Bob Dylan Center

06/23/2026

This afternoon program exclusively for Bob Dylan Center members and guests expands on the contents and themes of the Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966 exhibition, generously presented by Bob Dylan Center Founding Members Bob and Debbie Russell — opening to the public on the same day — by showcasing Dylan’s rarely screened directorial debut “Eat the Document.”

Running just short of an hour, this kaleidoscopic chronicle of Dylan’s “Judas”-inducing 1966 European tour is an unpredictable blend of onstage concert footage, backstage banter and seemingly fictional elements, with cinematography by famed documentarian D. A. Pennebaker — who directed the previous year’s “Dont Look Back,” following Dylan on his 1965 tour — and key support from crew members Howard and Jones Alk and Bob Neuwirth. Rejected for broadcast by ABC execs who found it incomprehensible. Dylan’s experimental vision remains a fascinating document of his kinetic mindset during the whirlwind of ’66, and features incendiary performances of “Tell Me, Momma,” “I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met),” “Ballad of a Thin Man” and “One Too Many Mornings,” with the majestically captivating frontman backed by The Hawks (soon to become The Band).

The screening will conclude with excerpts from filmmaker John Anderson’s work-in-progress documentary about photographer Barry Feinstein, whose brilliantly composed images of Dylan and The Band during the mid-‘60s — and later during their 1974 tour — are strikingly intimate and truly iconic. Anderson will share segments from his film with viewers for the first time.

“Mercury on Film: Eat the Document” is generously presented by Bob Dylan Center Founding Members Joe Donnelly and Becky Thorson.

This is a free event for Bob Dylan Center members. Not yet a member? Become a member today: bobdylancenter.com/support/memberships

06/20/2026

“The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the ‘Blonde on Blonde’ album. It’s that thin, that wild mercury sound. It’s metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up. That’s my particular sound.” – Bob Dylan, 1977 interview with Ron Rosenbaum

On this day in 1966, Bob Dylan released “Blonde on Blonde,” his seventh studio album and the final entry in the trilogy of rock records that began with “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited.” Widely regarded as one of the first double albums in rock history, it captured Dylan at a creative peak, blending surrealist lyrics, blues structures, and a distinct, razor-sharp sound.

Recording began in New York with members of the Hawks, but Dylan shifted the sessions to Nashville in early 1966, working with producer Bob Johnston and a group of local session players — including Charlie McCoy, Kenny Buttrey and Joe South — alongside Al Kooper and Robbie Robertson.

The album features some of Dylan’s most celebrated songs, including “Visions of Johanna,” “Just Like a Woman,” “I Want You,” “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again,” and “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.”

“Thin Wild Mercury: Dylan 1966,” an immersive multimedia exhibition that captures the spectacle, power and fury of Dylan’s landmark year following his controversial electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival – including the recording and release of “Blonde on Blonde” – opens on July 18. Learn more: bobdylancenter.com/visit/exhibits/thin-wild-mercury

06/19/2026

“Rough and Rowdy Ways” – Bob Dylan's thirty-ninth studio album – was released on this day in 2020, his first album of original songs since his 2012 album, “Tempest.” The album was met with widespread critical acclaim and peaked at #1 in more than ten countries.

Pick up a copy of the album next time you're at the center's gift shop or online: shop.bobdylancenter.com/products/rough-and-rowdy-ways

06/18/2026

Join Bob Dylan Center Director Steven Jenkins for an online discussion with author and professor Margena Christian about her revelatory biography of Sylvia Moy, the previously overlooked creative force behind a slew of Motown Records classics.

“It’s No Wonder: The Life and Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy” examines the groundbreaking career of the pioneer who battled sexism and broke down barriers to become Motown’s first certified female in-house songwriter and producer. As the lone woman in a room full of men, the odds were stacked against Moy from the start. Amidst racial strife at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, most African American women who were allowed into the music industry were relegated to careers as a singer. Nevertheless, the Detroit native found unprecedented success as both a songwriter and producer. In addition to single-handedly saving Stevie Wonder’s early career, Moy solidified herself as one of Motown’s most prolific composers, penning classics such as “My Cherie Amour,” “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “I Was Made to Love her,” “It Takes Two,” “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You)” and “Forget Me Not.”

Zoom in for this virtual chat as Christian discusses “It’s No Wonder” and fields questions from Jenkins and attendees.

Presenting Supporters: Joe Donnelly and Becky Thorson

Free for Bob Dylan Center members. Get tickets at bobdylancenter.com/event/margena-christian

06/18/2026

06/16/2026

“‘Take care of all your memories’ / Said my friend, Mick / ‘For you cannot relive them.’” So sings Dylan with aw-shucks bemusement in “Open the Door, Homer,” a honky-tonk hoedown from “The Basement Tapes.” Yet it is the peculiar magic of songs such as this one that bring the past so vividly into the present, as we merge music and memories from our collective consciousness and personal histories to recall days gone by. For this “Ten Songs (Plus One or Two)” installment — the latest in our bimonthly members-only series of listening sessions led by center director Steven Jenkins — featured artists including Max Richter, Rosanne Cash, Van Morrison, Diana Krall and The Everly Brothers take trips down memory lane, pulled backwards and forwards by nostalgia, loss, devotion and perfect moments made all the more indelible by their ephemerality. Forget about today until tomorrow, but be sure to join us on Aug. 6.

This event will be offered in-person and virtually via Zoom.

To learn more or become a member, visit bobdylancenter.com/event/ten-songs-aug-2026

06/15/2026

Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles after the Far East leg of the 1978 tour, Dylan and his band returned to Rundown Studios in Santa Monica. There, between April 25 and May 1, they recorded Dylan’s eighteenth studio album, “Street-Legal,” with Don Devito producing. The album was released on this day in 1978.

“Baby, Stop Crying” was released as the album’s first single on July 31, 1978. The songs continue to captivate in the 21st century, with “New Pony” and “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” having been artfully covered by The Dead Weather and Willie Nelson, respectively.

Pictured: “Street-Legal” 3-D promotional standee. Currently on display in the Earl Minnis Gallery exhibition of the Bob Dylan Archive.

06/12/2026

On this day in 2019, “Rolling Thunder R***e: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese” was released on Netflix and in select theaters. The film is Scorsese's second film on Bob Dylan, following 2005's “No Direction Home.”

Pictured: promotional release poster for the film, on display in the Columbia Records Gallery at the Bob Dylan Center.

Watch the film's trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=PS4gsWDSn68

06/10/2026

On this day in 1985, Bob Dylan released his 23rd studio album, “Empire Burlesque.” Recorded between July 1984 and March 1985, the album reflected the sound of the era with its synth-driven production and electronic drums. Dylan brought in a wide range of guest musicians for the sessions, including Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench and Howie Epstein of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, along with Ronnie Wood, Al Kooper and Jim Keltner. Dylan produced most of the record himself, with mixing assistance from Arthur Baker, known for his work in hip-hop, New Wave and club remix culture.

One of the album’s standout tracks, “When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky,” exemplified the record’s dancefloor-ready aesthetic. Originally recorded as a driving rock song with Stevie Van Zandt and Roy Bittan of the E Street Band, Dylan ultimately chose a version mixed by Baker in the style of contemporary dance singles. Though it was released as a B-side in the U.S., the song saw international release as a single, with the UK 7-inch featuring a rare alternate edit and mix.

Pictured: “Empire Burlesque” official songbook, “When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky” 45 rpm single, “Tight Connection to My Heart” official sheet music. Currently on display in the Earl Minnis Gallery exhibition of the Bob Dylan Archive.

06/09/2026

As a tie-in to the current “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65” exhibition, next Monday, June 15, the Bob Dylan Center is pleased to present an evening with Scott Freiman, host of the popular PBS series “Deconstructing the Beatles.” For this special multimedia event at Circle Cinema, Freiman will deconstruct folk music, exploring the genre’s roots and evolutions in both the U.S. and U.K. — from ancient British ballads and Appalachian work songs to the thriving folk revival scenes of the 1950s and ‘60s — as these traditions led to the chiming guitars and literary lyrics of folk rock.

Tickets on sale now: bobdylancenter.com/event/deconstructing-folk-music

Deconstructing The Music