Letters to the Editor

Farewell from Asbury Park, N.J. In 1968, a skinny teenager named Bruce Springsteen started jamming at an all-ages club on the Jersey Shore. Now, as the Upstage faces demolition, fans remember better days. By Rebecca Traister [2006-01-03]

• I Remember the Upstage Club

  I was so intriqued by the title and then the focus of the article that I read it a couple of times. I remember walking to the Upstage Club on Saturday afternoons with a friend of mine who played guitar. I don't think I ever heard a recognizable song just loud vicious jamming. My buddie loved it but I always left with a headache. In the summer of '71 I worked with Garry Tallent's brother in a Chicken Holiday that was frequented by a grubby "wife-beater" wearing Bruce Springsteen, who would order chicken and make up jingles on the phone at the same time. The manager of the place was convinced he was going to be great and I thought he was just another loser from Asbury Park. I must say I haven't met anybody much smarter than that Chicken Holiday manager.

  There was really only one riot in Asbury Park, but thanks to the hyperbolic coverage by the NYC TV news that was enough to kill Asbury quickly. Political corruption has kept it from any recovery since. One of the saddest experiences I had was riding my bike through Asbury Park on a July Saturday afternoon in 1980 and encoutering almost no traffic at all. This was after spending my late teens in the same place teeming with people and fun.

  -- Jack
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