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Springsteen Rocks Pony For Charity Published in the Asbury Park Press 11/08/04 The performance marked Springsteen's first public appearance since the defeat of Democrat John Kerry, whom he had strongly supported. By JEAN MIKLE - STAFF WRITER ASBURY PARK -- Bruce Springsteen jammed onstage with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at the Stone Pony early yesterday morning, making his fifth straight appearance at the annual Light of Day benefit concerts. Springsteen joined Pittsburgh rocker Grushecky for a 90-minute set that kicked off with "Idiot's Delight," a song they co-wrote, and included Springsteen originals "Atlantic City," 'Johnny 99," "This Hard Land," and "Murder, Inc.," as well as "Code of Silence," another song co-written by Springsteen and Grushecky. Springsteen also shared vocals on Grushecky's "Talking to the King," and "Never Be Enough Time." A sold-out crowd packed the Pony, greeting Springsteen with the traditional cries of "B-r-u-u-c-e" as he came onstage four songs into the Houserockers set. The performance marked Springsteen's first public appearance since John Kerry was defeated by President Bush following a bitter election campaign. Springsteen strongly backed Kerry's bid to unseat Bush, making appearances at several of the Democrat's rallies during the campaign's last week, and headlining the "Vote for Change" concert tour, which urged voters to support more progressive candidates. After performing his song, "This Hard Land," Springsteen said "no surrender." It was the closest he came to political commentary. His song "No Surrender" had been adopted as a theme by the Kerry campaign and played at rallies throughout the United States. On Friday, Springsteen's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was made available to fans on his Web site, www.brucespringsteen.net. He had been performing the song during the Vote for Change concerts. The Light of Day concerts are organized by Highland Park resident Bob Benjamin, along with Tony Pallagrosi and Jerry Bakal of Sayreville- based Concerts East Inc. The annual benefit raises money for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Benjamin, who turned 46 on Nov. 3, was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 38. The first Light of Day concert took place at the Pony in 2000, and the event has grown steadily; last year, there were two shows for the first time, and this year, Light of Day added a third night. Dozens of national acts and local bands have performed over the past five years, and more than $300,000 has been raised. The concerts take their name from a Springsteen song that is also the title of a 1987 movie starring Michael J. Fox. Fox, who also has Parkinson's disease, attended the 2003 show at the Pony and played guitar. In 2003, "Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen," a two-disc compilation of Springsteen covers, was released. Sales of the collection have generated another $100,000 for the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund, which raises money for research and treatment of sarcoma. Before Springsteen and the Houserockers performed "Light of Day," to close the main set yesterday, the crowd joined the band to sing "Happy Birthday" to Benjamin as he was presented with a cake onstage. Benjamin told the crowd he woke up very disappointed on the day after the election, but he urged everyone to be vigilant and "hold George Bush's feet to the fire," on issues like stem cell research, the war in Iraq and health care. He also praised Springsteen for strongly supporting Kerry. Benjamin's remarks were greeted mostly by cheers, but a loud chant of "four more years!" could also be heard. SOURCE: Asbury Park Press, NJ http://tinyurl.com/6o5my * * *Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> Please place this address in your address book Please purge all others Web site: Parkinsons Resources on the WWWeb http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn