RR Auction VIP Reception at Americana Roots Hall of Fame, Boch Center, Boston, MA
On February 25, 2025, an exclusive crowd of folk music enthusiasts gathered at Boston’s Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame (FARHOF) for a one-of-a-kind preview event. Hosted by RR Auction, “Bob Dylan’s First Demo & The Bob Neuwirth Collection” offered a first look at rare artifacts from Bob Dylan’s early career and the late Bob Neuwirth’s personal trove. The evening felt part museum exhibit, part storytelling session – complete with a VIP cocktail reception and an illuminating Q&A with people who lived the history. The result was a night that bridged generations and had die-hard folk fans buzzing.
The centerpiece of the preview was Bob Dylan’s first demo tape, a reel recorded live at New York’s Gaslight Café in September 1961. Dylan’s then-manager, Terri Thal, made this tape as a tool to secure gigs for the unknown 20-year-old folk singer. “I didn’t have video… I didn’t have a record. I needed something to show, to play for people to give them an idea of what the guy sounded like,” Thal has explained of the tape’s necessity. Indeed, hearing the crisp recordings of early songs like “He Was a Friend of Mine” and “Song to Woody” felt like a revelation — a rare look at Bob Dylan before he was a household name.
RR Auction’s VP Bobby Livingston noted the demo captures Dylan’s raw charisma and talent on the cusp of fame, making it an invaluable piece of music history.
Beyond the demo, attendees were treated to an array of museum-quality Dylan and Neuwirth memorabilia, each with its own story:
Bob Neuwirth’s 1975 Martin D-41 guitar: This acoustic guitar — one of two Martins that Dylan bought at Manny’s Music in New York — was a gift from Dylan to Neuwirth on the eve of the Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Neuwirth’s sunburst-finish D-41 became a workhorse of that legendary 1975–76 tour, played on stage throughout Rolling Thunder Revue. In short, this Martin isn’t just a collector’s piece – it’s a guitar handled by the hands of folk royalty during one of Dylan’s most storied tours.
Neuwirth’s “Nudie” suit (1976): Perhaps the most eye-catching item on display was Neuwirth’s rhinestone-studded Nudie suit, worn on stage at the “Night of the Hurricane II” benefit concert at the Houston Astrodome. The suit’s black fabric was flamboyantly adorned with glittering horseshoes and embroidered golden horse motifs, true to Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors style. Bob Dylan had these flashy custom suits made for his Rolling Thunder troupe – even footing a $15,000 bill at Nudie’s shop– and he personally gifted Neuwirth this one before that January 1976 show. Standing before the suit, one could almost imagine the scene as Dylan, Neuwirth, Joan Baez, and others filed onto the Astrodome stage in full country-glam regalia to rally support for wrongfully convicted boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter.
Dylan’s 1966 tour harmonica: In a modest display lay a well-worn Hohner Marine Band harmonica that Dylan played during his infamous 1966 world tour. This was the tour where Dylan “went electric” and was railed against by folk purists – the very tour that sparked the famous “Judas!” heckle in England. To hold that harmonica (as some lucky attendees did) was to hold a talisman from the moment rock and folk music history dramatically collided.
Rare candid photographs: Lining the gallery walls were previously unseen photographs of Dylan, Neuwirth, and their contemporaries, lending further atmosphere to the evening. These vintage prints — including shots of Dylan and Neuwirth swapping songs in a London hotel in 1965, and behind-the-scenes moments from the Rolling Thunder Revue — stopped many guests in their tracks. Each image felt like a time capsule. Collectively, they captured the unguarded camaraderie of the folk troubadours: Bob smiling mid-rehearsal, Bob and Bobby scribbling setlists, Joan Baez in a quiet backstage moment. For fans who know these legends only through albums and famous concert pics, these intimate photos revealed the human side of mythic figures.
Storytelling with Folk Legends: The Q&A Session
If the artifacts themselves weren’t enough, RR Auction’s preview event upped the ante with an exclusive Q&A session featuring folks who were part of Dylan’s journey. Anne Margaret Daniel, a distinguished folk music historian, expertly moderated the discussion. She prompted insightful stories from the guests, turning the event into a living oral history of the folk era.
(Bob Eaton, Founder and CEO of RR Auction, Terri Thal, Author, Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction)
Terri Thal, Bob Dylan’s first manager (and widow of Dave Van Ronk), headlined the conversation by recalling the origin of that 1961 demo tape. She described the Gaslight Café’s low-lit stage and a scruffy young Dylan eager to make his mark beyond Greenwich Village. “Bob asked, ‘Would you get me gigs?’ Of course I said, ‘I’ll try,'” Thal recounted with a smile, describing how she recorded Dylan’s set on a reel-to-reel deck in lieu of any promotional record. The tape in her hand, she hit the road hustling for bookings – because Dylan’s talent and charisma were undeniable, even if nobody outside the Village knew his name yet, she said. Thal’s anecdotes transported the audience to a time when Dylan was just an ambitious kid with a guitar, charming club owners one tape playback at a time. Hearing her speak about “that drive in his voice that made you stop and listen” gave everyone goosebumps; it’s not often you get a first-hand account of a legend’s genesis.
Paula Batson, Bob Neuwirth’s longtime partner and a music executive, spoke about Neuwirth’s unsung legacy. She painted a loving picture of Bob Neuwirth as “a connector, a catalyst, and a confidant to the stars.” Though Neuwirth famously shunned the spotlight, his influence was everywhere – from co-writing Janis Joplin’s anthem “Mercedes Benz” to mentoring younger musicians.
To illustrate his behind-the-scenes impact, Batson premiered a short clip from an upcoming Neuwirth documentary titled “Untitled: Bob Neuwirth Project.” In the snippet, a who’s-who of artists praised Neuwirth’s creative spirit, echoing T Bone Burnett’s description of him as a “mad Zen monk” guiding the scene.
The audience watched in rapt silence. When the lights came up, Batson revealed that this portion of the auction’s proceeds would help complete the film, a project celebrating Neuwirth’s life as the ultimate folk insider. It was a powerful moment, connecting the evening’s historical artifacts to a future legacy on film.
(David Mansfield, Musician and Anne Margaret Daniel)
Musician David Mansfield, a Rolling Thunder Revue veteran, then provided perhaps the night’s most magical interlude. As a teenage prodigy who played fiddle and pedal steel guitar on the 1975 Rolling Thunder tour, Mansfield picked up Neuwirth’s Martin D-41 guitar on the stage. With a gentle smile, he strummed a few chords of an old country song Neuwirth performed on that very instrument, instantly transporting everyone back to ’75. As the notes rang out from that richly aged Martin, Mansfield recounted how on tour, “that guitar got played by just about everybody at one point or another.” Dylan, Neuwirth, Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez – it would pass from hand to hand in dressing room jam sessions and hotel lobbies. Mansfield’s stories had the crowd chuckling (and a few choking up) as he described impromptu sing-alongs around a cafe table, Neuwirth’s Martin in one person’s lap and maybe Dylan’s in another’s. To hear those tales while the same guitar resonated in the room was goosebump-inducing. It was history, not in a display case, but alive in our ears for a few minutes. Mansfield ended by praising Neuwirth as the “glue” of Rolling Thunder – the guy who could coax greatness out of a motley crew of musicians, whether by handing someone a guitar or cracking a joke at 2 AM.
Throughout the panel, moderator Anne Margaret Daniel added rich context. As a folk scholar, she connected the dots for the audience: explaining, for instance, how the Gaslight tape captures the tail end of the folk revival’s Greenwich Village epicenter, or how the Rolling Thunder Revue represented a creative high-point of 1970s Americana theater. Daniel’s historical asides – about the Houston Night of the Hurricane benefit’s social impact, or the significance of Dylan gifting that sunburst Martin – gave deeper meaning to the artifacts on stage, beyond their dollar value. that turned the Q&A into an intimate storytelling circle. By the end, audience members felt less like spectators and more like participants in a fascinating conversation among friends.
A Night to Remember for Folk Fans and Collectors
As the evening wrapped up, attendees lingered in the FARHOF gallery, reluctant to step out of this time machine of folk music history. Many sipped their last cocktails while swapping impressions: Which artifact moved you the most? Wasn’t Terri Thal just incredible? There was a palpable excitement in the air, the kind you get when you’ve witnessed something truly special. For veteran folk aficionados, seeing Bob Dylan’s earliest demo and Bob Neuwirth’s storied gear up close was akin to finding the Holy Grail.
(Paula Batson, Will Dailey, Boston-based Musician)
For younger fans, like Boston-based Musician Will Dailey, it was an eye-opening crash course in why these relics matter — how a reel of tape, a guitar, or even a bedazzled suit can carry the spirit of a cultural movement.
Organizers reminded everyone that these items would soon head to the auction block (bidding closes March 12) as part of RR Auction’s sale.
As one folk lover remarked on the way out, “It’s like we stepped into a living museum tonight.” The combination of tangible history and first-person storytelling created an immersive trip back to the roots of Americana music.
In a single evening, we heard a young Bob Dylan finding his voice, felt the rollicking energy of Rolling Thunder, and gained new appreciation for Bob Neuwirth’s quiet genius. The “Bob Dylan’s First Demo & The Bob Neuwirth Collection” preview was more than an event – it was a celebration of folk music’s legacy, lovingly curated for those who “get it.” For anyone passionate about Dylan, Neuwirth, and the world they shaped, it truly was a night to remember. Bidding concludes on March 12; for more information, go to www.rrauction.com.
In conjunction with our auction event, The New York Times recently featured an insightful article on one of the key pieces up for bid: Bob Dylan’s first known live recording from 1961 at the Gaslight Cafe. This seminal tape captures Dylan’s early style, heavily influenced by Woody Guthrie. Just before he met John Hammond and skyrocketed to fame with Columbia Records, this tape documented Dylan’s raw, burgeoning talent.
For a deeper dive into this story, you can read the full article on The New York Times website. This piece by Colin Moynihan enriches the historical context surrounding our auction items and highlights the enduring legacy of Bob Dylan’s early performances.
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