Where the Band Was: Long Branch, August 20, 1994 (Terry’s story)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Bruce Springsteen, Joe Grushecky, John Eddie… and Dion walk into a bar.

Summer 1994: The Stone Pony had been bought by Steve Nassar. His program focused on (then) modern acts and passed on the Old Guard bands. From that petri dish, John Eddie developed the concept for the Marz, American Style series at Marz Niteclub (formerly Club Paradise, now an empty lot) in Long Branch, New Jersey.

John’s creative/production team was made up of Bob Benjamin, Henry Vaccaro, Jr. and me (I managed John from 1993-1998). We took Saturday nights with a series of singer/songwriter, regional/national acts that kicked off on Memorial Day weekend. John’s band closed each night.  By early July, we had heard that Bruce (a year post-World Tour 1992/1993 and still not reunited with the E Street Band) was tuned in to what we had going on.

On July 16, Nassar and the Pony celebrated the club’s 20^th Anniversary by bringing back Southside Johnny and the Jukes, and they had John Eddie open that Summer Stage show.  We already had a show booked at Marz that Saturday night–an acoustic show with Peter Case, Willie Nile and Bruce Tunkel.  John and I planned to head there after the Pony. Bruce and Jon Bon Jovi joined Southside to end the Pony show.

I spoke to Bruce backstage after and invited him to Marz.  “Y’all got a lotta great bannnnds playin’ there!”  I told him the night’s line-up and suggested he come by sometime.  Bruce’s response: “We might come by TONIGHT! You got a place to park over there?” (Turns out Bruce, Patti and agent Barry Bell had planned on heading over well before my invite, since Willie was a friend.)

Jump to later:  (1) The Summer Stage Pony crowd was packed inside the Pony expecting Bruce to re-create 1982 as Cats on a Smooth Surface were reuniting, and (2) Bruce was at Marz and elected not to perform there, either.  At the end of the night, I handed him a few club t-shirts and he said, “We had a good time, we’ll be back!”

Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers played the Marz series on June 25th, and we re-booked Joe for August 20th as well. Joe called Bob and advised that he was going to stay with Bruce for the week and they’d be rehearsing to do our night.

About 6:00 pm on August 20th, I arrive at Marz.  Joe comes over and says, “I got Bruce over here and we’d like to get up and soundcheck.” Our friend and loud sound guy, the late George Iocca, didn’t have mics set up yet. But Joe and Bruce wanted to go so they got going. George was cranky but hey…

So, we were expecting Joe Grushecky songs and some traditional covers.  Instead, for the ten of us in the house: the rehearsal included “Lucky Town,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “Atlantic City,” “Glory Days” and “Born on the Bayou” (a Creedence cover). We were pretty amazed.

When they finished, Bob and I walked Bruce out to his motorcycle.  Several Italian fans had gathered.  “Bruce! Bruce! One photo!!!” Photo after photo ensued. Finally, “Alright, now, Viva L’Italia, I gotta GO!”  Bruce kick starts the bike and literally rides off into the sunset.  I’ll never forgive myself for not having my camera in hand but I do see the moment, clearly.

John’s drummer, Frank Funaro, was in the Dictators and the Del-Lords. Scott Kempner fronted the Del-Lords. We had had Scott play Marz earlier in the Summer. And on this night, Scott was playing with Dion Demucci at Club Bene up Route 35 in Sayreville. So we let Scott know of our upcoming night and invited him and Dion.

The venue fit about 450. We actually probably only had 380, which worked, because Bruce had expressed to me pre-soundcheck that he was always concerned about letting a place get over-crowded, for the safety of the crowd.

There was a moment backstage when Joe was on that I was alone with Bruce. My friend, Dan Feuerstein, was getting married the next day and was a big fan.  (Side note:  Dan is cousins with his look-alike, film and TV actor Mark Feuerstein.) Anyway, Bruce was kind enough to sign a “Congrats” note to Dan and his bride which I presented the next day in upstate New York.

Bruce ultimately was far more than a finale guest. He joined Joe and the Houserockers for most of their long set. Then, they had John Eddie up to do “Around and Around” and Dion up to do “The Wanderer” to close it.

It was about as epic an experience as one could hope for.  And my own photo with Bruce, which he signed a year later, is still a proud possession. (Photo credit: Bob Benjamin)

While Joe and Bruce had a friendship and history, after this night, Bruce really dove in to produce Joe’s landmark record, American Babylon.  And from there? Well, Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after the Marz series wrapped.  He had become Joe’s manager, and he and Tony Pallagrosi founded the Light of Day Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease research and awareness. Joe and Bruce became a fairly steady centerpiece of the annual Light of Day series in Asbury Park over the next twenty years.

(Postscript:  John Eddie has always been extremely creative and has been involved in creating and producing many television projects beyond his accomplished career in music.  Last week, on the August 16^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, Variety announced that John and his co-producer, Priscilla Presley, have executive produced and created, Agent King, an animated action-comedy series featuring Elvis Presley, and Netflix has ordered the series.  Sony entities are also partners.)

Story ©Copyright 2019 by Terry Camp

Backstage photos:  Stephen Urbish
Red guitar photo:  Unknown
Living Proof photo in b/w:  Terry Camp