In Deliver Me From Nowhere, the biopic devoted to Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen finds a little lightness during a musical scene filmed in Asbury Park. And if the Stone Pony band rings a bell, it's no coincidence: two members of Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons singer Jay Buchanan are hiding there.
A rock parenthesis in the melancholic universe of Nebraska
In Springsteen: Deliver Me From NowhereJeremy Allen White plays an introspective Bruce Springsteen, cloistered in a rental house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, where he shapes the songs that will become Nebraska. But when he—and the viewer—needs a little air, the Boss hops in his Trans Am, heads to Asbury Park and joins the stage at his hangout, the Stone Pony, for a jam with the house band. And these musicians have familiar faces. If you recognized the appearance of Greta Van Fleet and of Rival Sounds, you have the eye. It's no coincidence: the producer Dave Cobb, won a Grammy Award for his work with Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell or Brandi Carlile, is responsible for the film's soundtrack. Cobb also produced Greta Van Fleet's album Starcatcher (2023) as well as a series of records by Rival Sounds, including the remarkable Feral Roots in 2018.
The real Stone Pony band
The Stone Pony group, called Cats on a Smooth Surface, did indeed exist, led at the time by Bobby Bandiera — a singer-guitarist once considered to join the E Street Band. Their repertoire was then composed of rock and soul standards, such as Twist and Shout Or Long Tall Sally. In the film, they cover Little Richard's Lucille and John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom, with White backing up on guitar.
To form this group on screen, the production tapped into Cobb's contacts: Jake Kiszka (guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass) of Greta Van Fleet play the musicians of the Cats, while Jay Buchanan, singer of Rival Sons, plays the role of the leader of the group – although credited soberly as “Cats on a Smooth Surface – Lead Singer”.
“Why not them? »
A stage energy faithful to the spirit of the Boss
On stage, Jay Buchanan exudes a raw energy, closer to Bob Seger than the real Bandiera: he roars and sways at Lucille, while White/Springsteen has fun behind him. The Kiszka brothers, for their part, perfectly endorse the attitude of the bar group, even landing a line of dialogue in a sidewalk scene in Asbury Park, after the concert.
Cameos designed for fans
These unexpected cameos are part of the charm of Deliver Me From Nowhereas well as other casting finds: Marc Maron as sound engineer Chuck Plotkin, Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the role of Max Weinberg, and even Jimmy Iovine playing himself – his authentic voice rings out during a telephone scene with Jon Landau. Winks that will delight the most attentive fans.
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