Joe D'Urso sees the 'Light'
Singer to play Light of Day benefit in Asbury Park

By Alex Biese
Metromix
October 30, 2008

After traveling to Sayreville's Starland Ballroom in 2007, Light of Day returns this year to Asbury Park with not one but two shows in the Shore city.

This marks the ninth year for the concerts, which work to raise money for the fight against Parkinson's disease by supporting research into finding a cure and helping those who suffer from the degenerative neurological disorder.

The list of performers for the first of the two shows, to be held Nov. 1 at the Paramount Theater, includes Goo Goo Dolls lead singer Johnny Rzeznik, Joe Grushecky, Joe D'Urso and Stone Caravan, Jesse Malin, Willie Nile and Marah. Performers the following night at the Stone Pony include Matt White, the Bob Burger Band, Boccigalupe and The Badboys, the Christine Martucci Band, Maybe Pete and the Matt O'Ree Band.

A Rockland County, N.Y., native who now lives in Park Ridge and is on the board of directors for the Light of Day Foundation, D'Urso recently spoke with Metromix Jersey Shore about the singer/songwriter who inspired his humanitarian efforts.

Can you tell me about the decision you've made over the years to be so active in various charities, such as Light of Day and World Hunger Year?
Harry Chapin, Harry Chapin, Harry Chapin. That's all I can say -- Harry Chapin. I remember being a kid, hearing (Chapin's 1972 hit) "Taxi" on the radio, knowing that it sounded very, very different than anything I ever heard before, and my mom's birthday was the day Harry Chapin passed away, so I've had always had a few things going on there.

But more so, we were asked to be a part of a record called "One Step Up, Two Steps Back: The Songs of Bruce Springsteen" in 1997 on Capitol Records (which benefited World Hunger Year, an organization co-founded by Chapin). ... I grew up in a big Italian-American family, so learning that people in our own area don't have food was unfathomable. I mean, food has never been an issue in our household, and it's something now as an adult I certainly understand, but when it first hit me when I was in my late 20s. It was something you really didn't think about, so that got me involved.

And then, learning more about Harry Chapin over the years ... (and) what he did, how every other show he did was a benefit or he gave his money away, (I saw) he did a lot. ... As an independent, not selling millions of records or even hundreds of thousands of records, on a personal level I feel like it gives me and my music a sense of purpose.

I know on a given night when we go out there, and I organize a lot of these events, when I go to bed at the end of the night, to actually quote Harry, it's a "good tired." I feel like I did something that made a little bit of a difference with a lot of help from a lot of people, and that my music served a purpose that night, or in general. And, I don't know, in all honesty, why I do all that. I just know that it feels good. I get to help people, and it just seems like the right thing.

Now, Light of Day is international. How does it feel to be bringing the shows for this cause around the world?

It's tremendous. We team up with a Parkinson's association in each country and 50 percent of whatever we raise in those countries stays in that country as a donation to help those organizations along in their research, and it's tremendous.

I've had many good friends join me on the road over the years in Europe -- Willie Nile and Marah and Jesse Malin -- and then we always have a national artist from each country, like this year we'll have Badly Drawn Boy in London, Mike Peters from the Alarm in Wales, (in Rome) Eduardo Bennato, who's a very big star -- kind of like the Italian Lou Reed. Just having these people on the bill allows us to bring in lots of people who may not know about Light of Day and/or Parkinson's, and I make sure every night I talk to the audience about how Light of Day started and about (Light of Day founder) Bob Benjamin and how thankful we are to Bruce (Springsteen) over the years. He's done six out of eight shows for Light of Day and I certainly always want to say thank you for him helping us grow this. By just having his presence there each year, it really helps out. Needles to say, it's tremendous.

This is now the third year (going overseas). The first year, we did it in Rome, Bedford, England and Madrid, and last year we added on Sweden and Holland and Canada. Now this year we've added on Norway and Wales, and I've already gotten some indication that next year there might be another country, too. And it's a lot of time, too. All the artists going over there, no one's getting paid. We cover costs on hotels and flights and some meals and a small honorarium, but put it this way: What everyone is being covered doesn't reflect what we'd normally go out there doing it for one show, let alone for 10 days, so I tip my hat to all the artists involved.

On a local level, the shows are also returning to Asbury Park this year.

Yes, they are returning to Asbury, which is great. You know, we had a great time up at the Starland Ballroom. ... It started as a birthday party for Bob 10 years ago at the Downtown in Red Bank, and then I think the first year we did it, it was at the Pony.

We went up to Sea Bright when Tradewinds was around for a couple of years and then we came back to the Pony, and then we went to Starland and we came back to the Pony, so all roads lead to Asbury Park, I guess.
And it's great to be doing it with the resurgence that's going on and the fact that we're doing the one night at the Paramount and the one night at the Pony. I know there are a lot of people flying in from Europe and people coming up from the states, so it helps. Besides raising money for a good cause, I feel good knowing that our organization is helping the local economy in Asbury as well.

Joe D'Urso photo by David Robinson