2019-04-27 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ

Scheduled: 15:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

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Bruce Springsteen, along with Thom Zimny, is interviewed by Backstreets editor Chris Phillips following a screening (curated by Zimny) of unreleased video from the Bruce Springsteen Archives as part of the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival.

The Bruce Springsteen Archives (Asbury Park Music and Film Festival)

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Bruce Springsteen surprises fans at Asbury Park Music and Film Festival

Hello, Bruce Springsteen.

Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the Bruce Springsteen Archives event Saturday, April 27 at the Paramount Theatre, part of the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival. He and filmmaker Thom Zimny took questions from Christopher Phillips of Backstreets after a showing of rare footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band.

“Half of this stuff l’ve never seen before,” Springsteen said.

Early footage of the band is rare. The reason is partly due to Springsteen’s aversion to being filmed during the band’s early days.

“A magician should not look too closely at his magic trick ,” said Springsteen, who wore a sweatshirt with the number five on it .

The footage spanned 1974 — when the line up included Vini Lopez and David Sancious — to 2012, when Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off the Wrecking Ball tour at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The Boss climbed up to the balcony during a performance of Wilson Pickett’s “634-5789” at the show.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Springsteen said.

Wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa was filmed looking up with a combination of horror and amazement. Did anyone know Springsteen was going to climb up there, Phillips asked

“I don’t think anyone knew because nobody was following me up there,” said Springsteen to laughter. “I was lucky they had some pipes up there so I could get down.”

A scintillating David Sancious piano intro was a highlight of a 1974 performance of “New York City Serenade” and a solo acoustic rendition of “The Promised Land” at the St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold in 1996 presented a solo Boss.

Unlike “Springsteen on Broadway,” he didn’t tell too many stories from the St. Rose stage that night, he said.

“Just going back to St. Rose was dramatic enough,” said Springsteen, who attended the school.

He called his performance of “My City of Ruins” with the Seeger Sessions Band in 2006 at the New Orleans Jazz Fest one of his Top 5 concert experiences. It took place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“Rock 'n' roll music is meant to push up against something,” said Springsteen.

In this case, the destruction of a hurricane.

Springsteen added that he wants to “get the Seeger Sessions Band back together.” Phillips noted that ‘My City of Ruins” was first performed in Convention Hall in Asbury Park in the early aughts, when the current city revival was beginning.

“Now I get to walk down the boardwalk like the Ghost of Christmas past but I like it,” Springsteen said. “I’m very happy for the city.”

The rare footage included his wife, Patti Scialfa, singing “Tell Him” with Cats on a Smooth Surface at the city’s Stone Pony in the ‘80s.

It was the night they met, Zimny said, a night referred to in the hit “Springsteen on Broadway.”

City guitarist Bobby Bandiera, who would go on to play with the Asbury Jukes and Bon Jovi and was once rumored to be Steven Van Zandt’s replacement in the E Street Band, is in the shot.

^{By Chris Phillips via Asbury Park Press.}

Springsteen surprise: The Boss makes appearance at Asbury Park Music and Film Festival

“Yikes! I’ve never seen any of that stuff myself,” said Bruce Springsteen after watching some amazing clips from The Bruce Springsteen Archives at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, when they were shown at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on April 27, as part of the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival.

“I’ve lived many lives,” he said after watching 10 clips from as early as 1973 to as late as 2012.

In a surprise, he participated in a panel discussion on the Paramount stage, after the clips were screened, with his film archivist, Thom Zimny — who is doing so much important work for Springsteen these days “he’s like another member of the band,” Springsteen said — and Chris Phillips of Backstreets magazine.

I’ll talk about the clips one by one below, but want to mention a a few pieces of news coming out of discussion, first.

Springsteen said he is planning to release a film of his April 30, 2006 performance with the Seeger Sessions Band at the New Orleans JazzFest. He considers that show, he said, to be among his Top 5, ever. He also said, about that rootsy Seeger Sessions project, “I wanna do that again sometime.”

The event also included two clips from Springsteen’s legendary 1975 stand at the Bottom Line in New York, and Zimny said one of the shows was filmed in its entirety by Barry Rebo, a friend of the band who was allowed to film at shows.

These were the clips, in the order they were shown, along with some of my thoughts and some excerpts from what Springsteen said about them.

“When You Walk in the Room,” from one of the Bottom Line shows in August 1975. A kind of Holy Grail find for Springsteen fans, as the Bottom Line shows have taken on legendary status, over the years. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen E Street band members standing so closely together on a stage. The song is a Jackie DeShannon song that has been covered by the band only a few times since the ’70s, and the excitement in the air is palpable.

The Bottom Line shows “changed the life of the band,” Springsteen said, during the discussion.

“After we came out of the Bottom Line, we were finally contenders … we were no longer expected to be good, we were expected to be great.”

“The Way You Do the Things You Do”/”634-5789” medley, at the Apollo Theatre in New York, on March 9, 2012. The concert that kicked off the Wrecking Ball Tour. Springsteen talked about learning from soul-music masters like Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin before performing these hits by The Temptations and Wilson Pickett, respectively. Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Curtis King, Cindy Mizelle, Everett Bradley, Soozie Tyrell and Jake Clemons sing together beautifully, and Springsteen ventured not only up into the theater’s balcony, but onto a small ledge from which lights were suspended, to sing part of “634-5789.” The he climbed back down to the stage on a pipe.

Later, Springsteen said that this was not planned, but happened spontaneously. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said.

“New York City Serenade,” from 1973, with a beautiful, long introduction by original E Street Band pianist David Sancious.

“Quarter to Three,” also from the Bottom Line in 1975. Springsteen and the band at their most manic, with Springsteen even venturing out into the audience to dance on one of the club’s long, narrow tables. An incredible clip.

“The Promised Land,” Nov. 8, 1996 at a benefit concert at St. Rose of Lima School in Freehold (where Springsteen attended grammar school). An intense solo acoustic performance, dark and haunting, shot close up from start to finish.

“My City of Ruins,” with the Seeger Sessions Band, April 30, 2006 at the New Orleans JazzFest. The song was written about Asbury Park, of course, but took on new meaning at this show, which took place less than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area.

“Rock ‘n’ roll is best when there are large stakes on the table,” Springsteen said during the panel discussion.

“Who Do You Love?”/”She’s the One” medley, June 1988 at Stadion Feyenoord in Rotterdam, Netherlands. A very entertaining clip from the Tunnel of Love Tour, complete with some very energetic maracas playing by Clarence Clemons.

“Even without a saxophone, he was still legendary,” said Springsteen.

He also said, “There may be a Tunnel of Love (Tour) show (on film), start to finish, that we can get to someday.”

“Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” Back to 1973, with another black and white clip. A pensive, delicate, unusually slow version of this song, with lovely accordion playing by Danny Federici. Springsteen talked about how this song was about leaving Asbury Park, and starting another phase of his life. He also joked, “I thought I was going to fall asleep at any moment,” because of the song’s slow pace, but praised Federici’s playing.

“Tell Her,” a cover of The Exciters’ hit, by Patti Scialfa with Cats on a Smooth Surface, at the Stone Pony’s 10th anniversary celebration concert in 1984. Springsteen was in the audience. “That’s the night I met my wife,” Springsteen said.

“Growin’ Up,” from Nov. 22, 2009 at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. Clarence Clemons’ last concert with the band. He died in June 2011.

“It was lovely to see him again (in the clip),” Springsteen said. “I miss The Big Man.”
__

During the panel discussion, Springsteen noted that the band did not film itself often during its early days, though Rebo sometimes shot shows on his own initiative.

“We were superstitions about being filmed,” Springsteen said, the belief being that “a magician should not look too closely at his magic trick.”

He also disliked being filmed, he said, because when you see yourself on film, you never sound or look as good as you think you do. “You have to get over that,” he added.

The turning point, when he got over his dislike of being filmed, was the “Live in New York City” concert film, in 2001, he said.

Springsteen, Zimny and Phillips also talked a little about the “Springsteen on Broadway” Netflix special that Zimny directed in a very straightforward way.

“The Broadway show went so well, we just said, ‘Let’s not fuck this thing up,’ ” Springsteen said.

The camerawork and editing “had to be invisible,” Zimny added.

As far as Asbury Park itself goes, Springsteen said, while discussing “My City of Ruins” (originally written as a prayer for the city’s resurrection), “It’s lovely to come through Asbury, and see it so alive.”

It was also noted that a new version of the documentary “Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock ‘n’ Roll” — with added Springsteen interview footage — will be shown at the Paramount Theatre, April 28 at 3 p.m., as part of the festival. Springsteen saw the original version of the film when it was screened at the festival two years ago and thought, ” ‘Why am I not in this? I should be in this,’ ” he said.

By the way, you won’t be seeing any clips from this event on Facebook or YouTube. Before entering the theater, people had to put their cellphones into pouches that were locked; the pouches were unlocked only when they exited.

^{By Jay Lustig via NJArts.net.}

Report from the archives showing in Asbury Park

What a shame this wasn't recorded or filmed. The Asbury Park Music and Film Festival photographer was allowed to take pictures of the talk and the one I posted is from its Facebook page.

This was one for the ages. It was spectacular!! Bruce was there. He did a Q&A at the end. Ten videos shown.

Then they had the talk. Thom Zimny and Chris Phillips came out, there was a third chair. Before they started Thom waved to the side of the stage and said "Come out now" and Bruce walked out to a standing ovation.. What followed was an incredible Q & A. It's a shame this wasn't recorded, but I took a lot of notes.

Some breaking news from it.
Bruce said that a DVD/video will be coming out of the full New Orleans Jazzfest show from 2006.
Bruce said that show was "One of his Top-5 live performing experiences."

When Chris Phillips mentioned how all this footage was so great and when will people be able to see it Bruce was like, yes, let's get some out. He said he would love to see a full Tunnel of Love show come out.
Bruce said a lot of this footage he had never seen before. He said he never saw the clip with Clarence from Buffalo in 2009 before.
Bruce says he's amazed what he can find on Youtube and suggest fans should go there to find some things.

He was very relaxed. Wore a black sweat shirt (sweater? ladies need your help here) with a "5" on it.

Some quotes from Bruce:

"I have lived many lives, many I haven't seen myself," after seeing this footage.

Bruce said they were "superstitious about being filmed in the early days. That's why we never did any TV. We felt that a magician should not look too close at his magic trick."

Bruce then gave a shout out to Barry Rebo who was in the audience. Barry is the one who shot much of the early footage.

Bruce said he was surprised to find out what they have (in the vaults). "I feel glad that Thom was able to dig up this stuff."
Bruce said when they did the filming for "Live in New York City" in 2000 that he felt "he was finally getting over the wall" of not liking to be filmed.

This was after Chris asked him about the Blood Brothers documentary from 1995 being one of the first things being filmed officially.

Bruce had a funny line about being recorded/filmed: "You always think you are more handsome than you actually are and you always think you sound better than you actually do."

Bruce said the 1975 Bottom Line shows "Really changed the life of the band. We were officially contenders. We no longer had to be good, we had to be GREAT! every night." to which many in the crowd yelled out "You are!"

Chris asked about doing 10 Bottom Line shows in five days in 1975 (early and late show) and Bruce said they were only an hour-and-a-half each, so it wasn't too bad.I believe Thom Zimny said they do have an entire Bottom of Line show in the vaults, looking at Brucebase, it may be Aug. 16, 1975.

Chris Phillips tried to ask him about the new album but Bruce said he didn't really want to talk about it.

The 10 songs:

1a. The presentation started with a clip from Europe 2013, of Bruce doing the “you’ve just seen the heart-stopping…E Street Band” introduction.

1. When You Walk In The Room - Bottom Line, August 16?,1975
One-camera color. Not great quality but who's going to complain seeing Bruce from this era

2. Apollo Medley - Apollo Theater, NYC, March 9, 2012
Chris Phillips asked Bruce about this. It's the clip where Bruce goes up in the balcony and sings from the front, really dangerous.
Bruce: "I don't know what I was thinking when I did that. It wasn't planned, no one was following me. I just said fuck it and I then fucked up the whole arrangement with the band. I was just glad to find some pipes to hold on to. We do perform some death-defying acts."
Bruce also said it was incredible to play there with all the history of the place and it was a great way to break the band in to start the Wrecking Ball tour. Said it was Jake's first show and "there was no pressure."
Bruce also said to Thom that they should put this out someday too. It was all professionally filmed with multiple cameras. This footage was awesome. The look on Patti's face when Bruce was in the balcony was priceless.

3. New York City Serenade, Dec. 15,1973, Nassau Community College, black and white, two cameras: Rough footagae but incredible.

Chris Phillips asked about David Sancious playing on this. This was the original E Street Band: Bruce, Garry, David, Danny and Vini Lopez. This clip was shown at the Monmouth U. archives event in 2014. A magical clip. David on the piano is spectacular.
"David is one of the most musically talented people I have met and on the planet. His ability to cover everything, he's a master. I loved to have him in the band."
Chris then said "Well there's the elephant in the room. We have some new music and David plays on it and Bruce said "Yea, he plays on some of it. But we don't have to talk about that."

4. My City Of Ruins - Seeger Sessions, New Orleans Jazz Fest, April 30, 2006
Pro-shot, multiple camera footage. Great shots of the crowd singing along "Rise Up!" According to Bruce, this whole show will be out at some point.

Bruce: "The Sessions Band was a great band. I want to do that again. It was a great day. The day before we went driving down to the Ninth Ward. Rock and Roll is best when the stakes are on the table and go go against trouble and hard times. It was good to perform there and serve."

Bruce said to come back to Asbury Park now is so great to see how it is doing. He said he feels like the "Ghost of Christmas past" when he walks around

5. Quarter to Three, Bottom Line, August 16, 1975
Bruce asked Thom Zimny who shot this? And Thom told him Barry Rebo.
Great, color, one-camera footage. Bruce is all over the place. Dancing on the center table in front of the stage. Jumping on Danny's organ then going over to Roy's piano. At one point he drops his guitar pick and a fan hands it back to him. Young, classic Bruce at his best.

Bruce said the band was physically and literally half the size they are now back in those days compared to the Apollo footage now. .

6. Promised Land - Freehold, Nov. 8, 1996
A one-camera close up shot of Bruce in color. Not the greatest video but I'm not going to complain.
Bruce said "going back to St. Rose of Lima was tough enough. I did debut 'Freehold' that night.

7. Who Do You Love/She's the One - Tunnel of Love tour, Rotterdam, June 28,1988.
May have been the highlight clip of the afternoon. Hard rocking E Street Band with the spotlight on Clarence. He's at his peak physically and is all over. "The sight of the The Big Man and the maracas" Bruce said with a smile.
Some epic footage of Bruce and Clarence practically making love on stage. You have to see it to understand. The women in the audience particularly liked this clip.

This is when Bruce said "We should put out a Tunnel of Love show."

8. Patti Scialfa doing "Tell Him" from the Stone Pony 10th anniversary show, 1984 with Cats on a Smooth Surface. Nice color, one-camera shot.

"I almost had her here today," Bruce said. "That's the night I met my wife, 30 years ago at the Stone Pony. As I said in the Broadway show, it was the first time I heard her sing. She was playing with Bobby Bandiera, an Asbury Park hero."
Bruce asked where that footage came from and Thom Zimny said Kevin Buell knew someone who had it.

9. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) - Dec. 15, 1973, acoustic with Danny Federici, black and white. Nice version but a bit slow. But hey it's classic Danny and Bruce.

Bruce kidded that "I thought I was going to fall asleep at any moment. I went to the bathroom and came back I was still playing!"

Chris asked Bruce a little bit more about "Sandy" and the writing of it and Bruce said "Sandy was when things were just starting to happen for the band. It was a goodbye to Asbury Park. The last night Danny Federici played with us (Indianapolis, March 20, 2008) I asked him what he wanted to play and he said 'Sandy.' The song was appropriate because I wrote it It as the ending of something wonderful and the beginning of something new. We were leaving Asbury Park just as things were changing,"

10. Growing Up - Buffalo, Nov. 22, 2009. With the story of meeting Clarence.
Bruce said he had never seen this clip before. "The story is completely true, all those things. It actually happened. Looking at that, I really miss the Big Man" Bruce said as he and the crowd got a bit emotional.

Toward the end Bruce thanked Thom Zimny, saying "He has allowed us to use this great footage. He's like another member of the band."
Bruce said how he saw a Jean Claude van Damme movie and called Thom up and said "we should look like that for the Darkness taping right on this stage." Which was done in December of 2009, the filming of the band playing the entire album for the box set.

Bruce also commended Thom for his work on "Springsteen on Broadway" and said "Broadway was going well, let's not fuck this thing up!" Bruce kidded that the "magic begins with: 'Do I look great?'"

There was a little bit of talk about the "Night with the Jersey Devil" film and the short movie made from "Hunter of Invisible Game."

Chris Phillips also asked Bruce about the Upstage movie that is being shown tomorrow and what Bruce thought about the original version which he saw in 2017.

"Why am I not in this?" Bruce said. He then did do an interview for it which will be in the new version. He continued: "That last time I walked into the Upstage it looked exactly how it looked in 1968."

Some notes: Cameron Crowe was in the audience as were the Farrelly Brothers.
When I got to my seat, I was told I was being moved. I bought a single ticket the moment they were on sale and ended up in the first row. They told me my seat was going to be used by Bruce and his family. I got bumped up to a folding chair in the pit right in front of the stage. A little tough to watch the videos but right in front of Bruce for the Q&A so no complaints here. As it turned out, Bruce never sat in the seats anyway. He did watch from the side up against the wall of the lower right (facing the stage) orchestra for a bit

The locking up the cellphones thing worked well. In a way it was kind of nice not having a zillion phones up when Bruce was onstage but what a shame that it wasn't record for "the archives", then again, maybe it was. I don't know.

Great job by Chris Phillips. What I liked is he asked "fan-type"" questions, not like how a New York Times or Rolling Stone writer would try to talk about it.

And if you stayed this long, thank you for reading

^{By Stan Goldstein via Facebook.}