In the late 50s and early 60s the cafes of Greenwich Village were a haven for those wishing to escape a society that was shackled by fear of Communism and non-conformity. Beat writers like Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso and others used the cafes as a platform to challenge the status quo by putting their dissent into radical free form poetry that was read aloud...words that would eventually make an impact, despite being ridiculed by a society that saw progressive thinking as anti-American. As the politics of the 60s – the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war movements – heated up, the fiery words recited in these cafes became more political and merged into music. This folk music with strong political lyrics by singer/songwriters like Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and others would quickly reverberate around the world. It was a time when these creative iconoclasts could bring forth politics through spoken word and song which led to street protests and activism.
It is still that time. Throughout New York City subversive poets and radical protest singers are using their art to bring about social change... manifesting in many of the street protests (Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, women's marches, etc.) that we see thoughout The Renegade Legacy of Bleecker and MacDougal.
With appearances by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Allen Ginsberg, Wavy Gravy, Joan Baez, Maria Muldaur, the Weavers, Tom Paxton, Jack Kerouac, Peter Yarrow, and many others.
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