By John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK - A guitar-strumming cop has found a new gig on Broadway – as Bruce Springsteen’s unofficial opening act.
NYPD Officer Steven Seidenstein, who’s assigned to the Midtown North precinct’s Theater Squad, broke out some “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” for a group of tourists waiting to get tickets to the Boss’ Broadway show – and now, his impromptu performance has a second life on social media.
The 36-year-old Army veteran, who returned from a deployment in Afghanistan less than a year ago, said he was doing his normal patrol about two months ago when he heard a tourist named Alexandra playing her guitar.
She was part of a crowd who had lined up at noon to see Springsteen’s show at the Walter Kerr Theatre, hoping to catch a glimpse of the music legend.
“These people are real dedicated,” he explained.
As Seidenstein tells it, he walked up to her and asked, “Excuse me ma’am, was that you playing that music?” then said, slyly, “I’m gonna need this guitar ma’am.”
He started strumming and she sang along while someone recorded the scene on a cell phone. The NYPD released a snippet of his guitar hero turn on Twitter Wednesday.
“She was actually really a great singer,” Seidenstein said.
The dad of three said he’s been playing guitar on and off most of his life and even got to bring one on his recent deployment. His favorite guitarist is Eric Clapton.
When asked which version of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” he was playing, Seidenstein didn’t miss a beat. The original, by Bob Dylan.
“Dylan is much better than Guns N’ Roses, for sure,” he said.
https://www.facebook.com/NYPD/videos/333090920848198/
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