterculture, but not entirely on his own volition. He was the beacon of hope for an entire subsection of people that he may or may not even have identified with. The Newport Folk festival was not interested in the popular culture, or attracting any sort of rock n roll ruffians. It was a sacred place to specifically carry on the folk tradition and Bob Dylan was their King.
So with the large crowd teeming with anticipation, Dylan took stage, plugged in to an amp and launchd into “Maggie’s Farm” to the shock of all. Why the music pissed off the majority of the audience there is because it was far more than just “going electric.” It was a “fuck you” to the resistance, to the freedom fighters and it was directly to their faces. That’s what upset people. The film makes it seem like a pre-orchestrated assault from Dylan and his band with the sole purpose of tearing it all down. That of course could be true, but there’s also reason to believe Bob had no idea of the consequences he would soon face. He was simply doing what he had always done, doing things his way.
Unquestionably, it’s a tall task to distill an incredibly influential period of 5 years into a 2.5 hour film, especially one already steeped in myth and conflicting truths. Did A Complete Unknown have some historical inaccuracies, sure, but from strictly an entertainment perspective, it hits the mark. The stage sets, the color, the fashion, the tone and most importantly the music were all done with obvious intention. Timothee Chalamet did an admirable job as Bob and it’s something I could watch multiple times over the years. Critics of the film have pointed out the poor portrayal of Sylvie, Bob’s girlfriend (based off the real person Suze Rotolo), played by Elle Fanning. Fanning played her role well, but Rotolo’s significance and influence on Bob in his early years of New York was essentially traded in for a longing girlfriend. There’s an interesting interview with Terri Thal, Dave Van Ronk’s wife and Dylans’ first manager in town over at Ray Padgett’s substack HERE.
What makes the book and film so compelling is that we still don’t know the entire truth of the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. We never will and that seems to be what Dylan would prefer. Stories even conflict from those in the audience and backstage. Bob fans can be a prickly bunch, but most fans I know enjoyed the film a great deal, myself included. If you’re not a fan of Bob Dylan the artist, however, you can probably enjoy the movie a hell of a lot more. Either way, If you left the movie fascinated and wanting to know more about that whole era, Elijah Wald’s book is ground zero.
:MJ Lenderman & The Wind Live in Nashville:
Asheville, NC based rocker MJ Lenderman rolled back into Nashville to kick off yet another tour, this time in a full tour bus for the first time. His growing success has afforded him new such luxuries, whether he’d admit to such aspirations or not. Hurricane Helene postponed their Atlanta and Nashville dates from October and the venue had been subsequently upgraded for capacity purposes from the Basement East to Brooklyn Bowl. It was worth the wait 10 times over. Some gigs just have a buzz about them and this was one. On a cold January night, fans in 20s and their 60s packed into to hear Lenderman and his band, The Wind, rip through his already-impressive catalog and the exceptionally acclaimed new record, Manning Fireworks.
Part of his appeal is that Lenderman is an everyman. He writes with humor about obscure pop culture references, video games, and basketball. With a catalog of records to his name already, including the incredible live album, Live & Loose, he’s stacked up a handful of straight up cult-classic songs like She’s Leaving You, Knockin’, Wristwatch, TLC Cagematch and others. As the live record title would suggest, there is a loud and loose feel to the live show. He is an incredibly restrained performer with no real frills or gimmicks. His guitar solos mostly occur during moments of heavy feedback and peripheral noise from the band. Within the chaos he loosens without the pressure of being “frontman” for a moment, going inward and taking the opportunity to explore and distort.
Being in my mid-30s, I am no longer the young kid in the crowd. I love seeing college students going crazy for their favorite artist side by side with a couple who looks like they could be my parents. I was that college kid. I hope to be the old couple next to them.
Lenderman is only 25 but there’s a genuine throwback spirit to his approach signaling major lasting power. He cites Drive By Truckers and Dinosaur Jr. as some of this favorites. Patterson Hood and J Mascis, relatively speaking, have continued to morph and tour relentlessly and put out records into their 50s and 60s and Lenderman comes across as far more one of their peers than he does a typical indie rocker in their 20s. Without undo pressure on the guy, he has the makings of a legendary figure in rock n roll. The future’s all his if he wants it.
First song of a 3 song encore was a cover of Neil Young’s Lotta Love.
Acoustic set from NPR’s Tiny Desk
:Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band:
We are all lucky enough to experience this at least once. You hear a record you love immediately. Become an instant fan of the artist. Go to their tour tab on their website to find out when you can see them. Realize they’rr opening for a gig you already have tickets to. Rejoice!
This happened as I was deep down a blackhole with Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band’s Dancing On The Edge. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse band was on tour with MJ Lenderman, a show I had planned on attending for many months.
The two groups share some similarities. They’re both a bit of a rag tag bunch from southern states, with smart, funny lyrics, a touch of death rock and enough pedal steel guitar to cradle my country heart. I laughed multiple times during the set from humor and pure joy. With 8 members on stage, including keys, synths, bongos and backup singers, loud electric guitars, the record comes alive on another level.
:Back in the Garage - Los Angeles Fire Relief Compilation:
Just because we knew we were in for a doozy of a new year, doesn’t mean we were prepared for just how fast 2025 has come swinging out of the gates. Many of us were left to watch the horrific wildfires in LA that decimated whole neighborhoods of the city horrified from afar. A perfect storm was no match for the legions of good people flooding into the help as best they could. The aftermath will take time to move through, most likely years and for some folks, never. For those of us on the sidelines, finding ways to support are vital.
Los Angeles artists Luke and Tristan Pelletier, founders of Soggy Anvil Records have been staples of the community. They’ve hosted “back in the garage” sessions since 2021. Taking the opportunity to use the sessions for fundraising, Soggy Angil Records released Back in the Garage - Los Angeles Fire Relief Compilation, a 57 track, 3.5+ hour compilation of all LA artists with 100% of the proceeds going to wildfire relief. Many of these artists are completely without their homes, others are displaced for the foreseeable future. The funds raised from this effort will go to individual GoFundMe’s, local charities and individuals most in need.
If you’re looking for a way to contribute to a situation that can feel helpless, this is a great opportunity and great music. Listen and donate HERE.
Audio engineering: Luke Pelletier, Tristan Pelletier
Audio mixing: Tommy Burns, Luke Pelletier, John Spiker, Andy Bishop
Audio mastering: Tommy Burns, Andy Bishop
Cover art by Luke Pelletier
Cowboy Illustration by Taylor Rushing
:The Old Rookies Times 004 Playlist:
Oh, and it’s TIDAL time… you know why. Until next time.
Loved hearing your take on the film reading the book beforehand. Go Bob.