The Summerfest lineup has it all. Each and every year, “The World’s Largest Music Festival” manages to book an eclectic blend of talent that includes many of the biggest names in music today, some up-and-comers on the verge of mainstream consciousness, an array of long-tenured legends and legacy acts, many local projects deserving of a chance to play before sizeable festival audiences, and at least one or two unexpected things that make you say “wait, what?” before you change your Big Gig itinerary because you definitely need to see it.
One such unorthodox (and absolutely can’t-miss) act on the 2026 Summerfest lineup is Hank Azaria And The EZ Street Band. The Bruce Springsteen tribute band is fronted by Hank Azaria, an accomplished actor in the realms of film (The Birdcage, Heat, Along Came Polly, Quiz Show) and television (Mad About You, Friends, Brockmire, the Tuesdays With Morrie TV movie).
Most famously, Azaria has voiced dozens of characters on The Simpsons between the unmatched animated series’ 1989 outset and the present day. If you have even a passing awareness of the show, there’s a very good chance you’re familiar with some characters he’s voiced (including some he initially performed but no longer provides the voice for). It turns out he can also do one hell of a convincing Springsteen impersonation!
As we eagerly await seeing him and his EZ Street Band at Summerfest’s Uline Warehouse Stage at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, we thought it might be fun to pair some Simpsons characters Azaria has voiced through the years with Springsteen songs. Enjoy!
Moe — “I’m On Fire”
“This Depression” was also considered, but we couldn’t pass up the Flaming Moe reference for this one.
Comic Book Guy — “Hungry Heart”
To be clear, this isn’t a weight-related crack on Comic Book Guy. If you buy 100 tacos, we think it’s okay to suggest you have a hungry heart.
Disco Stu — “Dancing In The Dark”
“Disco Stu likes disco music!”
Apu — “Born In the U.S.A.”
Green Bay, Wisconsin’s own!
Snake — “Shackled And Drawn”
“Born To Run” was also considered for Snake, but we couldn’t find a good still of him running away from law enforcement or breaking out of jail.
Kirk Van Houten — “Factory” and…
…”Racing In The Street”
It was a toss-up so we opted for both. If “The Boss” has any songs about borrowing a feeling, let us know and we’ll add it right away.
Chief Wiggum and Lou — “Highway Patrolman” and “State Trooper”
Self-explanatory.
Bumblebee Man — “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)”
Because he’s on television, you see.
Professor Frink — “Livin’ In The Future”
“Hoyven-glayven!”
Drederick Tatum — “The Hitter”
The obvious choice, though “Tougher Than The Rest” was briefly considered as well.
Raphael (a.k.a. Wiseguy) — “Jack Of All Trades”
A fitting song choice for the sarcastic guy with a bunch of different jobs.
Sea Captain — “I Wish I Were Blind”
“Hoohhh, two glass eyes.” [clink, clink]
Frank Grimes — “Dry Lightning”
It wasn’t easy to find an exact pairing for Frank Grimes (or “Grimey” as he liked to be called), so we just chose a Springsteen song with a vaguely electrical name.
Duffman — “Glory Days”
Springsteen’s famed “Glory Days” starts with the lyrics “Oh, yeah!”—the very catchphrase of the Duff Beer mascot—and says the utterance a few more times before song’s end, so that’s good enough for us. Springsteen says a lot of things!
That’s all we have at this point, but we think it’s a pretty good start! If you can think of any other pairings for characters Azaria voices (or has voiced in the past), let us know in our forum. Bonus points if you can find a Springsteen song that fits well with Dr. Nick Riviera, Cletus, Superintendent Chalmers, or Carl Carlson.