Born to be Wild songwriter to enjoy Oshawa homecoming Sunday

Sixty-some years after peeling potatoes in the basement of the Jubilee Pavilion in Oshawa, with one eye (and both ears) on the “intoxicating” swing and rock ‘n roll sounds coming from the bandstand, the man who penned one of the most seminal songs of a generation may get his chance at a reunion of sorts this weekend.

Mars Bonfire (born Dennis McCrohan), who wrote ‘Born to be Wild’ for rock legends Steppenwolf and was a founding member of its precursor, Jack London and the Sparrows, is returning to Oshawa Sunday for a show in his honour at the BOND|ST Event Centre’s TwoTwoTwo downstairs venue, along with a meet-and-greet with fans.

And if he finds a gap in his schedule for the day, he’ll make a pilgrimage down to the lakefront Jubilee, which is still a happening place today but was THE place to be when his father Owen McCrohan managed the joint from 1932 until his death in 1980.

“I’d love to visit the Jubilee if scheduling allows,” Bonfire told INdurham. “As a youngster, watching swing bands, country bands, and finally rock bands in that wonderful ballroom was one of the most powerful experiences of my life and destined me to be in music even though my parents were against it.”

Bonfire made a virtual appearance at last year’s debut Convergence Music and Art Festival in Oshawa and said he try to make it out in person to this year’s event, which takes over downtown Oshawa the following Saturday (September 21) and features an eclectic lineup of free shows, including performances from JUNO-winning acts TALK! and Oshawa’s own Dizzy.

Sunday’s meet-and-greet will have to do for Bonfire, who enjoys a busy social calendar living in Reno, Nevada.

“Convergence sounds fascinating, and I would love to be able to attend both events, but Reno, where we live, is a mini–Las Vegas with a constant stream of entertainment and we have several events booked that conflict with the 21st.”

Bonfire did his Q & A with fans last year (through the magic of the internet) following the screening of a documentary by filmmaker Paul Koidis on 1960s Yorkville called ‘Essentials,’ which looked at the impact the former hippie haven had on the music industry.

101 Oshawa Boulevard South, Oshawa

Yorkville, now an exclusive enclave for the well-heeled, is also on Bonfire’s bucket list for his whirlwind tour of Oshawa and Toronto, as is his childhood home on Oshawa Boulevard.

“If it can be fit in I’d be intrigued to see 101 Oshawa Boulevard North where I lived as a kid in Oshawa. And in Toronto I’m curious about the Yorkville area that had so many clubs that welcomed pre-Steppenwolf – The Sparrows – and Le Coq d’Or where I saw Ronnie Hawkins play and was blown away.”

Bonfire remembers playing at Woodview Park behind his home and hiking to a country school (three grades taught in the same room!) when his family moved into what was then farmland in north-west Oshawa.

“That’s where I found my love of hiking and the great outdoors,” said the 80-something former rocker, who is still an active hiker. “Oshawa was a great place to grow up in the 40s and 50s.”

Steppenwolf. Mars Bonfire is second from left

Bonfire (who had changed his name from Dennis McCrohan to Dennis Edmonton by the early 60s) wrote Born to be Wild while hiking in California desert behind the Hollywood Hills and brought the song with him when he joined Steppenwolf (after a brief solo career) in 1967.

The song (featured in the classic 1969 flick ‘Easy Rider’) is credited by some for coining the phrase ‘heavy metal’ – which later became a rock genre – with the lyrics, “I like smoke and lightening, heavy metal thunder,” but other lyrics in the song, such as “get your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure, for whatever comes our way” became the message for an entire generation to get out of their comfort zone and see the world.

“I didn’t know it would even be recorded, let alone be a big success,” Bonfire said during the virtual interview last year. “I think it captures the essence of that transition between youth and adulthood, of leaving your parents and getting out on your own.”

BOND|ST is partnering with Kops Records on the event on Sunday, which will include performances from three bands: Incoming Sun, an emerging young female-fronted band from Brooklin; John Denver Airport Conspiracy, a Toronto-based psych rock band who tries to bring back the “swirly goodness” of the 60s; and Mark Wihlidal (featuring Fools Gold), a group of talented musicians from Oshawa who will pay tribute to Steppenwolf and other luminaries from the era.

Bonfire expects Sunday will be a very cool way to spend a day in his hometown. “I’m always excited to hear different renditions of Born To Be Wild and look forward to the performances.”

That there are tribute bands to Steppenwolf at all is pretty cool on its own, he added.

“I am deeply and profoundly grateful to all who are fans of Steppenwolf and Born to be Wild, for you have enabled me to survive in the world of music,” he said. “It’s a world my parents warned me was unpredictable and success rare.”

Tickets are just $10 for early birds and $20 at the door. Doors open at 6 p.m.

As Will McGuirk of Kops Records noted, “this is the one Oshawa, lots of special guests too so get your motor running and get a ticket.”

Mars Bonfire (aka Dennis Edmonton, aka Dennis McCrohan)