Newport Folk Festival closing went electric due to Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan sang about a “Million Dollar Bash” on his celebrated “Basement Tapes” recordings, and that’s almost what the 2015 Newport Folk Festival became over the weekend during a 50th anniversary salute to Dylan’s historic 1965 performance.

The rest is history as Dylan went on to change rock and roll from the rock version of moon-june-croon to a literate and raging form of musical expression. He paid $965,000, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction.

The festival producer, Jay Sweet said “Dylan’s guitar is home” on July 24, the first day of this year’s festival.

It has not been played in public for 50 years. It’s not clear yet who will play the guitar, although Sweet has said repeatedly that while an invitation was extended to Dylan, he would not be coming to the festival this year.

The curator of Irsay’s guitar assortment introduced the instrument to the pageant….

A secret lineup of around a dozen musicians is planned to close out the festival on Sunday. “Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night that Split the Sixties”, by Elijah Wald.

Dylan himself last played the Newport Folk Festival in 2002.