Bob Dylan sparked outrage among folk purists when he performed with an electric band at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, a moment now regarded as one of the most controversial turning points in American music history. Until then, Dylan had built his reputation as an acoustic troubadour and figurehead of the folk revival, celebrated for poetic, politically charged lyrics that tackled Civil Rights and inequality; his sudden shift to electric instrumentation was seen by many devoted fans as a betrayal of the genre's values and traditions.

The Newport Folk Festival, running annually since 1959, was a cornerstone event for American folk music, and Dylan had been a celebrated fixture since his acclaimed 1963 debut there alongside Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary. By 1965 he had two sets scheduled, a low-key acoustic performance on the Saturday and the closing slot on Sunday night, with tension reportedly stoked by a dismissive introduction from festival organiser and folk purist Alan Lomax before The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's set. It was this atmosphere that set the stage for Dylan's unexpected and divisive electric performance, a decision that departed sharply from the raw, acoustic Americana sound that had made him famous.