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 owner that he wasn’t hurting Bruce, but he was hurting nine New Jersey musicians he booked to play at his club,” bassist Guy Fleming said on Facebook, according to Rolling Stone.
Rivoli allegedly denied having canceled the event, and ultimately left it up to the band as to whether or not they wanted to play the gig.
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“As of [Wednesday], they could have played as No Surrender,” Rivoli said.
But the band decided instead to play at the night club Headliner Oasis in Neptune Township, New Jersey.
“At that point, there were negative vibes about the whole thing,” Hobicorn said. “There was definitely a safety concern.”
Rivoli remained ambivalent about the disagreement.
“I think a lot of people of my base would not have came, but I could have been wrong. You know, who knows? You can’t predict what people are going to do,” he said.
Springsteen, whose nickname is “The Boss,” criticized the Trump administration while on tour in Manchester, England, on May 14, Fox News reported.
The best video yet of Bruce Springsteen ripping treasonous motherfucker Trump a new asshole. 🙌🙏💪👏👊👇 pic.twitter.com/nF6W6ddV3b
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) May 15, 2025
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration,” Springsteen said at the concert.
President Donald Trump fired back at Springsteen in a May 16 Truth Social post.
“Sleepy Joe didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing, but Springsteen is ‘dumb as a rock,’ and couldn’t see what was going on, or could he (which is even worse!)?” Trump wrote.
“This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare.’ Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!” Trump’s post read.
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