$30-$40 for a harmonica? Where do you live? Even the over-priced Marine Bands are typically $15 in the most expensive shops in the US. I suppose in some European countries, with import duties and VAT and all, they'd be more, but $30? Wow! For that, I'd expect a Meisterklasse model (God, they're purty! I have two of 'em).

Seriously, I have heard the stories about Newport, including one girl I knew (yes, she was a girl at the time) who said she was in the crowd of young folks who resented the stir among the purists and wanted to hear more of the electric side. Don't remember if she mentioned the sound system problems or not.

I've recently gotten a lot more lenient about what I'll listen to and try to play, and have been memorizing large parts of various songs on "Highay 51 Revisited," among others. Back when Dylan went electric was about when I turned my back on the "folk scene" as such and went to playing old-timey music. I didn't care that Pete Seeger or any other "folkie" castigated Dylan, since they were themselves writing new material and presenting it to the same audiences. So Bobby plugged in? So what? Violets of Dawn my ass! In fact, Dylan was more honest in that he played what he wanted and didn't care so much for labels (other than the record companies -- I mean labels like "folk" or "rock" or "junk").

So, who wants to buy an electric guitar?

Bob