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Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen filming 'Just Before the Dawn' at the former Upstage Club in Asbury Park on Monday, May 8. (Photo: Judy Ross)

Bruce Springsteen made what is likely to be his final appearance at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park on Monday, May 8.

The Boss filmed an interview for the movie about the Upstage called, “Just Before the Dawn: Riot. Redemption. Rock ‘n’ Roll,” by filmmaker Tom Jones, which premiered Friday, April 21, at the Asbury Park Music and Film Festival. The new Springsteen footage will be added to the film.

“He was very gracious and very, as he always seems to be, humble,” said building co-owner Judy Ross, who noted that Springsteen arrived exactly on time. “Other people show up with a big entourage but he didn’t. He showed up by himself.”

MORE: Springsteen legacy: Upstage film explores 1970 Asbury Park

The Springsteen filming took over an hour to shoot.

Artwork remaining on the club’s  walls was removed Saturday, May 13 and is being  donated to the Asbury Park Music Foundation  for auction to benefit the foundation’s music education programs, which provides music lessons for area kids.

“She’s been our champion,” said Jim Lenskold, a board member of Asbury Park Music Foundation, of Judy Ross. “She made sure it was possible.”

The Upstage was owned by Tom and Margaret Potter, hairdressers and music lovers, who opened the club from 1968 to ‘71. The club, located on the third floor of the building on the corner of Cookman Avenue and Bond Street, was set off by fluorescent paintings and black lighting and the all-night jam sessions lasted until 5 a.m.  Springsteen met players like Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, David Sancious, Garry Tallent, Danny Federici, Ernest “Boom” Carter and Southside Johnny Lyon there, and he introduced Steven Van Zandt to the scene. They would bring to the world the Sound of Asbury Park.

Volunteers from the Asbury Park Music Foundation remove

Volunteers from the Asbury Park Music Foundation remove artwork from the former Upstage Club in Asbury Park. (Photo: Chris Jordan)

 

After the Upstage closed the building was a Thom McAn shoe store for many years.  Jim Ross and Bill Ross from Brooklyn brought the property for $650,000 from Richard Yorkowitz, who owned the spot for more than five years, in 2015. The Rosses intend to restore the property to its original early 20th century look with apartments on the top two floors and retail or a lounge on the first, said Judy Ross, who is married to Jim Ross. The work should be done before the end of the year.

 

“It would be great if we or someone could open a lounge or a place for music (on the first floor),” Judy Ross said.

It is financially prohibitive to bring the top floors up to code for a nightclub setting, Ross added, as it was during the Upstage era.

“It would never be able to be a club in this world in which we live in now,” she said.

MORE: Stevie Van Zandt relives Upstage memories

Van Zandt shot an interview for the movie on March 29 at the building. Springsteen and Van Zandt watched  “Just Before the Dawn” in the audience of the Paramount on April 21 before joining in the film festival’s Upstage reunion jam, which made national news.

After the night, Springsteen reached out to Jones to set up a time to film.

“It was kind of like putting the last kiss on it,” Ross said. “He was here, OK, now we can do what we have to do and preserve as much as we can.”

Chris Jordan: cjordan@app.com

http://www.app.com/story/enter...e-upstage/101686404/

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The SPL Rocks!

Prego che tu stia danzando con San Pietro alle porte perlacee del cielo





Pulled up to my house today
Came and took my little girl away!
Giants Stadium 8/28/03



Oats

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