Ravinia 2021 - Issue 4

the Beat ofthe Moment MaxWeinberg makes his audience the boss with Jukebox band BY JAMES TURANO MIGHTY Mouse. Mighty Joe Young. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. A Mighty Wind. Mighty Thor. Freak the Mighty. Mighty Ducks. Lord, Almighty! But in the Bruce Springsteen sphere of fandom there is only one who truly lives up to the “Mighty” moniker: Max Weinberg. For some 45 years, the now 70-year-old Weinberg and his big beat have been the sonic engine driving the powerful, pounding, chugging, and charging musical locomotive that is Springsteen’s E Street Band. Currently on a hiatus, as Springsteen and the E Streeters plan a possible return to the stage in 2022 for the first time since 2017, Weinberg still is keeping his musical train moving fast and furious down a rock and roll track. He will steer his own rocking box car and cargo—the unique, all-request “Max Weinberg’s Jukebox”—as it pulls into the station at Ravinia Festival on September 19. Speaking from his home in Florida, Weinberg shared his excitement for his Ravinia debut. “I’ve known about Ravinia for years and years. It is the premier summer, outdoor experience in the country. It has a long, impressive history, and a diverse lineup. They are selective as to who they book, so when they called to have us play there, it was a huge honor. We’re looking forward to it. There’s nothing better than playing outdoors on a beautiful summer night,” he said. Weinberg’s drumming career has twisted and turned to its own rhythm since he first was enthralled by rock music and the drums at age 5, watch- ing Elvis Presley and his drummer, D.J. Fontana, on television on The Milton Berle Show in 1956. By age 6, he was playing the drums in a local New Jersey band at bar mitzvahs and weddings, and soon was influenced by high-profile bandleaders and drummers of the day including Xavier Cugat, Buddy Rich, and Gene Krupa. Naturally, when The Beatles invaded the US in 1964, Weinberg’s drumming tastes immediately switched to a swinging rock beat. After fortuitously answering a Vil- lage Voice ad to audition for Spring- steen in 1974, Weinberg won the job, abandoned the thought of a law career, and ever since has added the thunderous backbeat to almost every Springsteen hallmark—most notably the glorious booming, banging bom- bast on “Born In the USA.” Weinberg has been a key player on Bruce Springsteen’s studio recordings, beginning with the classic Born to Run album in 1975, and his sound and stamina have been essential elements of The Boss’s fabled marathon shows with, as Bruce touts, the “heart-stop- ping, pants-dropping, hard-rock- ing, booty-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking, earth-quaking” legendary E Street Band. Weinberg reflected, “Working with Bruce has been a special, special experience unlike anything I’ve ever done in my life.” Anchoring a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band might be enough for many, but not for “Mighty” Max Weinberg, as Spring- steen affectionately and declaratively describes him. Weinberg’s life and career is defined by detours and destiny. After Springsteen disbanded The E Street Band in 1989, Weinberg stopped drumming for four years, finished his college degree, became a record label talent scout, and even did a six-week stint in law school. “Even during the time when he broke up the band, Bruce told me to not stop drumming. I didn’t want to; I just didn’t want playing music to be my occupation. I was 38 years old, and I had a wife, a toddler, and a baby to support,” Wein- berg stated. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 7 – SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 28