8/23
Stephen Talkhouse,
Amagansett NY
10/31
11/8
11/15
the project
About nine months ago “I had the crazy idea that I would like to sing some Springsteen songs to surprise people at my 60th birthday party.” So Azaria called his son’s former jazz piano teacher, Adam Kromelow, who played in a Genesis tribute band, and asked him if he could put together a band. “At first I wasn't sure I could capture Bruce’s singing voice– talking like him is no problem, I mean, that’s my day job!”
Azaria got obsessed with singing as exactly like Bruce as he could. He practiced every day for about 6 months, trying songs, abandoning them, circling back, and each time feeling like he was getting closer and closer to actually sounding a lot like his boyhood idol. About 4 months into this obsession, after driving his wife and son nearly insane with his constant “scream singing” around the house, “something ‘unlocked’ in my voice– I kind of couldn't believe how Bruce-like it sounded!”
Azaria felt confident enough in the band that he invited none other than the actual drummer for the E Street Band, Mighty Max Weinberg, to sit in at their first live performance at City Winery in front of a crowd of over 550 people. And Max did! In fact Max called it “the best Springsteen tribute band he’s ever seen.” And he wasn't just being nice :)
“I’ve never worked harder preparing for any role than I did in perfecting a singing vocal impression of Bruce Springsteen”
All net proceeds to benefit the
4 through 9 Foundation
Adam put together an incredible band. Mostly folks he had worked with- one of whom was his college roommate, some he went to music school with, folks for the most part who have played together on Broadway and elsewhere - professional musicians. Only the bass player, Jeff, knew these Springsteen songs. Everyone else, including Adam, was pretty much being introduced to this music. They all seemed to fall in love with the songs and we all fell in love with each other as we were learning and playing together. On we went from there and we are now the EZ Street Band! We all love it! I took Adam to his first Bruce Springsteen concert along the way and we are now dedicated to being “the best Bruce Springsteen tribute band ever.” The rest will be history!
THE BAND
Members of the EZ Street Band have worked and performed with artists such as Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Lil Nas X, St. Lucia, Josh Groban, blackbear, Cynthia Erivo and more, and have opened for Modest Mouse, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lake Street Dive, Charlie Puth, Tove Lo, and They Might Be Giants. They have performed on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America, and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, as well as notable concerts at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, and in the band for Broadway’s Tony-Award-winning Dear Evan Hanson. As recording artists and composers, their music has been heard on NBC’s The Voice, Amazon Prime’s The Expanse, various programming for HBO, ESPN and more.
Hank Azaria has been working in film and television voice over and stage for nearly forty years. He is perhaps best known for his vocal work on the Simpsons where he plays Moe the Bartender, PC Wigan, Comic Book Guy and many others. Also for his movie roles in The Birdcage, as “Agador Spartacus”, Along Came Polly, Night at the Museum, on TV his roles as Phoebe’s boyfriend on Friends, won an Emmy for his work on Ray Donovan (as well as four Emmys for the Simpsons and another for portraying Mitch Albom in the TV movie Tuesdays with Maurie with Jack Lemmon).