(RED BANK, NJ) -- This year's BobFest, Pat Guadagno's annual tribute to Bob Dylan around Bob's birthday, took place at The Vogel on May 28, 2026. John Cruz, Steve Delopoulos, Pat Guadagno, Renee Maskin, Rob Paparozzi, and Anne Hills took part playing his tunes in a Nashville styled in the round setup. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.
BobFest is the longest running of Pat Guadagno’s critically acclaimed musical celebrations of songwriters Warren Zevon, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, John Prine, Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, and Gram Parsons, delivering their music with Passion and Reverence that has become Guadagno’s trademark.
Pat has been presenting BobFest for over 25 years now, always changing the theme each year to keep the show fresh. They performed 60 songs to celebrate Dylan's 60th birthday and took a look at bootleg, rarities, and alternative versions of Dylan songs last year. This year, to honor the Nobel Prize winner Guadagno joins five international award-winning Songwriters to tell their Stories and sing some Bob Dylan Songs – ‘In the Round-Nashville Style’.
One of the reasons Pat's shows work so well is that he is one of the best vocalists around and interprets each song in his own unmistakable way. If you're ever fortunate enough to catch Pat Guadagno perform you'll understand why he's been a major part of the state's music scene for decades. Here's a look at the artists who joined him for the tribute.
New Jersey Stage Magazine’s “2023 Songwriter of the Year,” Renee Maskin, is a vibrant force in the storied Asbury Park music scene. Her first BobFest gave fans the opportunity to see her take on the music of one of her songwriting muses.
Nā Hōkū Hanohano and Grammy Award-winner John Cruz is featured in the Playing for Change Foundation videos supporting the global effort to create positive change through music and arts education. John’s music has been recorded by Jackson Brown and Jack Johnson, and his composition Island Style has become the official Hawaiian anthem.
Frontman for The Original Blues Brothers Band and Blood, Sweat, ‘N Tears, Rob Paparozzi has toured and recorded with everyone from B.B. King to Carole King, Dr. John to Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston to Dolly Parton. When the producers of the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” needed a harmonica coach for SAG ‘Best Actor’ Timothée Chalamet, they called on ‘The Honeydripper.’
American Songwriter Magazine called A&M Recording Artist Steve Delopoulos ”the first truly great writer of this century.” The Dove Award-winning songwriter/singer for the internationally renowned Burlap to Cashmere combines his Greek musical background with a New York attitude.
An award-winning songwriter with a stunning soprano tone has made Anne Hills one of contemporary folk music’s premiere vocalists. Her work with Tom Paxton, Bob Gibson, and Artie Traum made her feel right at home at BobFest.
Here are more photos from the show.
John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. Currently, John has spent the last 6 years concentrating on photographing almost 400 theater productions at over 70 different NJ theatres. Click here for John's website.
