Jul 15, 2017 11:12 by Stephen Petrick Belleville News
Mark Rashotte is pictured with his famous guitar collection. - Stephen Petrick
Belleville – A concert at the Empire Theatre in July 2014 set the stage for the show that will take place this Friday night at Empire Rockfest.
Theatre owner Mark Rashotte got Jake Clemons to come to town three years ago; a great coup for the musician/businessman considering he was a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and Clemons is best known for being a member of Springsteen’s E-Street Band.
Clemons was impressed with Rashotte, who, as a guitarist for about 50 years, knows what it takes to make a musician-friendly venue. The two hit it off back stage and jammed, prompting Clemons to later that night invite Rashotte on stage to perform two songs, one of them the Joe Cocker version of A Little Help From My Friends.
It went so well that Clemons asked Rashotte to come to his next show in Niagara Falls, where he played four tunes on stage. “A few months later he called me and said, ‘do you want to be in the band?’” Rashotte recalled.
The Belleville businessman has, in the months since, played in venues around the world with Clemons. He also recorded part of Clemons’ album, Fear and Love, from his studio in back of the Empire Theatre. He’s also now part of Clemons management team.
Given the connection, it was no surprise to hear that Clemons would be in the linuep of this year’s Rockfest, an annual event that Rashotte and his colleagues put on from the parking lot next door known as Empire Square. Clemons and The Trews headline the Friday, July 21 show. The event opens with Sum 41 and The Flatliners on Thursday night and closes with The Sheepdogs and The Glorious Suns on Saturday night.
When asked whether it will be special for him to play on stage at his own festival, Rashotte acknowledged that it will.
“It will be one of the first shows, since Rockfest started, that I’ll see start to finish,” he joked, pointing out that he’s usually backstage for most of the acts working on logistics with bands’ management teams.
A Jake Clemons performance should be a treat for the audience, too. Clemons, is the nephew of the late Clarence Clemons, the original E-Street saxophonist. The younger Clemons joined the E-Street band upon his uncle’s death in 2011.
He’s also carved out a respectable solo career, based on his smooth voice and soulful pop/rock sound, as evidence in songs such Hold Tight, Janine, and All Undone (below).
“His spirit is wonderful,” Rashotte said. “Everyone connected to Jake realizes that quickly. He’s alive as a person, really engaging … He’s a fabulous musician who writes great songs.”
There are many reasons why Rashotte and Clemons have formed a strong friendship and partnership in a short time. One reason is their belief in the importance of women’s shelters. The Rockfest raises money for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation and Janine is a song that references the need for a person to leave an abusive relationship.
The two are also connected through their professional attitude towards music.
Clemons, through his experience with the E-Street band, is used to playing in front of crowds of 20,000 to 80,000 people, Rashotte pointed out. So when he plays a show, he knows he must give his best effort.
Rashotte has the same business-minded approach to running the theatre. He’s fully aware that when people come to a show, they’ve put down their own hard-earned money and made plans for an evening out, so it’s important that they’re well treated and have a great experience.
He takes that same attitude when working on the road with Clemons; there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into making sure each night goes smoothly.
“There’s a lot of responsibility,” Rashotte said when asked about the new job. Upon reflection, he acknowledges he is fortunate to have the opportunity to do it. “But it’s a really good job. I really enjoy what I do .. Our bad days are good days in general.”
For ticket information on Rockfest visit theempiretheatre.com