Mike Davis

@byMikeDavis

WASHINGTON - As Bruce Springsteen continues to criticize President-elect Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed "No. 1 Bruce Springsteen tribute band" is performing at an inaugural gala next week.

The B-Street Band, a Belmar-based act that covers Bruce Springsteen songs, is booked for the Garden State Inaugural Gala on Jan. 19, one of the many formal Washington balls scheduled around Trump's inauguration.

Gov. Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie are serving as honorary chairs of the ball to "recapture the fun and romance of the Jersey Shore in elegant style." It is organized by the New Jersey State Society, a nonpartisan nonprofit that schedules activities and networking events for New Jerseyans living in the Washington area.

Christie repeatedly has spoken about his fandom for Springsteen's music.

But the move seems at odds with Springsteen's opinions. Springsteen, a Colts Neck resident, frequently supports Democratic candidates and became a vocal critic of Trump late in the 2016 campaign, calling him a "flagrant, toxic narcissist" at a pre-Election Night rally in Philadelphia for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

MORE: The Philadelphia message of Springsteen and Bon Jovi

“I’ve felt disgust before, but never the kind of fear that you feel now,” Springsteen said on the "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast last week. “It’s as simple as the fear of, is someone simply competent enough to do this particular job? Forget about where they are ideologically. Do they simply have the pure competence to be put in the position of such responsibility?”

In an interview, bandleader Will Forte said the band has been under contract to play the gala since January 2013, the day after they played the New Jersey State Society's gala for President Barack Obama's reelection. And they were booked for the 2013 gala the day after performing at the 2009 event.

“I understood it as a nonpolitical event and it’s about New Jersey. It’s a New Jersey gala – we do Bruce, we do some Frankie Valli and we do some Sinatra,” Forte said.

If the band wasn’t under contract, Forte said he “would have had to think about it a little harder,” given Springsteen’s own comments and the negative reaction of fans – which he said also came with the 2009 and 2013 performances.

“We’re not political. We’re working man stiffs,” Forte said. “When we took the job, we weren’t thinking about this. It’s an honor for us to play with respect to the office of the presidency.

“We’re not playing for the individual – just the office. It’s an honor for us to go down and play with respect for the office, and maybe respect is lost a little bit in all of this,” he added.

In July, they performed in Philadelphia at a party for New Jersey delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Springsteen himself performed at Obama's 2009 inauguration. Last year, Obama awarded the Freehold native with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

MORE: Trump's 'lies' are scary, Springsteen says

The cover band's fans have already expressed their displeasure with the booking: "Seriously though, what would Bruce think," one Facebook user commented.

"Big difference this time around. You know how Bruce feels about the president elect, and still going to go there and play HIS MUSIC, to me that makes a huge difference. NO excuse will make this right," another user posted.

Forte said there has been some support lost in the shuffle, coming from fans who have seen the band before. Much of the negative reaction has come from those who only know the band by name or learned about them within the last 24 hours.

“The people that are brutal are the people who don’t know us,” Forte said.

Trump's inauguration committee has reportedly struggled to book mainstream musicians to perform at the inauguration, with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Elton John and Garth Brooks turning down the invite.

Scheduled to perform at the Jan. 20 ceremony are "America's Got Talent" contestant Jackie Evancho, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the marching band for Talladega College and the Radio City Rockettes

After reports that a few of the Rockettes were upset at the booking, the Madison Square Garden Co. released a statement explaining that individual dancers are not "obligated" to perform.

Individual tickets to the Garden State Inaugural Gala cost $175 to $300, with sponsorships ranging from $1,500 to $20,000.

MORE: Steven Van Zandt says 'Hamilton' cast bullied Mike Pence

Mike Davis: 732-643-4223; mdavis@gannettnj.com