New Jersey residents normally have an ingrained reverence for Bruce Springsteen, however that doesn’t appear to be the case for one Jersey Shore bar proprietor. After The Boss turned his newest European tour right into a fiery rebuke of Donald Trump, Riv’s Toms River Hub in Toms River, NJ canceled a scheduled efficiency by Springsteen cowl band No Give up, with the proprietor deeming the present “too dangerous in the intervening time.”
The nine-piece group was set to play Riv’s on Might thirtieth, however shortly after Springsteen’s remarks on the opening of his “The Land of Hope & Desires Tour,” band members started receiving texts from involved proprietor Tony Rivoli (sure, his actual title). In accordance with NJ.com, Rivoli messaged bassist Man Fleming that Toms River and his institution’s base “is pink and received’t stand for [Springsteen’s] bullshit.”
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Bandleader Brad Hobicorn advised they may play the gig underneath their outdated title, Asbury Fever, with a set of basic rock covers excluding Springsteen. Nevertheless, Rivoli refused to pay the $2,500 charge for a non-Springsteen present. “This isn’t political for us in any respect,” Hobicorn advised NJ.com. “We’re only a cowl band that’s attempting to make some cash and folks depend on it financially. We’re those actually getting harm.”
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“Sadly it’s simply an excessive amount of cash,” Rivoli texted Hobicorn. “I wished to do the Springsteen tribute for that cash [and] my social media workforce would have promoted it we might have carried out effectively however now as a result of Bruce can’t maintain his mouth shut we’re screwed.”
Rivoli, nonetheless, advised NJ.com that he by no means formally canceled the gig, and that “as of Wednesday” would have allowed No Give up to play. After No Give up publicized the cancellation in now-deleted social media posts, Rivoli did supply to allow them to play as deliberate, however the band felt “adverse vibes about the entire thing” and that there was now “a security concern.” They’ve since been booked at Headliner Oasis in Neptune Township, one other pink space simply half-hour away from Toms River, on Might thirtieth. See all their upcoming dates right here.
This isn’t the primary time Rivoli’s conservative politics have introduced his enterprise unhealthy press. Though his earlier institution, Rivoli’s Restaurant, closed in 2016, photos resurfaced in 2020 of the restaurant’s signal studying, “I can breathe, I obey legislation,” a reference to the demise of Eric Garner. Rivoli publicly apologized.
Springsteen himself, in the meantime, has continued to make use of his stage to talk out in opposition to Trump, even releasing The Land of Hope and Desires EP that includes lately recorded songs and speeches from his ongoing tour. Trump has responded with memes and petty threats. Consequence’s personal Managing Editor Wren Graves and Writer Alex Younger mentioned the feud in our newest Consequence Chat.