Marshall Crenshaw with special guests The Bongos

Born in 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, Marshall Crenshaw learned to tune a guitar correctly at age ten and has been trying ever since. His first big break came in 1978 playing John Lennon in “Beatlemania”, first as an understudy in New York, then in the West Coast company, followed by a national touring company. Removing himself from that situation in Feb. 1980, Marshall settled in New York City. Enthralled by the hyper-diverse musical culture of the City, and the local Rock scene in particular, Marshall formed a Rock and Roll band with brother Robert on drums and Chris Donato on bass.

After crossing paths with the great and legendary Alan Betrock, Marshall recorded his debut single “Something’s Gonna Happen” for Betrock’s Shake Records label; at nearly the same time, legendary Rockabilly singer Robert Gordon’s recording of Marshall’s “Someday Someway” was released as a single on the RCA label. These two records simultaneously broke big on New York’s WNEW-FM, causing Marshall and his trio’s local popularity to explode.

And so began a career that’s spanned four decades, 13 albums, Grammy and Golden Globe nominations, film and TV appearances (Buddy Holly in “La Bamba”) and thousands of live performances. Marshall Crenshaw’s musical output has maintained a consistent fidelity to the qualities of artfulness, and passion, and his efforts have been rewarded with the devotion of a broad and loyal fan base.

Presently, along with touring around the country and the occasional recording project, other current projects include producing a documentary film-in progress about legendary record producer Tom Wilson. Says Crenshaw, “This is a road that I’d never imagined taking before, but it’s been an incredible learning experience.” 

“Although he was seen as a latter-day Buddy Holly at the outset, he soon proved too talented and original to be anyone but himself.” – Trouser Press

The Bongos are the founding fathers of the Hoboken pop scene of the 1980s. Fronted by Richard Barone, with Rob Norris and Frank Giannini, the group recorded its debut album, Drums Along the Hudson (1982), a critical hit on both sides of the Atlantic and a college radio staple. Adding guitarist James Mastro, the group toured relentlessly, signed with RCA Records, and released their major label debut, Numbers with Wings (1983), featuring the sweeping title song, which became an MTV favorite. Songs like “Barbarella” and “Tiger Nights” fared well on the fledgling alternative radio format and further raised the group’s profile. They released Beat Hotel (RCA) in 1985, a year that saw them perform over 300 concerts across the U.S.

It was during that whirlwind tour that their latest release, The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 (JEM Records/RCA/Sony Legacy), was recorded. A series of select shows in the Northeast this summer and fall brings all four original members back to the stage forty years later to celebrate the release of a nearly-lost relic of a particularly wild night.