Gerdes was located at 11 West 4th Street, New York at the heart of the Greenwich Village folk scene. It held a particular significance for Dylan as it was the venue of his New York debut on 11th April, 1961, when he opened for blues legend John Lee Hooker. In his recent memoir Dylan described Gerdes as ...the most prominent folk club in America....

Dylan's residency at Gerdes between 24 April and 6 May 1962 was his first at the venue as a headliner. During this period he also began to record his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.