For those of you tuning in this weekend for the ON THE SCENE encore featuring my interview with Jim Norton and the tour of the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, here’s some behind the scenes if you’re interested.
First, Jim Norton. We shot the interview at Caroline’s Comedy Club in Times Square where he was appearing. It was the first time we’d met. In preparing for the interview I had watched his comedy performances and some other interviews he’d done on Youtube. My first words to him were, “I feel like I could talk to you about anything.” And he said, “pretty much.”
That’s all I needed to know.
By the third question we were in deep, Jim reveals a lot of his early struggles to become a comedian, his self-doubt, sex addiction, you name it. I think he’s a very smart guy, driven, and compelling to listen to in this interview because he talks about real things. This interview is the longest segment in the (nearly) 7 year run of ON THE SCENE, that’s how interesting I feel this interview is. As an interviewer, I believe it’s one of the best I have done, ever.
Did you like the tour of “From Asbury Park To The Promised Land: The Life And Music Of Bruce Springsteen” at the Constitution Center? Tony Amato, the Jersey Shore rocker who came up in the music scene with Springsteen really makes this piece. He was great to hang out with and he knows the stories behind everything in that exhibit. It’s called authenticity.
Of course, if we were spending so much time talking about Springsteen in this show, where else could I host it from other than the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. It’s the quintessential New Jersey rock venue and Springsteen has electrified that stage many a time over the decades with his surprise visits.
I hope the show takes you into the world of these two entertainers, that you learned a few things and discovered you want to learn even more. And that I asked questions that kept you interested. If I achieved that, I’m proud.
The Norton interview and Springsteen piece will be posted online in a couple of weeks.