Max Weinberg Pounds Out the Rock Classics at J Live

April 2, 2025 JMORE Staff

Born to Drum: The "Mighty Max" Weinberg offers his version of the Big Bang theory at the J Live event. (Provided)

The Boss was right. Everybody does have a hungry heart, and a nosh never hurts when supporting a worthy cause.

Last Thursday night, Mar. 27, nearly 500 members of the community gathered at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Owings Mills for the JCC of Greater Baltimore’s seventh annual J Live event.

This year’s J Live – which featured a grand patron pre-show dinner and dessert reception — raised more than $150,000 for financial assistance for individuals and families to participate in JCC programming.

The JCC provides more than $330,000 in financial assistance to approximately 700 families annually.

Headlining the event was Max Weinberg and his four-piece “Juke Box Tour” band, performing songs from the glory days of rock ‘n’ roll.

The 73-year-old Weinberg, of course, is best known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. He also is the former bandleader of TV’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.”

The honoree at this year’s J Live was longtime communal leader and volunteer Myrna Cardin, who was presented with the JCC Bezalel Leadership Award.

A lifelong Baltimorean, Cardin was on the founding committee of JCC Associates, the volunteer arm of the JCC, and served as JCC board chair from 1993 to 1995. She served on the steering committee for the first Maccabi Games in Baltimore in 1992 and co-chaired the housing committee.

Cardin is also the past president of the Baltimore Jewish Council and a past board member of Jewish Community Services and Acharai (now known as Na’aleh).