Is Dan Bern the “Dylan for the skateboard generation,” as one radio trade mag put it? Not on his new Fifty Eggs, produced by Ani DiFranco. Sarcasm and sophomoric humor are the principal tools of this Midwesterner’s less clever verbosity, although he occasionally employs old-fashioned aching sincerity. His nasal melodies, borrowed from Elvis Costello and Tom Petty, are more melodramatic than anthemic. Nonetheless, Bern offers enough ear-grabbing pop culture references and musical hooks to remain intriguing. Audacious lines like “Jesus says take this fuckin’ cross off my back, I’m going downtown,” and ’50s-style ballad sentiments such as “Everybody’s baby ain’t nobody’s gal,” may not inspire like Dylan’s, but they will keep the audience wide awake. At 9:30 p.m. at Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington. $13. (703) 522-8340. (Steve Kiviat)