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Chris Jordan  Asbury Park Press

Hulk smash!

But apparently Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band trombonist Ozzie Melendez smashes just as hard. The Brooklyn native shared an Instagram video, shot by bandmate Anthony Almonte, of himself on Jan. 4 hitting an 838 on a Kickboxer arcade punching bag machine.

Impressive, and it’s just one below an 839 scored by the Hulk, or a muscled up guy painted green, on a Hardhitterzuk machine in an accompany video.

Melendez tagged it #estreetpower. Check it out below.

Ozzie Melendez, trombonist for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as photographed by Rob DeMartin Sept. 7, 2024, in Washington D.C., and shared on the Boss' social media accounts.

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“You don’t wanna make the trombone player angry,” commented a fan.

“We are lovers … not fighters ,” Melendez replied.

Melendez is a member of the E Street Horns, which includes Jake Clemons and Eddie Manion, sax; and Barry Danielian and Mark Pender, trumpet.

Pender replaced Curt Ramm for the October and November run of shows in Canada. Melendez has also played with, among others, Diana Ross; Blood, Sweat and Tears; and Latin music giants Marc Anthony and Willie Colon.

He played with the E Street Band at Madison Square Garden in 2009 and 2018, according to Brucebase, and made he his full-time debut with the band on Feb. 1, 2023, in Tampa.

“Very emotional, being part of something so legendary,” Melendez told the Asbury Park Press in September. “I’ve been in this business a long time and I played with a lot of artists. I never played with anybody like Bruce and to be with this band and with him is something so special that I don’t know if I can ever top it — I’ll never be able to top it!

"It’s going to be all downhill hill after this, but like Bruce says, it’s not going to be over.”

Upcoming is a 16-date tour of Europe starting Wednesday, May 14, at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. The tour concludes Thursday, July 3, at San Siro Stadium in Milan.

In related news, Springsteen will appear on the new Waterboys album, "Life, Death and Dennis Hopper," due out in April. Steve Earle, Fiona Apple and more are also on the LP.

The Waterboys were formed in Scotland in the early 1980s. The band's 1985 single, "The Whole of the Moon," was in peak rotation on the former WHTG-FM alt-rock station at the Jersey Shore.

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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@app.com

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The SPL Rocks!







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



Oats

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