Here’s what I know.  I was sitting in a radio station control room one Friday night in 2001, hosting my late night, week-ending radio show “The Cellar”, when I happened across an album from an artist that I had never heard of before sitting in the “New Arrivals” rack.  Something about the title of the album, New American Language, made me curious to know more.

So without even giving the album an off-air preview, I just popped it in the CD player, cued up the title track, and introduced my listening audience and myself to the songwriting talents of Dan Bern.  I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve listened to that album in the years since, but it remains one of my favorite fortunate discoveries.

But since you probably weren’t tuned in on that chilly fall night in 2001, your opportunity to discover a taste of Dan Bern’s songwriting ability for yourself is just a short trip to downtown Charlottesville away as the Gravity Lounge hosts Dan Bern under its brightly burning globes of blue light on Monday, June 2.  Show time is at 7:30pm and the cost at the door is $15.

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Dan Bern’s full-length, self-titled debut album was released in 1997 and with it came the comparisons to another much more well-known songwriter whose career began in the 1960’s and by which all other songwriters since have been judged unfairly or not.  The albums have continued at a rather steady pace with Breathe, from 2006, being Bern’s most recent offical studio album.  His work was also prominently featured in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack for the movie Walk Hard:  The Dewey Cox Story.  (The deluxe iTunes edition of the soundtrack contains 30 songs, 14 of which were written by Bern).

Black Tornado by Dan Bern

But for my money, it’s the New American Language album that keeps calling me back again and again.  Filled with solid songwriting, backed by a rock n roll sensibility, and with a taste of Dylan-esque imagery thrown in for good measure, there are few songs that I ever pass over, and a number that I listen to time and time again.  My favorites include the aforementioned title track, the tenderness of “Albuquerque Lullaby”, the deeply moving “God Said No”, and the almost “Desolation Row” quality of the album’s closer “Thanksgiving Day Parade”.  Included above is an acoustic version of another album favorite “Black Tornado”.  Enjoy! and hopefully you make it out to tonight’s show.

[Dan Bern photo credit by Judd Irish Bradley]

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