On May 24, 1941—a day that has undoubtedly entered into the canon of folklore in some circles—Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota. Several fruitful decades later, having become one of the most iconic and influential songwriters of his generation during that time, the event of Bob Dylan’s birth would come to be celebrated as an annual tradition in Saint John, New Brunswick, largely thanks to the efforts of two men.
The first man is, of course, Bob Dylan himself; a celebrated songwriter is rarely celebrated had it not been for the songwriting in the first place. The second man is troubadour and local legend Brent Mason who is to Saint John’s music scene what Leonard Cohen was to Montreal. The two are nigh on inextricable.
A fixture at local shows and the long-standing champion of open mic night, Mason has been a constant presence on the city’s stages, from O’Leary’s Pub to the Imperial Theatre since returning from British Columbia in the ’90s.
A decade ago, Mason began celebrating Bob Dylan’s birthday by hosting shows featuring songs from Dylan’s ample catalog covered by local artists and it simply grew from there. The first celebration of Bob Dylan’s Birthday hosted by Mason was held at the Blue Olive as a “nod to Bob as he exited his sixties.”
“Like quite a few things I’ve done, it has been so much fun and so interesting to be a part of that it has developed its own momentum, in a way,” says Mason.
“Without a doubt the guy who had the most influence on me, not just as a musician but as someone whose music truly changed how I saw the world and my place in it. Growing up in Belleisle Creek, hearing ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ for the first time changed what I thought was going on. And it’s insane that he still calls down the thunder. I think he’s as relevant to our times as anyone has ever been to theirs—Shakespeare included.”
Mason says that the evening proved to more successful than he had anticipated, and has continued to be a draw for locals year after year—often to the point of venue capacity and then some.
“I recall people saying they wanted it to happen again the next year, and so it has,” says Mason, though admits he’s uncertain of the exact formula for success he’s struck upon, simply that it works and that he loves doing it.
“There are Dylan fans everywhere, obviously, and, no doubt, people have nights like this I’m not aware of. Part of it might be that the core group here. Jessica Rhaye and the Ramshackle Parade, Grant Heckman and me and my band have woven it into our annual schedules. We love the night and spending it together. That’s not something we get to do a lot of because we’re busy with music, life, etc.. It’s become a special thing for all of us and, by extension, a lot of the people who come have been coming for many years because it is such a cool night.
“One of the great things about this night is there are always some moments that surprise and amaze. You don’t know who or what it’ll be. I think, for example, Bob would have loved Ladd and Lasses off-the-charts version of ‘Hurricane’ two years ago. Not many dry eyes after that one.”
Over the years, Mason has done his best to keep the show fresh. After all, they are consistently performing the songs of a singular, albeit prolific, musician. Every year brings new artists to the event, regular performers are challenged to step up their game, and, every once in a while, the venue changes.
This year—Dylan’s 80th birthday and the 11th annual celebration in Saint John—will feature performances from Sadie, Montgomery Street Band, Grant Heckman, Colin Fowlie, Jessica Rhaye & the Ramshackle Parade (whose album, Just Like A Woman – Songs of Bob Dylan, recently received an East Coast Music Award nomination for Group Recording of the Year) and, of course, the Brent Mason Band.
They’ll also be seriously stepping up the event for 2021 by hosting it at Saint John’s very plush Imperial Theatre; with 250 socially-distances seats as well as a three-camera livestream.
“It’ll be a slightly more civilized event! Two hours instead of four. No need for performers to crawl in on the stage through the back window because the place is too packed,” notes Mason. “Slightly less mayhem!”
And what would the notoriously mercurial Bob Dylan himself think of all this?
“Who would know what Dylan thinks about anything!” laughs Mason. “Someone once said he’s got so many sides he’s round. I can only think that as someone who has written some songs that I’d be thrilled that someone thought them worthy of covering. But that’s me. I think Bob oscillates on a different plane.”
The 11th Annual Bob Dylan Bash happens Saturday, May 08, 2021, starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available and can be purchased via Imperial Theatre.