Tea Leaf Green Tribute Clarence Clemons At The Stone Pony

Springsteen and Clemons met at the Asbury Park bar in 1971, a story both men have told onstage for the past 40 years. Clemons, 69, the "Big Man" in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Saturday night.

Fans who came to pay respects were given free admission to evening headliners Tea Leaf Green who showed love and admiration for Clemons. "It was an honor to pay tribute to 'The Big Man' at our last show on this leg of the tour," said guitarist/vocalist Josh Clark. "We saw firsthand how much Asbury Park and the Stone Pony loved him. We listened to him play all day in the van on our way down there."

Fellow band member Trevor Garrod added, "When we found out Clarence had died we where still a few hours from Asbury Park. It was a beautiful day; the sun was setting into a riot of crimson clouds; flowers and chalk drawings lined the sidewalk outside of the club. The Atlantic Ocean's waves rolled calmly in across the street. Though we where only coming through coincidentally, we nonetheless felt honored to be part of the celebration of this great musician's life. We couldn't help but feel that somehow the universe was encouraging us to keep up this tradition of rock 'n roll. After we played our set, I jumped into the moonlit sea with some kids who had come to watch the show. I couldn't help but wonder if, back in the day, Clarence had ever done the same. He will be missed."

San Francisco Bay Area troubadours Tea Leaf Green are newfangled Lost Boys, a traveling gang dedicated to seeking wisdom and experience in places both glorious and seedy. The band's summer tour kicks off on July 2 in Colorado on the heels of its seventh studio album, Radio Tragedy!, freshly released through Thirty Tigers.

In many ways, this quintet is the essence of rock's adventurous, playfully outlaw spirit, all of which ultimately fuels songs that resonate with classic vibrations, open-ended possibilities and radio-ready charm. With Radio Tragedy!, Tea Leaf Green have made a record that's both timely and timeless - a strange, beautiful space that they inhabit naturally and gracefully.

TEA LEAF GREEN Summer tour dates 2011

Sat., July 2 SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO The ECO Music Festival
Sun., July 10 DETROIT, MI St. Andrews Hall
Mon.

The Stone Pony Pays Tribute to The Big Man, Clarence Clemons ...

The Stone Pony in Asbury Park opened at noon on Sunday to allow hundreds of fans to pay tribute to legendary saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

Clemons, 69, the "Big Man" in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, died Saturday night after suffering complications from a stroke on June 12. 

Springsteen and Clemons, who was 6-foot-4 and weighed 250 pounds,  met at the Asbury Park bar in 1971, a story both men have told onstage for the past 40 years.

Fans of all ages came to pay their respects to Clemons at the very stage where he and Bruce began playing together. 

Valerie Koelsch of Bear, Del., and Tony Tanzi of Ocean Township stood in front of the stage adorned with flowers, burning incense and photos, sharing memories of seeing Clarence perform live. 

Koelsch moved out of Jersey in 1987 but has seen Clemons with the E Street Band at the Meadowlands.

Tanzi remembers the 2003 show at the Meadowlands where it was pouring rain all night and when the first chords of "Jungleland" were struck, the rain stopped and the sun came out. 

Renee Salaowski of the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township came alongside her husband, Hank, her son, Ed, and her two grandchildren.

"I've seen Clarence over a dozen time—almost every year I try to take my dad. I asked [my dad] what he wanted for Father's Day and here we are," said Ed Salaowski, whose most memorable concert was at The Spectrum in 1985 during the Tunnel of Love tour. "I will always remember when Clarence did his solo and Bruce announced his name on stage. It was the first time I saw Clarence."

"I'm here for the same reason everyone else is here," said Hank Salaoski, whose been to half a dozen shows to see Clarence with his most memorable being the last show Clarence put on at Madison Square Garden. "I'll always remember when Bruce said, 'Here's to Big Man.' "

Laura D'Amico of Howell felt that she needed to be as close as possible to Clarence today, and The Stone Pony was that place. 

"I haven't been here in 20 years but I wanted to be here with others," said D'Amico who donned her most memorable Bruce and the E Street Band concert shirt. "I wanted to feel the love and support, to pay my respects."

D'Amico has been to over 20 shows and in 2009, she watched as Clarence played at Madison Square Garden and was so close to the stage that she remembers feeling his prescence.

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