Jersey Shore clubs Bruce Springsteen played that no longer exist

If you hung in the clubs at the Jersey Shore in the '70s and '80s, chances are you probably saw Bruce Springsteen or know someone who claims to have seen Bruce. It was always, and still is, an event every time he shows up and plays.

Can you believe when he shows up now, it will be three generations of fans that will see Bruce? Where does the time go?

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Bruce Springsteen's 'Greetings From Asbury Park'. When I spoke with then E Street drummer and Rock n Roll Hall of Famer Vini Mad Dog Lopez about the album, I asked him about the Jersey Shore clubs they played at back in the day.

There was no Stone Pony. And our whole thing was to get out of Asbury Park and the Jersey Shore. Because we weren't doing anything. We did original music. There wasn't a club at the Jersey Shore that wanted to hear us. We went where there were people that wanted to hear that stuff. Like when the album came out. Where were they selling it? Oh, Vancouver. Oh, in Chicago.
We would go on tour with the first album. When we came back home. We go set up at Student Prince in Asbury Park and play.

We played at Fat city in Seaside Heights. We did like three nights and then they brought us back and we did three nights and other time. We got to stay at the Aztec, me and Clarence up there. They didn't like us cause we ate too much.

Thanks to Steve Eccles of the Down The Shore Things that Aren't There Anymore Facebook page, and Billy Smith who's posted a lot of great stuff on it. Here are a couple of the other nightclubs Bruce Springsteen has played in that no longer exist:

The Upstage Club, founded by Tom and Margaret Potter in 1968, was located on the second floor above a Tom McCann shoe store on Cookman Ave in Asbury Park. A very popular place for an up-and-coming Bruce Springsteen, which you can see more about in the documentary 'Asbury Park Riot, Redemption, Rock n Roll' narrated by Big Joe Henry.

In 1974, Bruce, and his yet-unnamed band, played 9 shows at "Le Garage discotheque Au Go Go" on Long Beach Island. La Garage lasted from 1966-72 with live bands, then reopened in 1974 as a concert venue.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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