Bob Dylan caused controversy by performing an electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
Dylan had become closely associated with the acoustic folk revival, so his appearance with electric instruments surprised many people in the audience. He performed with members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, including guitarist Mike Bloomfield.
The set was brief, and accounts differ over exactly why Dylan left the stage so quickly. The performance nevertheless became a landmark in popular music because it symbolized the growing overlap between folk songwriting and electric rock.
The event is often simplified as a complete rejection by the crowd, but reactions were mixed. Some listeners booed, while others wanted Dylan to continue. His later electric work firmly established the direction suggested at Newport.