The next time you’re bored at a gig, or find yourself in a state of boredom as you wait for the next band to take to the stage, look around at some of the old posters the venue has put up to see who played there in the past. You will find a number of unsuspecting names playing for unsuspecting people, as Bruce Springsteen would be able to attest to.
Usually, when you look at these old posters, it’s not the headliner that surprises you but the support act. People who went on to become global megastars had to start somewhere, which usually meant supporting somebody else in an unsuspecting venue. It’s funny to see some of the artists that the mightily famous supported on their way to the top, with one of the most humorous support slots going to Bruce Springsteen when he took to the stage before a Cheech and Chong headline set.
In October 1972, Bruce Springsteen was getting ready to take to the stage following the release of one of his first-ever records. He was backstage At West Chester University in Pennsylvania, excited about supporting one of the biggest entertainment acts of the time, Cheech and Chong.
Cheech and Chong haven’t aged that well, more as a result of comedic taste developing than the actual quality of their music or comedy, but the point is that when we look back on joke-filled tracks about smoking weed, we do so cringing as opposed to laughing. Subsequently, trying to envision Bruce Springsteen not only supporting the duo but being excited about it is something else.
“People forget, but Cheech and Chong were huge, huge at the time,” said Springsteen, recalling the story to Jimmy Kimmel. “The first gig I ever did when I had my first record out was opening for Cheech and Chong in a small college in Pennsylvania. I came out, and we played about five songs. I thought it was going really good, I was sitting at the piano and someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘That’s enough’.”
Anyone who has seen Springsteen live in the past will find this revelation shocking. His gigs are a tremendous amount of fun, as some of the best musicians on the planet gather around one another to play the music that they love with the people they love playing with. The end result is a masterclass in showmanship, a gig for the ages, and, generally speaking, a lot of fun. As such, the idea that he wouldn’t be enough for a Cheech and Chong crowd really is something.
It turns out, though, that Springsteen had his set cut short for reasons beyond his control. There was a backstage argument between Cheech and Chong and their management, as the band weren’t aware of how many support acts had been booked. To save face, management decided to get Springsteen off stage so they could have the main act on as soon as possible. Looking back, fans will probably be pretty annoyed they had a Springsteen set cut short because of Cheech and Chong management issues.