Cover Band’s Gig Canceled After Springsteen’s Anti-Trump Remarks Spark Bar Owner’s Concerns

A nine-piece band called No Surrender found a new stage at Neptune Township's Headliner Oasis. Their switch came after Riv's Toms River Hub cut their planned show. The reason? A storm kicked up over Bruce Springsteen's words about Trump.

Tony Rivoli sent word to Brad Hobicorn that the show posed too much risk. His text to bass player Guy Fleming laid it out plain: "When our anthem starts, this place stops cold. That's who drinks here. Toms River runs red and won't take his bulls**t," Fox News reports.

"Music is our only game," Hobicorn said. "We're just trying to earn our keep. This mess hits our wallets hard."

The spark that lit this fire? At a show in Manchester, England, Springsteen spoke his mind. "The America I've sung about for years, a light of hope and freedom for two and a half centuries, sits in the grip of crooks who can't lead and sell out their own land," he said from the stage.

The band had nailed down this gig three-quarters of a year back. When Hobicorn pitched playing other rock hits instead, Rivoli wouldn't match their usual $2,500 pay for non-Springsteen songs.

Yet this dust-up turned golden. "The phone won't stop," said Hobicorn. After twenty years of playing The Boss's hits, they'll now take their May 30 show inside The Headliner, dodging rain.

Though Rivoli tried to patch things up later, the band passed. They cited bad blood and safety fears. Rivoli admitted to NME that while many regulars might skip the show, "nobody can read minds about what folks might do."

The band stays firm on their stance. As Hobicorn puts it: "We stick to the songs. No speeches, no sides, just pure music."