Hank Azaria threw his own birthday party when he turned 40, an experience that was more hassle than fun in the end. So the actor, comedian and mimic, who rose to fame voicing a horde of characters on “The Simpsons” and later starred in films such as The Birdcage and Mystery Men, wasn’t exactly champing at the bit to put together another bash on his 60th birthday.
“I decided to do a sort of reverse-surprise party,” Azaria said. The six-time Emmy Award winner invited 500 friends to what he promised would be a Bruce Springsteen tribute show — while neglecting to tell them, “I was the one fronting it.”
Backed by musicians from the New York City scene, Azaria began the process of becoming the Boss on stage, using his ability to mimic voices to capture that special combination of soul-baring howl and gritty raspiness that makes Springsteen’s voice instantly recognizable.
The birthday party set so thrilled Azaria that he formed Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band — a nod to Springsteen’s E Street Band. The tribute show features Azaria fully in character as the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer, a role he’s taking as seriously as any in his career.
The band swings through the Green Mountains for a performance at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland on Saturday, May 3. Proceeds will benefit the 4 Through 9 Foundation, a charity with wide-ranging social justice interests that Azaria and his wife Katie Wright founded in 2021. He phoned Seven Days from his home in New York to talk about the show.
How’s life living as the Boss?
As a mimic, I’m really trying to capture his speaking and singing voice, as well as his storytelling ability, sort of like a one-man show with a giant band. I’ve always been homespun with the way I develop voices, but for this, I had to take it much more seriously, which I didn’t expect. I got totally obsessed in a way that I didn’t think I could anymore, really.
I do this professionally, that’s my standard. So I treat this as if I was being tasked with playing Bruce in a stage play or film. That’s the level I’m shooting for. And I’m still working on it; it’s a process. But I’m almost to the point where if I had to do it in a movie, it would pass muster.
Springsteen is such a famously energetic performer, renowned for massive sets that can stretch to four hours.
Oh, it’s a shvitz. Bruce describes performing as running a marathon while screaming. How he does that at 75 just blows my mind. I’ve worked my way up to about an hour-and-45-minute set, but I had to build that, like lifting weights at the gym. And I started out singing almost two full steps below Bruce’s key. Now, as I’ve been gaining vocal strength, I’m only a half step below his key, so I know I’m on the right track.
How did you go about getting your Springsteen voice? Did you study live shows or interviews?
[Impersonating Springsteen.] Listen, I’ve been doing a Bruce impression since I was a teenager. [Switches to Al Pacino voice.] I used to imitate young Al Pacino. When I auditioned for “The Simpsons” with this voice, they told me to make it more gravelly. So halfway between young Pacino and Bruce is [switches voices again] Moe the bartender. But that’s sort of my whole career: I adopt another voice and go places I couldn’t go as myself.
Oh, wow. I never tracked that!
[Bruce has] really been the jumping-off point for so many of the voices I do. I’ve been collecting bootlegs since the ’70s, so those talks and stories of his, I tell them during the show. I think it’s one of the appeals of this: Bruce’s music, his poetry and his storytelling play a movie in your head that’s just so vivid, you feel like he’s singing to you, recounting your life. I think we’re able to capture that in our show.
Between Michael Shannon’s R.E.M. cover band and Maya Rudolph’s Prince tribute, it seems like these sorts of projects are all the rage these days.
Yeah, it’s true. I’m not sure exactly why, but the tribute band thing is a world of its own. If you hit the height of that scene, you can play 2,500-seat theaters and make a significant amount of money, especially if you’re trying to raise money for charity, as we are with the 4 Through 9 Foundation.
I don’t know, it’s a weird phenomena. But look, you can’t see Led Zeppelin anymore; you can’t see the Grateful Dead. Fortunately, Bruce is still thriving, but with music like his, I think there’s just a real desire from people to see great re-creations — and in Bruce’s case, his live show, which we really try to emulate.
With such a love of the source material, is there one song above all others you look forward to performing?
I get asked this all the time, but honestly, I’m just dying to play so, so many Bruce songs. I’m sort of surprised by how much I love singing “Jungleland.” It’s just so ambitious. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” is really special to me as well.
What would you do if the Boss showed up to one of your shows?
I’ve met him twice, actually. I turn into a girl deep in the throes of Beatlemania, my voice goes up an octave, and I just start babbling. But it would be amazing if he ever came up and joined us for a few songs. That’s the dream. If we keep at it, maybe it’s possible. I have to make it worthy of him joining us, and that’s what we’re working towards.
If he does, Bruce can pick any song he wants, and we’ll do it. The idea of playing a Springsteen tribute at, say, the Beacon in New York and raising $100,000 for charity, that’s a real goal for me. That would make me incredibly happy.
This interview was edited for clarity and length.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Glory Daze | Actor and comedian Hank Azaria takes on his favorite role – the Boss”
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2025.
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