Max Weinberg. Photo Courtesy of Max Weinberg Collection.
Max Weinberg, the longtime drummer of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, chatted about his upcoming “Jukebox” solo show at The Paramount on Long Island. Weinberg is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Weinberg on performing at The Paramount
On this forthcoming concert on October 26th at The Paramount in Huntington, Weinberg remarked, “My ‘Jukebox’ is just what it sounds like. Back in the day, in both New Jersey and Long Island, jukeboxes were everywhere.”
“In this case, it’s me and my quartet of musicians and we are playing the songs that the audience calls out,” he noted.
“We have a revolving video screen that has 250 songs (with a nice sampling of Bruce Springsteen), as well as songs by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and everything you would hear on the radio in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s era,” he elaborated.
“We play the songs and I tell stories about life on the road, and stories about the songs if they prompt memories,” he said. “I have a lot of stories. The songs are picked in real time and it’s a party, not a concert. It’s a tribute to the era that was a renaissance in music.”
“At any one time on AM Radio, back in the day, you could hear The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin and Sam & Dave. This show is a glimpse of what that was like,” he admitted.
“It’s a tribute to the rock and roll renaissance,” he said. “The last time I played The Paramount was back in August of 2023, and we had a great time. It was packed, and it is such a great venue. The Paramount really knows how to put on a show.”
“I hope the fans come down on October 26th and have a blast. The fans will know the lyrics to every song we play that evening. They might even be asked to get up on stage to sing with us. It’s a Saturday night, they serve adult beverages, and it can get pretty wild,” he exclaimed.
Inspiration behind the ‘Jukebox’ shows
On his inspiration to start the “Jukebox” shows, Weinberg said, “I had a gig in Chicago in April of 2017, where we played in a small club, and it was a set that consisted of an hour and 40 minutes of songs.”
“It went over so well, and the audience wanted an encore but we had no more songs. So, I went out and asked them what they wanted to hear, and they just started calling out songs,” he noted.
“My band is so great, and I can play anything because I have a great memory to play all these songs. We started making it up on the spot, and I told my manager that we have a great concept here, where the audience gets to pick the setlist, and it worked. I’ve done about 350 shows,” he elaborated.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “I’m an analog guy living in the digital age, so I do my best. When I do need help, I call my neighbor’s 11-year-old son, who can help me figure out where I went wrong. For a 73-year-old guy, I am not super IT-connected but I can move my way around my computer fairly well.”
“In my digital library, I can listen to 30,000 songs in an object that is smaller than my phone,” he revealed.
“I had a very elderly aunt who was born in 1898, and died in the ’80s, and she went from before there were cars, to landing on the moon and beyond, in terms of technology, so it’s always changing and you adapt to it,” he added.
Weinberg on cassettes making a musical comeback
Weinberg acknowledged that cassettes are making a comeback these days, according to a New York Times article.
“The issue is that people don’t have cassette players these days, but I keep everything, so when that cassette revolution happens again, I’m ready,” he said.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction
10 years ago, Weinberg was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the E Street Band. He was inducted by his own “Boss” Bruce Springsteen, and they were recognized in the “Musical Excellence” category.
“It was quite an honor,” he admitted. “It was an honor to take the stage with Bruce and the E Street Band. It was very nice to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The really great thing is continuing to play and to give the audience more than their money is worth. That’s the real gift.”
“We are still out there rocking better than we ever were. It was a honor and a really great ceremony. It was really fun. I was just sorry that Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici, who were founders of the band, weren’t around to physically accept their awards because they passed away,” he elaborated.
“If you are in Cleveland, go check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he shared, “Every day is a gift”
Link Wray and ‘Rumble’
When asked if Link Wray was an influence on him growing up, Weinberg responded, “Well, of course, ‘Rumble’ was a big hit and it has taken on a mythical status through the years.”
“When ‘Rumble’ first came out on the radio in the late ’50s, was that if you were in rock band — which I was — it was easy to play. You didn’t have to sing for one thing,” he noted.
“As a drummer, ‘Rumble’ and everything I listened to was certainly an influence. The main thing was at those days, we weren’t singers, but we played a lot of instrumentals by The Ventures, Link Wray, and The Safaris,” he elaborated.
“‘Rumble’ was a song that used to be a dance in the late ’50s called ‘The Stroll,’ and people could do ‘The Stroll’ to ‘Rumble.’ Link Wray had a sound and a presence, and that was the first generation of rockers,” he added.
Advice for young and aspiring musicians
For young and emerging musicians, he said, “Just keep going. Don’t stop because if you do, you lose the ability. Do it when you’re young because you definitely don’t want to start in your 40s, and just keep at it.”
“Be pure and dedicated to music, and whatever else you do with it (such as playing instruments),” he said.
“Just work at it; it does not come easy. You just have to keep doing it. No matter what your dreams are in the music business, just keep at it,” he added.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, Weinberg said “Over a 50 year career, success means to continue to grow and improve, and to continue to give the audiences more than their money is worth, so that they can leave in some fashion transformed. That is something that I am very proud of.”
To learn more about Max Weinberg, check out his official website and follow him on Instagram.