Jesse Malin told Rolling Stone that he was determined to dance again after suffering a rare spinal stroke in May 2023. In a new music video for “She Don’t Love Me Now,” Sheer Terror frontman Paul Bearer is his fleet-footed proxy, gliding across a dancefloor in a New York club as Malin continues to rehab the use of his legs.
Bruce Springsteen performs this version of “She Don’t Love Me Now,” along with Jake Clemons on saxophone, which appears on Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin, an all-star tribute record to Malin released in September. While Springsteen doesn’t appear in the video, Malin does, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.
The star, however, is the burly Bearer, who schleps into the bar — the East Village’s Heaven Can Wait — to drown his breakup sorrows and tries, half-heartedly, to smile at the woman next to him. Eventually, he stirs his drink and drifts off to the dancefloor, at least in his mind, imagining himself much more graceful than he is.
Director Harry Greenberger — who is also Malin’s longtime guitar tech (“The last man to leave Woodstock,” Malin calls him) — helmed the video, his latest for Malin, following videos for the songs “In the Modern World” and “Disco Ghetto.”
“Bruce captured the soulful spirit of the song perfectly, and Harry took it to a new level with this video,” Malin says. “It means the world to me to not only have Bruce sing one of my songs but also to have so many friends come together for this effort.”
“During the first days of his spinal stroke, Jesse had said he was determined to not just walk again, but to one day dance again,” says Greenberger, who also directed the 2020 feature Here After. “Anybody who knows his determination and PMA knows no one should ever bet against him doing whatever he puts his mind to.”
Trending Stories
Malin, with Greenberger by his side, will make his live performance comeback with two shows at New York’s Beacon Theatre on Dec. 1 and 2. Malin says he’ll perform a full set each night (Expect to hear his new song detailing his struggle, “Argentina”). Elvis Costello has just been added to the lineup for Night 1, which is sold out; some tickets remain for the Dec. 2 show, which features guests like Lucinda Williams, the Hold Steady, Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis, Butch Walker, and more. All proceeds from the concerts will benefit the Jesse Malin Sweet Relief artist fund.
The concerts and the Silver Patron Saints album are just two of the many benefits for Malin. Carmine Street Guitars in New York just announced a new fundraiser via an auction for a guitar built with wood from New York’s Chelsea Hotel.
