Bruce Springsteen just got canceled — at the Jersey Shore.
A cover band paying tribute to The Boss’ music canceled a performance at a bar near his residence in New Jersey. The cancellation came after a disagreement with the bar’s owner regarding the musician’s outspoken comments against President Trump. The band in question, No Surrender, has been faithfully covering Bruce Springsteen’s music for two decades with a nine-piece ensemble.
No Surrender was scheduled to perform at Riv’s Toms River Hub on May 30. However, the gig was called off due to Springsteen’s vocal objections to President Trump during his ongoing European tour. The singer has been using his platform to express his disapproval of the current political leadership, which led to a divide in opinions among fans and potential audience members.
“At that point, there were negative vibes about the whole thing,” Hobicorn said. “There was definitely a safety concern,” he said.
Rivoli, though, insisted the cover band could have played.
“As of (Wednesday), they could have played as No Surrender,” Rivoli told the outlet.
The band members expressed concerns that their fan base might be deterred by Springsteen’s anti-Trump stance. They were uncertain about the turnout for their performance and the impact of the singer’s political views on the audience’s attendance. The situation highlighted the intersection of music, politics, and audience dynamics, showcasing the complexities of maintaining a neutral space in the realm of entertainment.
Toms River bar and restaurant joints have previously sparked backlash for their conservative slant.
Aqua Blu Kitchen & Cocktails in Toms River put a hamburger on its menu dedicated to the right-wing extremist group the Proud Boys in January, leading to a massive online backlash and an apology from the owner.
Springsteen — who was born in Long Branch and raised in Freehold — lambasted Trump’s administration as “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” while kicking off the European leg of his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour in Manchester, England, last week.
Last Friday, Trump slammed the musician, calling him “Highly Overrated” and “dumb as a rock” for going “to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States.”
“Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country,” he posted to Truth Social.
Instead of playing The Riv’s Toms River Hub, No Surrender will play Headliner Oasis in Neptune Township on May 30, according to the outlet.
