Amy and I are steady listeners to Tom Cunningham's weekly radio program Springsteen on Sunday, where the DJ often takes us on a deep dive into Bruce rarities and live performances of E Street classics. We enjoy hearing interviews with people in Bruce's orbit and the Jersey Shore music scene. We were not expecting what happened on the air yesterday, August 30 though.
We tuned in partway through the show, right as Tom came of a commercial break, saying “…And here at 107.1 The Boss Sunday Morning, Tom Cunningham, Springsteen on Sunday… Springsteen with Sunday.” I don't have much time to get curious about what he means by that, because he's quickly answered by a very familiar voice exclaiming “Hell yeah!" with a laugh.
What followed was a very thoughtful interview passage about the documentary film that is shown to visitors at the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, narrated by Bruce himself. Bruce sums up childhood memories of the music that played in the background in his kitchen.
The two then walked through a curated set of essential studio and live tracks with Bruce sharing what the songs meant to him at the time he wrote them and recorded them with the band. He updated us on what the songs still mean to him today. As a fellow songwriter, I found myself opening up to new possibilities for how a song can fit into the context of the times when they're written.
I loved the banter about the Jersey Shore and specifically Asbury Park, its comeback and the further progress that's still needed. It was an exact echo of my song “Asbury Heart” and its message, although I'd be shocked (and delighted) if Bruce actually heard this song.
Speaking of surprise appearances, the Jersey Shore's most famous surprise guest has made more than one of them this past weekend. He also dropped in on Bleachers at the Stone Pony Summer Stage Friday night. I happened to be a supporting performer for Gregory McLoughlin's excellent Lemonade Band the next afternoon at Asbury Park Brewery. So, my friend Carol Lester and I couldn't let the afterglow of the Pony moment pass without celebrating it with my tongue-in-cheek song “You-Know-Who.”
What are some ways your favorite musical artists have surprised you? Drop a comment below.