A Jersey Shore bar and restaurant canceled a Bruce Springsteen cover band’s upcoming performance following Springsteen’s recent comments criticizing President Donald Trump.
No Surrender, a nine-piece rock band from New Jersey that has played Springsteen and classic rock covers for more than 20 years, was set to perform at Riv’s Toms River Hub in Toms River on May 30.
Shortly after Springsteen kicked off his European tour with harsh words about the Trump administration on May 14, bandleader Brad Hobicorn started receiving concerned text messages from bar owner Tony Rivoli, Hobicorn told NJ Advance Media Thursday morning.
On Sunday, Rivoli texted Hobicorn to say the gig was canceled, saying it was “too risky at the moment,” citing his restaurant’s conservative customer base.
Hobicorn offered to have his band play only non-Springsteen, classic-rock covers. But Rivoli balked at paying $2,500 for a classic-rock cover band as opposed to a Springsteen-specific group.
“Unfortunately it’s just too much money I wanted to do the Springsteen tribute for that money in my social media team would have promoted it we would have done well but now because Bruce can’t keep his mouth shut we’re screwed,” Rivoli wrote in a text message to Hobicorn obtained by NJ Advance Media.
In a message sent to bassist Guy Fleming, Rivoli wrote, “Whenever the national anthem plays, my bar stands and is in total silence, that’s our clientele. Toms River is red and won’t stand for his bull----.”
Screenshots of conversations between band leader Brad Hobicorn and Riv's Toms River Hub owner Tony Rivoli. Rivoli's messages, in gray, show his apprehension toward allowing the band to play based on Bruce Springsteen's behavior.Images provided by Brad Hobicorn
The gig was scheduled months in advance, and the last-minute cancellation meant the nine working musicians in the group were losing out on a paycheck.
“This is not political for us at all,” Hobicorn said Thursday. “We’re just a cover band that’s trying to make some money and people rely on it financially. We’re the ones really getting hurt.”
The cancellation led Fleming to post a message about the situation on Facebook on Wednesday.
Hobicorn said after Fleming’s Facebook post, Rivoli contacted Hobicorn and denied ever canceling the gig. But the band decided they didn’t want to play the event after everything that had transpired.
“At that point, there were negative vibes about the whole thing,” Hobicorn said. “There was definitely a safety concern.”
With the gig in Toms River canceled, No Surrender will instead play Headliner Oasis in Neptune Township on May 30.
Rivoli told NJ Advance Media Thursday afternoon that he had eventually agreed to let the band play, and it was ultimately their decision not to play.
“As of (Wednesday), they could have played as No Surrender,” Rivoli said.
“I think a lot of people of my base would not have came, but I could have been wrong. You know, who knows? You can’t predict what people are going to do.”
Rivoli has been in hot water before. In 2020, images surfaced of Rivoli’s previous business — Rivoli’s Restaurant, also in Toms River; closed since 2016 — posting the message “I can breathe, I obey law‚“ on the restaurant’s exterior marquee, at the time referencing the death of Eric Garner, who reportedly told a New York City police officer ”I can’t breathe" while he was in a chokehold, shortly before he died. Rivoli publicly apologized in 2020.
This is also not the first bar in the historically right-leaning Ocean County town to come under fire for mixing conservative politics with their business. Earlier this year, Aqua Blu Kitchen and Cocktails received backlash after adding a “Proud Boys Burger” to their menu, referencing the far-right extremist group. They’d previously advertised dishes called “the Border Czar” and “Make Fries Great Again.”
Additionally, No Surrender is not the first Boss tribute band to be affected by Trump and Springsteen’s mutual ire. In 2017, the B Street Band — the preeminent local act covering Bruce’s tunes — was widely vilified after it was booked to play a Trump inaugural ball in Washington (Trump himself was not expected to attend). They eventually withdrew from the gig.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add comment from Tony Rivoli and correct the agreed-to payment for No Surrender’s performance at Riv’s Toms River Hub.
Related coverage:
• Springsteen blasts Trump yet again, calls him ‘incompetent and treasonous’ at concert
• Trump attacks Springsteen: Read the President’s entire 151-word rant against Bruce
• Trump wants Springsteen investigated, claims he took dirty money to support Kamala Harris
• N.J. restaurant that sold ‘Proud Boys’ burger has history of right-leaning menu items
• Trump blasts Springsteen like never before: ‘Dumb as a rock,’ should ‘KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT’
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.