AP Photo
Bob Dylan and Lauren Bacall at a dinner at the State Department to honor them and other Kennedy Center Nominees in 1997.

One of the more interesting countercultural national holidays is coming up: Bob Dylan turns 69 Monday.

Around the nation fans will be coming together over the next week to celebrate his birthday, sing the songs and testify to the often path-changing impact of Dylan's music on their lives.

Saturday, in Greenville and in Providence, two very different tributes will take place.

At Patrick's Pub on Smith St. near the Statehouse, the long-running Annual Bob Dylan Night Revival is personal. It begins at 7 with cocktails and a quiz (yes, some of the organizers are teachers), followed at 8 by video clips of Bob. At 8:30 there's a singalong and open mic (get there early to sign up if you want to play).

From 10:30 on you can introduce your favorite Dylan song and tell everybody why it matters to you. I once introduced She Belongs to Me from that stage.

The title of this blog is an unabashed tribute to Bob.

The cover is $5. Patrick's Pub is at 381 Smith St. in Providence.

In a completely different vein, the 13th Annual Bob Dylan's Birthday Bash! at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Mill in Greenville is an all-ages, smoke- and alcohol-free event.

Local musicians from Loose Change, FolksTogether and The Dunn Brothers come together every year for one night as The ZimmerMen, a Dylan tribute band. The event's original organizer, Nick DiBiasio of NPR station WICN in Worcester, hosts and offers background on the origins of the songs.

The Mill is at 711 Putnam Pike, Greenville. Donation is $10.