Clemons goes from E Street to Queen Street
To Bruce Springsteen fans, it seemed like a no-brainer: Who better to replace legendary E Street Band member Clarence Clemons after his death than his nephew Jake?
He played sax. His last name was Clemons. When could he start?
But after a disastrous audition, it was nearly over before it began. An unprepared Clemons quickly learned why Springsteen is nicknamed The Boss.
As detailed in Springsteen’s 2016 bio “Born to Run,” Clemons arrived to the audition an hour late and confessed he only “sort of ” knew the songs. It made Springsteen so furious, he referenced himself in the third person: “You don’t dare come in here and play this music for Bruce Springsteen without having your s--down cold!,” he bellowed. “You embarrass yourself and waste my precious time.”
It all worked out, of course. A scolded Clemons learned the songs, won the job, and has been a beloved member of the E Street Band for seven years now, filling his uncle’s big shoes on iconic Springsteen anthems like “Jungleland,” “Born to Run” and “Badlands.”
But on the line from his home in Montreal, he recalls how that rough start with Springsteen forced him to focus.
“At the time, geez, I had a young child, it was Christmas, life was all over the place, and I was still heavily mourning my uncle,” says Clemons, who plays the Seneca Queen Theatre in Niagara Falls Saturday. “That all said, previous to that, I didn’t learn any E Street songs. I intentionally stayed away from that music because I was trying to differentiate myself.”
Getting reamed out by Springsteen was an “important moment” for Clemons. “If you’re going to mold something quickly, the initial process has to be fairly abrupt,” he says. “You don’t ease your way into it. And I commend him for that.”
The job has taken Clemons around the world, playing threehour shows in massive stadiums. But during lulls like this, as Springsteen performs his oneman show on Broadway, he doesn’t wait for the phone to ring – he hits the road with his own band, playing his own tunes.
Saturday marks his second visit to Niagara Falls after a 2014 show at Jack’s Cantina. And whether it’s 80,000 people or 80, he’ll bring the same energy.
“The shows have certainly grown and they’ve been a lot of fun,” he says.
“We just did a week in the UK and night after night it was exceptional. So we’re fully primed and looking forward to bringing that to Niagara. It’ll be quite different than the last time we were there.”
While he’s more confident as a solo artist than ever, Clemons knows full well the responsibility that comes with his last name. It’s partly why he once changed his name while trying to establish himself, until people kept saying he sounded like Clarence Clemons.
Eight years after his uncle’s death, Clemons embraces being the Big Man’s successor.
“I was close to him, and his persona was massive. It was somehow larger than himself. He just had the presence that, not only would he command a space, but just draw you in.
“Hearing him play for the first time was what made me want to play the saxophone.”
Though the E Street Band is taking a breather, Clemons knows that after Dec. 15 – Springsteen’s last scheduled Broadway show – it could be Boss Time again.
“I look at Bruce as a mentor for what I hope to accomplish with my own life,” he says. “For me, this is the greatest training program you could ever imagine.
“I would consider it – being a fan for so long myself – the greatest live rock and roll show that there is.”
WHO: Jake Clemons Band WHERE: Seneca Queen Theatre; 4624 Queen Street; Niagara Falls
WHEN: Sept. 8, 8 p.m. TICKETS: $30 www.senecaqueen.ca