Bernstein (aka Dan Bern)

However, with journalists calling him the new Bob Dylan, it’s clear Bern’s music has deep folk roots. The amount of times Dylan’s name appears in a story on Bern is nearly ridiculous.

Sure there’s a similarity in vocal style. And Bern does tap into the ’60s-style social commentary, but upon closer listen, one realizes that the sarcastic, political, in-your-face observations radiating from the notes and chords are something brand new. Bern is fresh and witty — albeit often un-PC. Topics range literally from the ridiculous to the sublime. His music is irreverent, sentimental and caustic.

When people ask what box he belongs in, Bern has an answer: “I say, ‘It’s post-gunk.’ And they say, ‘Well, what’s post-gunk?’ And I say, ‘Well, you know, if you’re familiar with gunk, it’s like a little more modern than that.’ By that time, they’re too afraid to be unhip to even ask what gunk is.” Bern said ignorance often inspires people to check it out themselves.

Bern’s music is like a good joke, either you get it or you don’t.

And like telling a good joke over and over, people find themselves using his lyrics to describe life situations time and again. For example, his song “Tiger Woods,” which opens the album Fifty Eggs, speaks of a friend whose goal in life was to “go down on Madonna.” In the song, the friend achieves the goal. Bern writes: “He got to go down on Madonna, in Rome one night in some hotel, and ever since he’s been depressed, ’cause life is shit from here on in, and all our friends just shake their heads, and say ‘too soon too soon too soon.'”

Despite the fact that most people have different goals than pleasing Madonna, the point of the song rings very true; what now?

Bern may have taken traditional folk music a step further than his predecessors but his career has developed through traditional folk routes.

Bern told POLLSTAR he started playing guitar when he was around 14 years old because he needed a vehicle on which to write songs. He started playing clubs in Chicago and spent some time gigging at coffeehouses. Then Bern made some friends who turned him on to the underground folk circuit. About three years ago, he hit the road full time and hasn’t stopped touring since.

After making the rounds in the music community, folk festival organizers took notice. “Festivals started to book me and then somebody from one of those festivals recommended me to the record company.”

Bern signed with the Work Group but that didn’t change his touring ethic. His support gigs evolved headlining shows, giving him the opportunity to explore his immense catalogue of more than 1,000 songs. “[Headlining] is great because we can really stretch it two-three hours, whatever it needs,” he said.

“Whatever it needs” could be a credo of a Dan Bern concert. “I often don’t even know when I get on stage what I’m going to do, what songs I’m going to sing, or if I’m going to play loud electric music, if I’m going to completely unplug and sit on the edge of the stage and have people crowd up.”

His concerts inspired his contemporary Ani DiFranco to take him on the road as support — and refer him to her booking agency, Fleming, Tamulevich and Associates. She also produced Fifty Eggs.

When Bern is asked why someone like DiFranco, who rarely takes out a support act, chose him as an opener, he responds matter-of-factly. “She seemed to think that these songs were things she wanted her audience to hear.”

Bern appreciates that “shot in the arm” but isn’t obsessive about attracting the attention of the music business. “I think that’s the kind of thing that happens naturally. If something’s going on, they’ll see that. It’s not my job to convince anybody.

“My relationship is with myself, my music and the fans, really. If you start doing it for those other people because of those other things, you’re not going to be worth a dime to anybody anyway. It’s never been my way to chase those people.”

Bern said he’s not sure how much general public awareness he’s garnered, but as far as the industry , he’s confident they’ve noticed. “In the industry right now, in terms of writers, in terms of music business people, in terms of radio people, I feel like there’s enough that they’ll listen to what I’ll have to say next. I feel like a stage is set a little bit and then from there, it’s a matter of what I do with it.”

After three years on the road, popping briefly into and out of the studio to record two albums, Bern is going to spend more time on his next recording. He says he wants his next record to be as good as what he’s known for — his concerts. “We know how to do a show, we really do. I feel like they’re consistently at a really high level. I’m really proud of them. I just want to be as proud of a record as I am of the shows.”