NJ Bar Cancels Springsteen Cover Band Over Bruce's Anti-Trump Comments In Europe

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River restaurant has canceled a May 30 appearance by a Bruce Springsteen tribute band over comments Springsteen made in Europe about President Donald Trump, according to the band.

The band, No Surrender, won't be sitting idle, however, as it has now been booked to appear at a Monmouth County bar on that date instead.

No Surrender had been scheduled to perform its Springsteen tribute show at Riv's Toms River Hub on Hooper Avenue, Guy Fleming, the band's bass player, wrote on Facebook.

No Surrender bills itself as the ultimate Springsteen tribute band that "re-creates the music of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band with a note-for-note musical experience while bringing the electrifying energy of the E Street Band to every performance."

"Unfortunately, the owner contacted us after Bruce made comments that upset him," Fleming wrote. "The owner told us he didn’t want us playing in his club. Our response was simple. We understood it was his establishment, and felt terrible he was that upset. We offered to play completely different music."

Springsteen called the Trump administration "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous" among other comments during the first stop of his "Land of Hopes & Dreams Tour, according to a Stereogum report. Springsteen's comments have angered Trump, who has fired back with comments on his Truth Social and elsewhere deriding Springsteen.

Riv's owner Tony Rivoli told Fleming those comments anger his Toms River clientele, too, with Fleming quoting Rivoli as saying, "his clientele and Toms River is red and won’t tolerate his bull---."

Rivoli told Brad Hobicorn, the band's vocalist, that "because Bruce can't keep his mouth shut" an appearance by the band would harm his business and not make up for the cost of the band, which was set to charge $2,500, NJ.com reported, sharing screenshots of the messages.

An email to Rivoli seeking comment was not answered Thursday afternoon.

Fleming said Rivoli rejected the band's offer to play classic rock without Springsteen music under its previous name, Asbury Fever, and said he explained to Rivoli that canceling the gig a week before it is scheduled " financially hurts the musicians in the band because they lose a days pay if they can't find another gig."

The appearance had been booked months in advance, Fleming said.

"I explained to the owner that he wasn’t hurting Bruce, but he was hurting nine New Jersey musicians he booked to play at his club," he said.

Hobicorn told NJ.com that Rivoli reached out after Fleming posted about the situation on Facebook, but the band did not feel comfortable accepting the gig after what had happened.

On Thursday, Fleming posted an update that No Surrender has now been booked to play at the Headliner Oasis on Route 35 in Neptune City on May 30, which he called the "silver lining to this story."

"Hey Everyone, on behalf of No Surrender Band, we want to thank everyone for their support regarding this matter," Fleming wrote. "Special thanks to Jesse Warren (Jesse James Productions) for being kind enough to secure this date for the band in light of what’s happened!"

Rivoli found himself in the center of controversy in 2020, after a 2014 photo of the sign in front of his former restaurant, Rivoli's, resurfaced on social media in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

The 2014 sign mocked the last words of Eric Garner, who died while in a chokehold of a New York City police officer during an arrest. Rivoli's sign said "I can breathe. I obey law." A video of Floyd's arrest showed a police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck and Floyd saying he could not breathe.

"We apologize for our projection at our old restaurant," Rivoli wrote in 2020. "What was done to George Floyd on Monday is a disgrace and there is NO way we support that. The post that is circulating right now is from over 6 years and if I could go back in time I wouldn’t posted that on my signage. Again, we apologize."