“Several months ago when I was asked if I wanted to participate in a tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen I said ‘yes’ without hesitation,” Josh explains. “Mr. Springsteen's lyrics and music have not only been an influence on my music, they have influenced my life in fairly broad strokes since I discovered his work.
”I was sharing a dressing room with The Hold Steady, who were really nice guys and I began to realise as I met other performers for the night, that there was going to be no ego. Patti Smith and Juliana Hatfield were in the room next door and the Jersey Boys were holding court in the catering area with secret handshakes and gold rings. It was pretty exciting and I just got a cup of coffee and sat and watched what was going on around me. “The show started with Steve Earle pounding onto the stage like a cross between a grizzly bear and a New York crime show detective. The performers couldn't get out into the main house, so we all crowded onto the side stage and hardly anybody left the whole evening. I was just about to go on, talking to myself and tuning my guitar when Bruce Springsteen came up to me and shook my hand and told me how much he loved The Animal Years. It was a proud moment for me.”
Joss was even prouder later on when The Boss ordered him onstage for the mass rendition of ‘Rosalita’.
”Jesse Malin, Badly Drawn Boy and The Hold Steady crew did verses as did Bruce and we all tried our best to sing on the choruses and burn the moment into our brains,” he concludes. “Then it was all done.”