A Bruce Springsteen cover band won’t be playing at a venue in Toms River, New Jersey, after the bar’s owner canceled the group’s upcoming show.
No Surrender was supposed to play at Riv’s Toms River Hub on May 30, where the band booked a gig months ago, NJ.com reported Thursday.
But after Springsteen bashed the Trump administration at a concert in the United Kingdom, bar owner Tony Rivoli told the band on Sunday it was “too risky at the moment.”
“Whenever the national anthem plays, my bar stands and is in total silence, that’s our clientele,” Rivoli said in a text to one of the band mates. “Toms River is red and won’t stand for his bull****.”
Bandleader Brad Hobicorn offered instead to play non-Springsteen cover songs, but Rivoli wasn’t willing to pay the $2,500.
“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 to Hobicorn.
One bandmate interpreted the cancellation as Rivoli trying to get at Springsteen.
“I explained to the