1971-05-15 Newark State College, Union, NJ

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Scheduled: 11:00 – 18:00 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

Info & Setlist | Venue

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The second (and final) performance of Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom at the first annual "Ernie the Chickin' Festival", an excuse for an all-day, outdoor party extravaganza featuring several local bands including Sunny Jim and Odin. The show opens with the Bob Dylan-penned "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry", sometimes incorrectly labelled "Group Therapy". Steven Van Zandt can be heard jokingly warning the campus ambulances (who were parked nearby) to get ready as Bruce opens the show with some screeching guitar! It was long thought that this statement was made by Kevin "Bird" Connair, but Albee Tellone has confirmed that Connair was not at this show. "Last Night In Texas" is a rewrite of Sonny Boy Williamson II's "One Way Out"; "Zoom Theme" is a rewrite of Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band". "Lady Of Boston" includes an interpolated section of The Rolling Stones' "One More Try". J.D. Woofer, Tinker West's dog, is present. Although we can never be absolutely certain, it is probably J.D. who can be heard barking during the acoustic "Look Towards the Land". Albee Tellone has recounted that the band tried to get him to roll over during the 'roll over' refrain in "Jambalaya (Roll Over)". It didn't work.

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On Stage

• Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom
  • Bruce Springsteen
  • Bobby Feigenbaum
  • Vini Lopez
  • Southside Johnny
  • David Sancious
  • Garry Tallent
  • Albee Tellone
  • Steven Van Zandt
  • Bobby Williams
• The Zoomettes
  • Jeannie Clark
  • Kevin Kavanaugh
  • Steve Large
  • Fifi Longo
  • John Luraschi
  • Connie Manser
  • Robin Nash
  • Sherl Tallent
• "Big Danny" Gallagher

• J.D. Woofer (Guest)

Setlist

1. IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY
2. SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE
3. LOOK TOWARDS THE LAND
4. GOIN' BACK TO GEORGIA
5. LAST NIGHT IN TEXAS
6. WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
7. JAMBALAYA (ROLL OVER)
8. ZOOM THEME
9. LADY OF BOSTON

Performances

^{incl. Rehearsals.}

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• 1974-09-22 Student Center, Kean College, Union, NJ
• 1971-05-15 Newark State College, Union, NJ
• 1970-11-25 Student Center, Newark State College, Union, NJ

Gallery

^{© All credits to the original photographer}

Media

Recording

A very good quality soundboard tape of most (possibly all) of the Dr. Zoom set can be found on the CD boot 'The Bruce Springsteen Story, Vol 5: Dr. Zoom & The Sonic Boom' (E Street Records). The liner notes of the bootleg incorrectly lists the audio as emanating from the previous night's performance at The Sunshine In, however this audio is definitely from the outdoor (not indoor) Dr. Zoom show.

Storyteller

Intro to "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
Steve: are you ready in the ambulance?
Vini: ha ha ha…ha ha ha…
Steve: When the Zoom does his thing, they take them out by the hundreds!
(Bruce's guitar starts feeding back and the band starts up)
Steve: OH MY GOODNESS !!! (song begins)

End of "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
Bruce: Thank you now, thank you very much…..there´s the Sonic people, they´ll take a short break… alright….
Vini: are you kiddin' ?
Garry: (jokingly) that was called group therapy (referring to the large Zoom Chorus)
Bruce: Albee - Albany Al on the saxophone !
Albany Al: HONK TWEET ! (flurry of notes)
Bruce: Express yourself ! haha

Next tune is called by Steve "The Southside Shuffle"
^{Note: First of all, the bootlegger got the title wrong but that's understandable. No one outside of the band knew it was called the Southside Shuffle. Bruce made it up at rehearsal to showcase Johnny on the harmonica.}
Steve: SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE !
Vini: (joking) hey! the side show shuffle !
Band: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Bruce: (cracking up with laughter) "side show shuffle" haha
SSJ: (To Vini): YOU'RE GONNA GET IT !

^{Note: This whole "sideshow" joke comes from the fact that Tinker kept calling Southside - "Sideshow" - something that Johnny hated. At first it was just a slip of the tongue but Vini and Tinker kept it up for a long time. John and Tinker never did get along.}

End of "Southside Shuffle"
Bobby Williams: (in the back hollering) HOLD IT, MY PEDAL BUSTED !
030390|Bruce##: thank you now, thank you very much.
Albee: what broke?
Vini: Bobby's…got another pedal ?
Bobby: no….
unintelligible chatter…tape stops and starts again with Bruce strumming his acoustic guitar and sings "LOOK TOWARD THE LAND" solo acoustic. This gives Bobby and Vini time to fix the pedal.

Intro to "Last Night in Tulsa" ^{The correct name for this song is "LAST NIGHT IN TEXAS"}
Bruce: thank you now, thank you.
Vini: thank you from Carolina. George and Southside do the sideshow on the side.

Intro to "Jumbeliah"
Bruce: thank you now, thank you very much…we have a special treat -ha ha- for youse today…
Steve: THE FUNKY GETS TO DO IT !
Bruce: uh, Garry ?…

Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi - updated by Albee Tellone

Eyewitness

© Jeannie Clark Fisher

I was a "Zoomette" for two gigs with "Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom", Bruce's interim band. It was a fun and joyous, somewhat organized, free-for-all! My memory of the Sunshine Inn was a large, rectangular room with concrete floors and square support pillars and a free-standing stage to one side. There was standing room only and lots of people dancing. The next day we went out to Newark for an outside performance. I still have the short, butterfly, hippie dress I wore that day and I bring it out occasionally for Gross National Product, my high school band, reunion concerts.

News/Memorabilia

Links:

• Reflections on Music Gigs with Bruce Springsteen July 1968 – July 1971 ^{(JeannieCFisher)}

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