Police have members of "The Unwashed Society" under constant surveillance. An eatery is the center for the gathering of these peculiars who ... gather late at night and in the early morning hours over coffee, exhibiting their Castro beards ... Intellectual types mingle with the others to the beat of string music and "folk songs" ... In some instances the guests are under the influence of more than music...  – Excerpt from "Police Eye Beatnik Imposters," Boston Record American

In 1958, a young woman attending Boston University was stepping onto stages in Boston and Cambridge, singing traditional songs like "I Never Shall Marry," and "Black is the Color," in what Time magazine described as an "achingly pure soprano." By the time Joan Baez ascended to national fame the following year, coffeehouses, hootenannies and folk festivals were all the rage throughout the country. The folk revival, which spanned the 10-year-period between 1958 and 1968, was well underway.

Then, as now, the Boston and Cambridge area was considered a mecca for young people who had a few chords to play and a few songs to sing. Within these pages, you will learn about the history of the revival, the performers, and the places they played, all within the context of how the revival unfolded in Boston and Cambridge. For more in-depth coverage, see the resources page.

Joan Baez at Club 47