Broadway’s Joe Cassidy, who currently appears in the modern musical If/Then, is fulfilling his dream of being an ultimate rock god at 54 Below on May 8. In Joe Cassidy, Rock Star (Both Inches), Cassidy (and special guests Tamika Lawrence and David Josefsberg) will crush songs by U2, The Who, The Allman Brothers. Below, BroadwayBox chats with the B’way rocker as he talks influences, favorite albums and that crazy title.
1. Tell us about the title Rock Star (Both Inches):
I think it’s self-explanatory. Give it a second…there it is!!
2. The most badass rock star that ever lived is:
That’s a tall order. Hmmm? There’s some elder statesmen out there still crushing it: Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney. And, Keith Richards still isn’t dead. I mean… Several years ago when I played Young Scrooge to Roger Daltrey’s (The Who) Scrooge, at MSG, I joked to him that he had better abs in his 50’s than I did. He and Pete are still out there, tearing it up. If I have to pick one though: for sheer showmanship, his creating a character, unmatched vocals, and devotion to his craft: Freddie Mercury.
3. My desert island album:
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Whipped Cream and Other Delights. I really only need the cover.
4. The album I had a religious experience listening to the first time:
It sounds cliché, but Pink Floyd’s, The Wall. Terribly dark, profoundly good. A rock and roll Catcher In the Rye.
5. The rock star I most relate to:
I watched Bono walk on stage with U2 at MSG on their How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album tour. It was amazing. He owned the entire crowd. The band’s songs spanned almost 25 years at that time. The crowd knew every word to every song from oldest to newest and just flung their adulation at him. How do you not develop an ego or God complex over that? I can’t even fathom “relating” to that. But, being in the presence of it, you can’t help but think, “Man, just for one night…”
6. The song from the 54 set that is going to blow audiences’ mind:
Tenacious D’s Master Exploder. It will actually blow minds.
7. The quality every good rock star must have is:
I’m going to go with a set of qualities: A little too much ego, a sense of grandeur, unwavering convictions, swagger, great boots, and the ability to make a stadium full of people think he or she’s individually singing/playing just for them.
See Joe Cassidy channel his inner rock god in ‘Rock Star (Both Inches)’ at 54 Below on May 8
