Entertainment
Every year, Bob Dylan devotees go to this RI pub to celebrate him. Here’s what to know.
PROVIDENCE – Once a year, true devotees of Bob Dylan flock to Patrick’s Pub on Smith Hill to celebrate the legendary songwriter and musician with a night of live music and memorabilia.
And this year’s performance on May 18 will mark 25 years that the group has made its annual pilgrimage to 381 Smith St. to honor the man who rocked the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 by introducing an electric guitar – a Fender Stratocaster to be exact.
“You never know who’s gonna be there. It’s brilliant music. Very eclectic,” said Jim McGetrick, 76, one of the founders.
How the RI Dylan fest got its start
The evening of rock ‘n’ roll, probing lyrics and camaraderie has its roots in 1981, when a group of friends, many of them school teachers, hatched the idea of putting together a Bob Dylan party.
“‘[Expletive], nothing happens in February. Why don’t we have a Dylan night?'” McGetrick recalled.
McGetrick, his wife and his good friend, Bobby Marchand organized the occasion. He and Marchand were at the Folk Festival in 1964 as well as a year later, when Dylan went electric.
The group gathered at someone’s house and spent the night playing record after record. Then children came along, putting a pause on the annual get-together until 1998, when they relaunched with the blessing of Patrick Griffin, owner of Patrick’s Pub.
“For me to do it at the pub was an easy thing to do. I love the music. I think the guy was … and is a unique and talented musician,” Griffin said. Though Griffin doesn’t have a favorite Dylan tune, he said the music resonates with him as an Irish immigrant.
Today, the event always aims to closely coincide with Dylan’s birthday, May 24. He will turn 83 this year.
And then it went live
While the initial events featured Dylan records, soon attendees suggested that, perhaps, folks could perform Dylan music live instead.
“The really fun thing for us is it gave us a way to look back across his entire catalog,” said Richard Ribb, who’s been playing the gig for more than 20 years. “You kind of make it your own.”
Dylan is notorious for changing up his music by introducing different tempos and keys, said Ribb, who is retired from his job as director of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program at the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute.
“There is a lot of challenge in it for us,” said Ribb, who will play bass with a band that night.
Sometimes the annual event will have a theme for musicians to follow, such as regret.
“When they play there, they know the music,” said Ribb, who also performs with Biscuit City, a roots-rock, country band.
Sometimes the performers borrow from Dylan covers, as will be the case this year, when Ribb’s band will lean on a Dave Brubeck rendition of a song, he said.
“He has so many great songs,” Ribb said, estimating that the entire collection is upwards of 600 tunes.
Ribb’s band has put in close to eight weeks of practice in preparation for Saturday’s show.
‘You never know who’s going to be there’
While the event started with a core group of eight to 10, it has grown through the years, and 100-plus people typically pack the pub, Griffin said.
“You never know who’s going to be there,” McGetrick said.
The numbers – all of which will be played for free – will feature mandolins, violins and harmonicas, and will range from acoustic to electric performances.
“It allows us to arrange the music in different ways,” Ribb said. “We appreciate how many people come out to listen to local music.”
Several tables in the back room will feature posters from each year, which include the complimentary bumper sticker, party favor of the evening, and photos so regulars can watch one another grow older through the years.
“There is a lot of creativity involved in these displays of memorabilia,” McGetrick said.
What’s the appeal for musicians and attendees?
What draws musicians and bystanders to the annual celebration varies.
For McGetrick, it’s the role Dylan played during the 1960s, as a voice of social consciousness.
“Dylan was speaking to what was going on at the time,” said McGetrick, whose favorite Dylan song is “Like a Rolling Stone.”
He added: “Every one of these people has a Bob Dylan story. People have been inspired by him.”
Through the years, younger people have joined in the shows, bringing their audio-visual skills to the performances.
“I see people there I don’t see except for once a year,” said Griffin, who has owned the restaurant/bar since 1991. “It’s nonstop good entertainment. It’s a great night out at the bar.”
Griffin just likes the music, as does Ribb for its complexities.
“The music is unbelievable. It makes for a really good night,” McGetrick said.
The event begins at 6 p.m. on May 18, with cocktails and live music starting at 8 p.m. Admission is $10, with the proceeds to be donated to the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
Guests will receive a bumper sticker with a Dylan quote – this year it’s “It ain’t me, babe” – along with a favor, a shot glass with “Dylan Night Revival 2024” on one side and “Shot of Love” – the name of a song from his gospel stage – on the other, as supplies last.
In addition to Ribb, artists slated to perform include Scott Doggett, Bill Jette, John Larson, John Rufo, Rick Couto, and Paul and Carleen Sauvageau.
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