Hank Azaria brings Bruce Springsteen tribute to Wildhorse Saloon during Calgary Stampede
The Simpsons voice actor has turned his passion for The Boss into a full touring act, even earning Springsteen's own approval.
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Actor Hank Azaria, best known for voicing multiple characters on The Simpsons, has turned an obsessive fandom into something far more substantial: a full-fledged Bruce Springsteen tribute band that is drawing feature coverage in Rolling Stone, Interview, Vulture, and Billboard.
Azaria will bring the EZ Street Band to Wildhorse Saloon for a July 8 performance during the Calgary Stampede, part of a broader tour that also includes the Ottawa Bluesfest on July 10. The project began in 2024 when Azaria was preparing to celebrate his 60th birthday. He announced a party at New York's City Winery and told friends that a Springsteen tribute act would provide entertainment—but he didn't mention that he would be fronting the band himself.
"I told all my friends that I had a Springsteen tribute band coming, but I didn't tell them that I had been working a long time to front it," Azaria said. "And then I just kind of sprung it on people. We played for an hour and a half."
Mastering Springsteen's distinctive singing voice required more work than any acting role Azaria had tackled in the past. "To sing like Bruce, that's a whole different thing," he explained. "I sing a lot in my career but never did I take it very seriously. So, singing like Bruce actually requires actual singing lessons and taking it seriously and learning to make those sounds and breathe properly and not destroy your own voice."
Last summer, Azaria received a text from a mutual friend—a dentist—containing a video message from Springsteen himself. The Boss, suffering from a toothache in the dentist's chair, had watched a YouTube clip of Azaria performing "Prove it All Night" and wanted to send his approval. It was a monumental moment for Azaria, who has seen Springsteen in concert 27 times since first attending a show in 1978.
Azaria has said he has turned down acting roles to concentrate on the band and his vocal performances. The shows raise funds for his 4 Through 9 Foundation, a social justice and education charity he founded with his wife, Katie Wright. Each performance includes storytelling alongside the music, mirroring Springsteen's marathon-concert approach.
