Hank Azaria’s career has always been about voices. As the man behind some of the most iconic characters in (including Chief Wiggums, Moe the bartender, Comic Book Guy), he’s spent decades perfecting the art of mimicry. But now, at 60, Azaria has turned his talent toward a new, unexpected project: Hank Azaria and the EZ Street Band – a full-blown, high-octane tribute band.
It’s a labour of love born from a lifetime of fandom, sparked when an 11-year-old Azaria first heard at summer camp in 1975. “It was like Bruce was singing directly to me,” Azaria recalls. That connection has only deepened over the years, with Springsteen’s music becoming the soundtrack to his life.
Speaking to over Zoom this morning, Azaria sports Springsteen’s close-cropped coif, occasionally falling into the Boss’ persona in the middle of a thought. The idea for the tribute band came as he was grappling with turning 60. Many years sober, staring into a new decade and facing a birthday party with over 500 people, the light flickered.
“I’m a mimic – that’s my job,” he says. “And one of the voices I’ve always imitated was Bruce. I was trying to cheer myself up, turning sixty, and I thought, (as Bruce) .
” And so he set to work, assembling a band and conceiving a surprise gig for his party. Mastering the voice of Springsteen, was anything but simple. “I had to really try to learn how to sing,” Azaria says.
“It’s something I’d put off my whole career, thinking, (speak.