Our guest today is Elijah Wald, author of Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties (Dey Street Books, July 2015). Fifty years after the fact, we talk with Wald about the night Bob Dylan first performed with an electric band at the Newport Folk Festival, shocking his fans and ushering in the era of rock and roll. But to understand why the night was so momentous, you have to understand the folk musicians (including Pete Seeger) who influenced him. Later in the hour, Aviva Kempner joins us to talk about her documentary, Rosenwald, which premieres tomorrow.

Music this hour:

Maggies Farm by Bob Dylan

Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

“Forgiven Not Forgotten” by Jahzzar, from the album Kuddelmuddel

“Soldiertype (militarised)” by Ketsa, from the album What’s Without’s Within