They didn’t want to go home before Santa arrived.
Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven Van Zandt, Marc Ribler and members of the E Street Band and the Disciples of Soul brought an extra dose of holiday cheer to the WhyHunger 50th anniversary benefit concert Sunday. Dec. 14 at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park.
“Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah!” said Springsteen as rollicking versions of “Merry Christmas Baby” and “Santa Claus is Coming’ to Town” were performed at the close of the show.
“Santa Claus is Coming’ to Town” was given an extra coda in the frigid night.
“Steve, Steve, oh Steve, I’m not ready to go home yet!” said Springsteen as the crowd went wild. “I am not ready to go home! Let’s pick it up from the solo and take all the way out one more time.”
Saxophonist Eddie Manion stepped up and away they went with fans in packed Pony providing the chorus . After the song Springsteen, seemingly in a Hanukkah mood, said he was going to get bar mitzvahed.
The Boss, who was not part of the show’s announced lineup, came onstage first to sing the Van Zandt composed “I Don’t Want to Go Home.” Just when he leaned into mic, a fire alarm sounded inside the Pony. Power to the stage was cut off and the house lights went up.
What followed as five minutes of the crowd singing “I Don’t Want to Go Home” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” with assistance from an unamplified horn section. Other band members were taking videos and Springsteen banged on percussionist Anthony Almonte’s conga drum.
Power soon returned to the stage.
“I don’t care if that (blanking) siren alarms blows, I don’t want to go home,” said Springsteen with improvised lyrics following the delay.
Van Zandt sang “Sweet Soul Music,” “Soulfire,” Bitter Fruit,” I Am a Patriot,” and “Can You Feel It,” before being joined by Springsteen, who previously joined Van Zandt on stage at the Stone Pony in October during Van Zandt’s TeachRock benefit.
The night, a celebration of the career of the late WhyHunger co-founder Harry Chapin, also featured performances by E Streeter Garry Tallent; Sameer Gadhia and Eric Cannata from Young The Giant; Yola; Jim Babjak and Dennis Diken of the Smithereens; the Dixie Dregs; Jimmy Vivino with Mark Barden; and more.
“I want to send a prayer up and a thank you out to Harry Chapin,” said Springsteen from the stage. “I met Harry in 1977 when we were recording ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town, ‘ Harry was in the same studio and I said, ‘Harry, how do you work your charity,’ and he said I play one night for myself and then I play one night for somebody else. I said that’s a good idea but I’m not going to do that. So we tried to figure that out but we’ve been working with WhyHunger for 40 years now.”
Springsteen welcomes foodbank reps into his shows across the country where they take donations from fans.
Jen Chapin, Harry Chapin’s daughter, and Tom Chapin, his brother, performed the Chapin classic “Cat’s in the Cradle” earlier in the night.
“Hunger is heartbreaking, hunger is violence — policy violence,” said Jen Chapin from the stage. “We can do better, we know what to do. We can do it, we must do it — we can promise.”
