Community Theatre
Seeing Bruce perform in a movie theater
The date was September 26, 1984. There is a movie theater in Morristown, New Jersey known as the Community Theater (now a perforfing arts center which seated approximately 1200 people at that time. It was a grand theater back in the 1800's and was beautifully restored in the 1990's and again in 2009. At the time it was pretty run down and had remained vacant for years. To have a concert there was unusual. The concert was billed as Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes with special guest. There were two shows (an early and a late). All the Bruce fans knew that Bruce was in New York State the night before with the band so he was ruled out. Many figured perhaps it was Miami Steve that was the special guest. The first show came and went with no special guest. The second show was when things got interesting. I was about a dozen rows from the stage. At the end of the show a figure walked on stage in a leather jacket with his back to the crowd. My sister said "look who is on stage". I was already out of my seat heading for the stage (I recognized the jacket). It was in fact Bruce. I was a few rows from the stage. It seemed as though it was truly a spontaneous appearance. Bruce had the band huddled around him as he showed them chord progressions. He toyed with the crowd. Where is Morris (town) and how did he get a town named after him. Bruce and The Jukes played the following songs. His face was glowing as he performed. You could just see he enjoyed playing. It was truly a rare experience for me to be so close actually looking into Bruce's eyes as he was singing. And I AM the guy who is always in the nosebleed seats.