“Bruce Springsteen Shares His Thoughts on Hank Azaria’s Tribute Band to the E Street Sound”
By Website Content Manager
Azaria said the idea came to life because hitting 60 stirred up some emotions for him.
It turns out Bruce Springsteen has an opinion about Hank Azaria’s tribute band.
On the April 16 episode of Today, the actor and comedian took the stage alongside his band for a performance of Springsteen’s 1984 classic, “Dancing in the Dark.”
Before playing, the 60-year-old Azaria shared that Springsteen is aware of his cover group, the EZ Street Band.
“He found out about it,” Azaria said with a laugh, referring to Springsteen. “Turns out, we actually have a mutual friend—our dentist—who also knows his wife Patti [Scialfa].”
Azaria went on to share that Springsteen had once texted him, asking to see his favorite video of the band performing.
“I sent over our version of ‘Thunder Road,’” Azaria recalled. “Had I known Patti was in the chair when he watched it, I might’ve picked a different one. But apparently, she enjoyed it and passed it along to Bruce.”
Co-host Dylan Dreyer chimed in, saying she heard that Springsteen liked it as well.
Azaria then did a playful impression of The Boss, saying, “That’s what I heard. I hope it’s true. I really do.”
He also mentioned that the tribute band isn’t just for fun—every dollar they earn goes to the Four Through Nine Foundation, a nonprofit he runs with his wife, Katie Wright.
“We play for a good cause—and we have a blast doing it,” he said.
Azaria, best known for his role on Friends, also explained how the idea came about.
Turning 60 sparked something in him, he admitted.
“To lift my spirits, I planned a reverse surprise party,” he explained. “I told all my friends—most of whom are Springsteen fans—that a tribute band would be playing. What I didn’t tell them was that I’d been training for months to be the lead singer. I surprised them, we raised a lot of money for charity, and it ended up going really well—so we just kept it going.”
Back in February, Azaria opened up about his admiration for Springsteen during an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark.
“I grew up in Queens, which is kind of like Asbury Park—just with less shoreline,” he joked. “I’ve been doing Bruce impressions since I was a teen. A lot of my early impersonations came from idolizing people, and Bruce was always number one.”