Editor’s Note: On September 27, 2025, the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame in partnership with the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music held a collaborative symposium entitled Wasn’t That A Time: The Boston Folk Revival 1958-1965. Over the course of the day, attendees at the Arrow Street Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, enjoyed sessions and panels on such subjects as Club 47, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan at Newport Folk Fest, a conversation with Peter Wolf, and much more. The symposium programming was captured and filmed, and over the course of the next few weeks we’ll be sharing select sessions with our audience right here on BGS. Tune in and enjoy learning more about how Boston was at the epicenter of the folk revival in the ’50s and ’60s.
Our second installment focuses on Joan Baez’s work in Cambridge and beyond. Watch above, learn more below. (Watch the first installment in the series here.)
“Joan Baez in Cambridge and Beyond”
Speakers: Aimee Zoeller (moderator), Betsy Siggins, Mitch Greenhill, Douglas Brinkley, Mitch Blank
About the Video: Joan Baez first played Club 47 when she was 17 and performed there every Tuesday night until her career took off at Newport Folk Festival. How did this shift from local coffeehouse performer occur, who and what were the pivotal influences on Joan and her career, and how do music archaeologists study her career?
“This panel on Joan Baez is one of the richest conversations we hosted at our September Symposium – a panel that captures Joan Baez’s artistic legacy through the voices of people who’ve both lived and studied her story up close. It’s smart, emotional, and full of perspective you won’t hear anywhere else. We’re excited to share it with BGS readers.” – Casey Soward, President and CEO of the Boch Center
Check out the latest exhibits and events happening at the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame here. Learn about the 2025 inductees to the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame here.