Hidden Bruce in Bally's Atlantic City!

(Click to embiggen!)

Theme park goers may be familiar with the concept of "Hidden Mickeys" at Disney parks.  Basically, the theme park designers hidden Mickey heads throughout the park, only to be spotted by the most eagle-eyed Disney fanatics.  Well, I think I may have found the first every "Hidden Bruce", in none other than my favorite stomping ground, Atlantic City!

Just look at the glorious mural above!  That, my friends, is located in Bally's, just behind Harry's Oyster Bar, brightening an otherwise dank hallway where casino-goers wait for a shuttle to Harrah's.  This glorious mural/potential back tattoo features many legends of New Jersey enjoying the Atlantic City beach, from Frankie Valli to Shaquille O'Neal.  And, who are those two handsome gentlemen bopping together in the lower left?

Why, it's our boy Bruce, and....Bon Jovi I want to say?  Judging by his appearance (as well as Shaq's Lakers jersey), I'd date this work of art as going back to the late 90s/early 00s.

Either way, I want this hanging on my wall.  And as my permanent Christmas card.

As I've clearly run out of things to write about on this blog, I will keep an eye out for all the "Hidden Bruces" I can find.  You're welcome.

Even More Joe Piscopo

I'm not through with Joe Piscopo.  Not by a long shot,  Remember when I said he was obsessed with New Jersey?  Well, this video pretty much cements it.  And it's not even his only song about New Jersey.

There's not much more I can say about my man Joe Piscopo.  I know I was kind of rough on him last time, but it came from a place of love and admiration.  And just to show no hard feelings, I'll also throw in this video from  The Dolly Show where he does his Springsteen impression to do a duet with Dolly Parton of "I'm On Fire".  It's actually, pretty good.  Wait, scratch that, he actually catches on fire at  the 3:30 mark.  Oh Joe, I'd hate you if I didn't love you so much.

Great Moments In Springsteen Comic Book History - Hawkeye #7

I've talked about before how rare it is to talk about comic books and Springsteen, but, time and time again, I have been able to unearth numerous examples of Springsteen's presence in sequential art.  Not so rare is finding the band Kiss in comic book form, although with their marketing you can pretty much find Kiss in any form.  However, it is extremely rare finding a moment where the worlds of Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, and comic books intersect.  Yet, that happened in Hawkeye, issue 7:

Click on the image for a larger version

As someone who grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in Brooklyn, I never got the sense of any rivalry between the state and the borough (in fact, many people rooting for the Brooklyn Nets still live in New Jersey).  However, I'm sure that even our local Kiss army member would agree that any Boss-bashing is grounds for expulsion.

That being said, I'd like to lay some praise on this current run of Hawkeye.  I've only recently discovered it, but have already become an addict.  With witty writing by Matt Fraction and dynamic art by David Aja, every issue is packed with strong characters, good humor, and explosive action.  It has enough nods to the past to satisfy long-time comic fans, but is streamlined enough to be perfect for new readers.  If you are a fan of the television show Archer, I'd highly recommend this book (I mean, read the excerpt above, and tell me you couldn't imagine H. Jon Benjamin saying all of Hawkeye's lines).  While the above scene is from an issue in volume 2, it is best to start with the first volume.

Clarence Clemons Day is Next Saturday (1/11)

This past summer, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie officially declared January 11 to be Clarence Clemons day in New Jersey. The New York Times described this act as, "proof that in New Jersey the members of Bruce Springsteen’s band are folk heroes akin to knights of the round table." Personally, this makes me all the more proud to be from New Jersey.

The 11th was Clarence's birthday, and in conjunction with the first ever Clarence Clemons day, Backstreets.com writer Shawn Poole launched a petition to get Clarence Clemons on a stamp. The petition ends on January 10, and they are looking to collect 50,000 signatures. If you would like to support the petition, head over to the following website to sign the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/469/114/550/petition-to-honor-clarence-big-man-clemons-with-a-us-postage-stamp/

This Laugh's On Me: The Onion on Bruce Springsteen

The Onion, the internet's foremost authority on fake news, has had certain celebrities and politicians in their cross-hairs for years.  I've always enjoyed their continuing obsession with Spurs power forward Tim Duncan; his quiet and stoic presence both on and off the court have led to excellent, funny, and bizarre articles.  The Boss has been a frequent target as well, as his political causes mixed with his rock-and-roll lifestyle are ripe for satire.  Here are some of the highlights from the last five years:

Bruce Springsteen Concert Totally Changes Area Man's Mind About Voting (Oct. 27, 2008): In this article, Springsteen is used in place of any celebrity that is dragged out in election season for those silly "Rock The Vote" campaigns.  The choice of who to vote for (and choosing to vote period) are very complicated issues that always get reduced to simplistic platitudes that ultimately mean nothing.  The last line in the article sums it up best: "On Nov. 4, Garlock plans to vote for John McCain because he thinks Sarah Palin is hot."

Obama To Wait For Next Bruce Springsteen Album For Word On Economy (Jan. 10, 2010): The Onion has frequently predicted the future, and this article is no exception.  The next Springsteen album after this piece was Wrecking Ball, Springsteen's most direct take on the economy to date.  Whether or not Obama will base his policy off of it remains to be seen.  The shot at John Mellencamp at the end makes this article totally worth the thirty seconds it will take you to read it.

Bruce Springsteen Releases New Sci-Fi Concept Album About Struggles Of Poor Miners Working On Mars (Sep. 14, 2011):

As a fan of science-fiction and a fan of Springsteen, this article is the perfect storm.  The writer adds in so many details that help sell such a zany premise.  Song titles such as "Dead Man's Home", "Solid Ground", and "Martin Shoulders" truly sound like Springsteen tracks....provided he was doing a concept album about Martians.  You have to love the exasperated quotes from Steven Van Zandt, followed immediately by the sycophantic praise from a Rolling Stone editor.

It's Funny, I've Actually Only Been To New Jersey A Couple Of Times (Dec. 4, 2012): It's an article "written by" Bruce Springsteen, and I really wish Springsteen did write something like this.  It would be the greatest prank a rock star has ever pulled off.  It's funny how, even if you are not from New Jersey, hearing Springsteen reveal his "true nature" would forever change the way you see both him and his music.  Rationally, the music should stand on its own merit, but this article dares you to imagine a world where Springsteen was from Hollywood and how that would alter your thoughts on his work.

Bruce Springsteen On Fence About Playing Assad’s Birthday Gig (Sep 4., 2013): This article I didn't really care for, as it seemed like they could have inserted any artist into it, and just randomly picked Springsteen.  I mean, why would Springsteen agree to do only a 45-minute set?  That's way too unrealistic.

Video Spotlight: "Poor Poor Pitiful Me"/"Cadillac Ranch"

I've been on a big Warren Zevon kick lately, and enjoying it immensely.  Bruce and Warren Zevon were no strangers, as previously discussed on this blog.  But I found this video on YouTube, and really loved it.  What's really cool about it is Warren covering a Bruce song in Jersey, a gutsy move in and of itself, but not even a hit single, instead a deep track off The River.  And he pulls it off!  Listen to the crowd reaction when "Cadillac Ranch" starts up, they recognize the song and immediately get into it and start singing and dancing along.  Awesome stuff.