Upstater

Photo from Flickr/BGSU University Libraries

Did you know that Dylan declined to play at Woodstock? And is it a betrayal to admit that we didn’t? We found out by reading this article, which says that in 1968, “The 28-year-old declined an invitation to play at Woodstock, which took place essentially in his backyard. Instead, he opted to jaunt across the pond for the Isle of Wight Festival of Music in England. It was decades before he again played down the road from his former home.”

Dylan was a Woodstock resident at the time with his wife and son, and though he apparently claimed his son was too sick for him to attend, later, according to Syracuse.com, he revealed the true reason: he wasn’t fond of the hippies. The tie-dyed set so encroached upon his privacy that he had to flee the trees for the concrete and move his family to NYC, which afforded relative anonymity.

Still, the snub didn’t last. Those “druggies and dropouts” who descended upon his homestead are also fans and paying customers who buy concert tickets. “In 1988, he began what’s come to be known as the ‘Never Ending Tour,'” they write. “Over the course of the 25-year tour, Dylan has played in upstate NY at least 55 times.” Sounds like more love than hate.