By DJ Dave Hoffenberg
Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band at The Paramount Theatre this past Saturday, May 3, was an absolute stunner. Azaria shone as The Boss and the band was so tight. The whole show was incredible. When I interviewed Hank last month, he told me, “Bias aside, this band is good.” That’s an understatement. I’d go to see them, even without Azaria. There are nine people on that stage, including Azaria. two keyboards and two guitars, one of whom plays harmonica too, bass, drums, sax, and an incredible female singer.
Azaria left the stage for one song, and that’s when you could digest the talent level in the band he assembled. The harmonica-playing guitarist sang one song and blew me away. Speaking of blowing, the sax player really wails on that horn. He crushed it. Honestly, everybody up there shone.
“I’m working really hard to try and reach their level as a singer. It’s not easy. I didn’t expect to enjoy that part this much, learning to sing properly and try and keep up with what they’re doing. I’m the weak link. We need one more guitar, I don’t play guitar,” Azaria said.
During our interview, Azaria offered to help out my charity, Pie in the Face for Chase. That wasn’t lip service. I met Azaria in person at the show, and he messaged his assistant to remind her. It blew me away.
Although Azaria has only been performing with the EZ Street band for a year, he felt their performance at the Paramount Saturday evening was one of their best.
A woman walked on the stage to dance with Azaria to “Dancing in the Dark,” much to his and the audience’s surprise and delight.
“It made my job easy. I was looking around for someone to bring up. I really was going to bring up Ernie the dog, but then this woman just volunteered. Yes. Please,” said Azaria, who also enchanted the crowd with his impersonation of Moe from “The Simpsons” and his spot-on Al Pacino impersonation.
“This show is not a nostalgia act, but almost,” Azaria said. “You see the demographic; it’s Bruce fans. I’m perfectly fine if people just sit nicely during the show. It’s fun when they get up, but we’re having so much fun.”
The show had a VH1 Storyteller vibe. Azaria told stories along with the songs, some from Bruce’s life and some from his.
“They’re really paying attention to the stories and really into the songs. I’d probably be sitting down if I were at the show because I’m old,” Azaria said in his tongue-in-cheek style.
I’m so glad I went to the show, supported his charity, and saw this incredible band. I didn’t want the night to end.
