Proceeds to Benefit The Four Through Nine Foundation
Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band is coming to the Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill on Jan. 23 at 8pm. Tickets are available at paramounthudsonvalley.com, and all net proceeds will benefit The Four Through Nine Foundation, which was founded by Azaria and is committed to social justice, education, and recovery causes.
Hank Azaria & The EZ Street Band is a labor of love for Azaria, a life-long Springsteen fan. “I’ve never worked harder preparing for any role than I did in perfecting a singing vocal impression of Bruce,” said Azaria.
Azaria is an acclaimed actor and voice artist, perhaps best known for his decades of work on The Simpsons. Now he’s using his voice in a new and different way, and having a blast entertaining people in a live, concert setting. Azaria spent months creating an impression of Bruce’s distinctive speaking cadence and singing ‘voice’ to conceive the tribute show. As Azaria told Rolling Stone, “I think of it as a theatrical performance,” he says. “I’m staying in character as Bruce even though I’m telling stories about myself. It’s a performance piece, but I’m not a Bruce impersonator.”
The tribute performance itself is a joyful, full-tilt rock ’n roll event, and Azaria’s physicality and flair are a true homage to Bruce. Azaria channels many familiar components of Bruce Springsteen’s iconography: intimate, irreverent storytelling, connection to family, preternatural stamina, camaraderie with the band, and a palpable love for performing. Azaria has delivered a show we want to root for – invigorating, upbeat and ambitious.
In a concert review in Observer from the band’s first public performance on August 1st, 2024, Dylan Roth praised, “The debut public performance of Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band, which sold out Le Poisson Rouge in Lower Manhattan, was a lively and heartfelt 80-minute celebration—not just of Springsteen’s music, but of the impact it has had on Azaria’s life. Azaria used the character of the Boss to revisit his triumphs and exorcize some personal demons, telling his own story in Bruce’s voice.”
Hank Azaria is a six-time Emmy Award winner, Screen Actors Guild Award winner, and Tony Award nominee. He most recently starred in Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s THE IDOL, alongside The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp on HBO, and Apple TV+’s HELLO TOMORROW alongside Billy Crudup. Azaria also appeared in a guest starring role in the fifth and final season of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino’s THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL on Amazon.
All net proceeds will benefit The Four Through Nine Foundation, which was founded by Azaria and is committed to social justice, education, and recovery causes — “I can’t think of a better way to spend my time and use my passion for voices than playing these songs for a crowd that loves them and to lovingly pay tribute to Bruce, while raising money for folks who need it.”
