Bericht vom 20.08.2001 / Associated Press
Springsteen jams Clearwater Fest

Springsteen jams at Clearwater fest 

Published in the Asbury Park Press 8/19/01 
By JOHN A. HARNES
and NINA RIZZO
STAFF WRITERS / ASBURY PARK

Bruce Springsteen returned to the city of his musical roots yesterday to let the Clearwater Festival crowd know he intends to be a cheerleader for the city's revival.

"It's big news (that the city's) getting waterfront development," Springsteen said from the stage, referring to the dizzying initiatives by the new City Council and a bankruptcy court judge in the past few weeks that have apparently cleared the way for the city to move forward.

Asked why he had come, Springsteen, wearing green khakis, a gray-collared shirt and a baseball cap, told a reporter after his surprise performance: "It's great that they brought the festival here. It's part of the city's revitalization. I just came to sing some songs and give it a kickoff."

While he was on the stage, Springsteen made mention of the new council, which took office July 1. The council's decision to sell the tax liens of its bankrupt waterfront developer led to a judge ending a decade-long stalemate.

Before playing "My City of Ruins," a song he wrote and first performed at concerts at Convention Hall here in December, he said, "This is a prayer for my city."

He also dedicated "Land of Hope and Dreams" to Asbury Park.

Playing for about a half-hour in the early afternoon, Springsteen brought the crowd around the east stage across from Convention Hall to its feet. Springsteen had not been scheduled to perform and gave organizers about an hour's notice, volunteer Bill Pamplin said.

After he finished playing, Springsteen mingled with the crowd for about an hour, talking to fans, signing autographs, posing for pictures and listening to the other performers.

"Obviously, we're very, very grateful for his support," said Merry Brennan, Clearwater's publicity coordinator. "He's been a friend of Clearwater for a long time and really cares about Asbury Park, so the combination of the two is just a real win for everybody involved."

As he sang, many in the crowd held cell phones in the air so people on the other end could listen.

Eatontown resident Tim Rider and his wife, Nambee, were sitting on the grass in front of the concert stage when there was an announcement that a special guest artist was about to perform -- Bruce Springsteen.

"I just couldn't believe it," Rider said. "As I listened, I couldn't help thinking to myself that here is someone that can fill a 90,000-seat stadium. It was so unexpected and just so great!"

Nambee Rider said as she listened to Springsteen singing such songs as "Blinded by the Light" and "My City of Ruins," she noticed that the performance reached out across generational lines.

"There were young people, and old people, and everyone was just so happy," she said.

Before she headed to the city, Nancy Blostein's friends in her hometown of Rochester, N.Y., joked with her that as a stage manager for the Clearwater Festival she would be working with Springsteen.

"When I go home I'm going to go them them all: guess what?" Blostein said after Springsteen's performance. "It was just exciting. Something to remember!"

"I just found it amazing," said Ben Forest, of Red Bank, the festival's speaker coordinator and longtime Clearwater member.

"He just got up on stage with a harmonica and a guitar and after he starting singing, well, everyone in front of the stage just got to their feet," Forest said. He said Springsteen has been a Clearwater member for a number of years and many of the staff were very excited and happy that he decided to perform.

John P. Kapcar, president of Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater, which sponsors the festival, said it was wonderful that Springsteen took the time to be part of Clearwater's first festival to be held in Asbury Park.

The theme of this year's eco-festival was "Revive-Restore-Renew." This is the event's 26th year and the festival is considered the largest of its kind in the Garden State.

Kapcar praised city officials and presented a plaque to City Manager Terrance Weldon that said "thank-you for never taking no for an answer," in helping move the festival to the city.

"You could not have gotten a more beautiful day for such a worthwhile festival," Weldon said.

Asbury Park Mayor Kevin Sanders took part in the canoe races yesterday, and said the festival is something important to the city.

"We are trying to bring pride back to Asbury Park," Sanders said.

Festival volunteer Judy Reichard, of Manalapan, said it's important to remember the message behind the festival.

"I think it makes people aware that there are still environmental problems that must be solved," Reichard said. "Plus the music is great!"

Doris Jean, of Lakewood, and her friend Frank Vanni of South Am-boy said Asbury is a good place for the event.

Wearing a colorful shell necklace from Aruba, and a straw hat, Jean said she loves music and crafts fairs. "When you combine them together, and it's for an important cause, I find it irresistible," she said.

Vanni said Asbury Park was al-ways the place to go. Many years ago when he was still a student, he said, he met baseball legend Babe Ruth in Asbury Park.

Doug Yeager, of Vernon, Conn., the festival's recycling coordina-tor, was easy to spot because he was wearing a red, yellow and green fish hat.

"It's all connected, our rivers, streams and watersheds," Yeager said. "Our ecosystem is so impor-tant."

By moving the festival from Sandy Hook to Asbury Park this year, the message remains "we have to be the custodians of our shores and the environment," Yeager said.

Wearing her Police Explorer uni-form, Rehnita Rudolph, 16, of Post 187, was working as a volun-teer with her 13-year-old brother, Gregory, doing whatever was needed.

"I think this is a wonderful addi-tion to Asbury," Rehnita, of Eighth Avenue in Asbury Park, said. "We need more positive things like this."

Gregory said he will join the ex-plorers next year. "I've wanted to be a police officer since I was 9," he said.

Police said there were no reports of problems at the festival.

No accurate attendance figures were available last night, but offi-cials said it was a good sized crowd.

Admission to the festival is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and children 12 and under are free. The festival, which is wheelchair-accessible and there are many performances that offer sign-lan-guage interpreters, will be open from noon to 6 p.m. today.