Tony Trischka and Sister Sadie, Bruce Springsteen Center – photo © Ariel Rosenberg
On June 4, the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music in Long Branch, NJ hosted its debut live event, the first of two nights billed as Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us. It was produced to provide an overview of popular music in the US, with a wide variety of artists and genres on stage.
Of special note to our readers is that banjo maestro Tony Trischka was invited to bring some bluegrass to the show, and he appeared with Sister Sadie in the midst of many of other pop stars to represent our beloved bluegrass.
Also on the Thursday program were Rosanne Cash, Kenny Chesney, Shemekia Copeland, Dropkick Murphys, Valerie June, Keb’ Mo’, Bruce Springsteen, Trombone Shorty, The Disciples of Soul, and more. Bruce appeared on Friday’s concert again, along with Jackson Browne, Gary Clark Jr., Dion, Jon Bon Jovi, Nils Lofgren, Darlene Love, Public Enemy, David Sancious, Mavis Staples, Stevie Van Zandt, and Jimmie Vaughan.
Tony tells us that the whole thing was a hoot, and that he was personally invited by show producer Robert Santelli, who he had met doing a segment for the Grammy Museum several years ago. He asked that Sister Sadie be brought as his backing band, and that they had originally planned to perform Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Blue Moon of Kentucky together.
As the concert was progressing, Tony and the Sadies were asked if they could add one more since the show was running ahead of schedule, so they added a Stanley Brothers number. But he had one other thing he wanted to add.
“It was the day after the first game of the NBA finals, and my son had asked me to say ‘Go Knicks’ during our set. I was a bit leery of doing that, but I asked and they said it was OK, so I did, and it got a big response.
The music went over very well, and Sister Sadie was just fantastic. We got a standing ovation at the end.”
The highlight was the final song, after Trombone Shorty’s set, when everyone came back in stage for one last song. Shorty then led the entire ensemble off the stage and through the audience playing When The Saints Go Marching In, a la a New Orleans first line procession. Everyone ate it up.
Trischka came back the second night with his family, and when he encountered Jackson Browne backstage, he went up to introduce himself. Browne recognized Tony right away as “the banjo guy,” and shared how much he had enjoyed their set, especially the hot fiddler (Deanie Richardson).
In the end, Tony says it was a wonderful evening.
“It was a spectacular thrill to represent bluegrass on a show like this, and a great honor.”
And he couldn’t say enough about Sister Sadie and how well they played and sang.
Thanks to Ariel Rosenberg with Rainmaker Management for these photos from the big night.
