I have asked my good lady for the new album as a little Valentines Day gift. We will see?

This past Saturday, two longtime friends and I drove to New Jersey to see Bruce and the E Street Band perform in the Meadowlands, NJ complex (formerly Continental Airlines and formerly Brendan Byrne Arena). Seeing Bruce in his native NJ was on par with witnessing the Pope give mass at the Vatican or seeing the Beatles in Liverpool.

We tailgated for a few hours before the game and took in the atmosphere. It was a great time. Then the show itself was the best Springsteen concert I have been to in-person. The setlist contained old songs dating back to his first two records, new material, classics, rarities and cover songs. He played "Glory Days" in the next-to-last encore with a few bars of "Louie Louie" thrown in for good measure.

Here is the write-up on one of Bruce's online fanzines called "Backstreets.com":

Good evening, neighbors!" said Bruce at this second of two Meadowlands arena concerts, "I'm so glad to be in the swamps of Jersey tonight—I'm so glad to be home!" (Despite the close proximity to home, Patti had to miss this one; "I have a young daughter who's on tour also," Bruce said for his "Kingdom of Days" dedication to the missus, "so Patti's with her tonight.") Tonight was not only a homecoming show, it marked the end of the tour's first leg—two months to the day after the first rehearsal show in Asbury Park— and it closed things out with a bang, a serious contender for the best of the leg. An electric performance, with ten different songs from Thursday night and a focus on material from the early days—including no less than three from The Wild, the Innocent, & the E Street Shuffle.

"Spirit in the Night" came out early, but the first real shocker was "Something in the Night"—an audible, no less—in slot four. Sort of a strange transition from there into "Out in the Street," but let's not nitpick, "Something" was just a classic performance, passionately delivered. As for covers, "Good Lovin'" subbed back in for "Raise Your Hand" as the sign collection song, but Bruce again steered the requests themselves straight down E Street. "E Street Shuffle" was Wild & Innocent cut number one. "Cover Me," a perfect fit with themes Bruce has been bringing to the fore in the past couple months, finally got its tour premiere, and "Thunder Road" closed out the requests.

Following "Promised Land," it was W&I number 2, another tour premiere: "Incident on 57th Street." Just a stunner. It started a little fast, but led to outstanding intrumental work at the end, Bruce's guitar solo outro and Roy's piano coda lighting the place up. Several showgoers remarked that, at a certain point during the show, the whole thing just went into the stratosphere for the second half—every band member on it, the current flowing. You might pinpoint that moment right here.

By the encore, that current was flowing through the entire crowd, too—everyone up for "Born to Run," all hands in the air for "Land of Hope and Dreams." W&I number three was an incredible "Kitty's Back," the best in recent memory, with spotlight again on Bruce and Roy, each with extended solos. Tonight really seemed to be about going the extra mile—look to "Johnny 99" as well, which was extended as Bruce and Steve took their time milking the crowd.

Bruce thanked "all our friends and neighbors for their longtime support of the E Street Band," and during the intros we got a "Max is back!" holler, the elder Weinberg having played the whole show, and Clarence got a "Theme from Shaft" vamp from the band. The legendary E Street Band? "That's fucking right!" But of course, there was no way this sucker was ending with "American Land" tonight. "Are you trying to test me?" Springsteen asked the roaring crowd. "The turnpike is closed—nobody goes home!" And from there into a one-two punch, "Glory Days" and a "Mony Mony" that had the whole place going nuts. And just before calling it a night, Bruce again mentioned the wrecking ball coming for Giants Stadium—but not before the E Street Band takes a few more whacks at it. "We'll see you in the fall!"

The DJ at Becky & Frank's wedding reception played a couple Springsteen's songs. It made me think of you Goombah.

Glad you had a great time, goombah.

Last week he played at Hershey Stadium, not the arena that I had earlier mentioned. My friend, who spent time before, during and after the concert said he had his picture taken with Springsteen and some other nonband people. He said that Bruce told them to make themselves at home.

He also said the concert was amazing. Hershey has a noise ordinance after 10 or 11 pm. Most concerts go past that time, so the town collects a $10,000 fine every time the concert goes late. My friend delivered the fine prior to the concert. It's like paying a speeding ticket before you get into the car.

Wow, I think that would have been very cool to take a picture with Bruce. I have heard that he is a very down-to-earth guy despite his incredible wealth and popularity.

That's a nice little money scam they have going with the noise ordinance fines. If they can get the money for the city and use it properly, more power to 'em.

The New Jersey Foodbank was at the show I attended and collected before and after the performance. It was posted that they raised $135,000 on that night alone. I would estimate attendance at around 20,000 people, so that translates into collecting an average of $6.75 per person.

Essentially a year later and I guess I've become a mega fan. Just scored a GA for Lauderdale and seats for Tampa...let Boss Time begin.

Nice, Don Andrew. I'm sure you will have a great time. I assume this is your first show of the current tour? Bruce is mixing up the songs quite a bit on the European leg of the tour right now: http://www.backstreets.com/setlists.html. I would have paid $85 to just see him do "Loose Ends" live in Italy on night two and "Streets of Fire" on night three.

Seats for the Cleveland show go on sale next month. I'm looking forward to it, but cannot imagine that it could possibly top the NJ show I went to on May 23rd.

Going to see him again in October, saw him in May great show. me and my wife are in this picture from May. I have seen him around 2 dozen times starting in 1981. Never a disappointment.

Where are you in the picture, Daigo Mick?


I was listening to a few Bruce songs while running this morning and it got me thinking. He has quite a few songs that have one or more fantastic lines. Here are some of my favorites, would love to hear what others think about their own.

"There's a war outside still raging/you say it ain't ours anymore to win/
I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies in my lover's bed with a wide open country in my eyes and these romantic dreams in my head" - No Surrender

"Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king/And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything/I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got" - Badlands

"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true or is it something worse?" - The River

"God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of" - Brilliant Disguise

"Now I work down at the carwash where all it ever does is rain/Don't you feel like you're a rider on a downbound train" - Downbound Train

"Now down below and pullin' on my shirt I got some kids of my own/Well if I had one wish in this god forsaken world kids/It'd be that your mistakes would be your own" - Long Time Comin'

"My father said "Son, we're lucky in this town/It's a beautiful place to be born
It just wraps its arms around you/Nobody crowds you, nobody goes it alone." - Long Walk Home

"Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man/And I believe in a promised land" - Promised Land

"I'm riding down Kingsley figuring I'll get a drink/Turn the radio up loud, so I don't have to think" - Something in the Night

"You're born with nothing and better off that way/Soon as you've got something they send
someone to try and take it away" - Something in the Night

Yeah, I got "Loose Ends" in Jacksonville last year...didn't really appreciate it until a little bit after though.

As far as lyrics go...boy there's a ton. I always found his transition from the wide eyed and VERY wordy idealism in the earlier records to the simpler yet potent stuff on the records after that very interesting. You can pretty much trace the Asbury Park to Hollywood path and back by listening.

My sig, of course...Lost in the Flood is really his first epic and it's simply INTENSE live. It'd be a dream to get that live, no doubt.

"He tried sellin' his heart to the hard girls over on Easy Street
But they sighed 'Johnny it falls apart so easy and you know hearts these days are cheap'" - Incident

"You're born into this life paying
for the sins of somebody else's past
Daddy worked his whole life for nothing but the pain
Now he walks these empty rooms looking for something to blame
You inherit the sins, you inherit the flames" - Adam

"Tonight I'll be on that hill 'cause I can't stop
I'll be on that hill with everything I got
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
I'll be there on time and I'll pay the cost
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town"

"You sit and wonder just who's gonna stop the rain
Who'll ease the sadness, who's gonna quiet the pain
It's a long dark highway and a thin white line
Connecting baby, your heart to mine" - The Ties That Bind

"Baby there's nights when I dream of a better world
But I wake up so downhearted girl
I see you feeling so tired and confused
I wonder what it's worth to me or you
Just waiting to see some sun
Never knowing if that day will ever come" - Jackson Cage

"Now I don't know what it always was with us
We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind" -
Independence Day

The last verse of Bobby Jean and This Hard Land; I've always thought that Dancing in the Dark was a brilliant song lyrically. None But the Brave also a very sad tune, similar in theme to Backstreets and Bobby.

Tunnel of Love...pretty much in my top 5 Bruce albums, his most mature work and lyrically sublime. It's unfortunate...HT/LT feature a few songs that were squandered in the studio but are saved in alternate performances. Namely...the wonderful lyrics of Real World, a song that ONLY works on solo piano. Human Touch was executed pretty well though...maybe the only song from that period that is as good as stuff off of TOL. Oh, and the '99/'00 arrangement of I Should Fall Behind works too.

"Men walkin' 'long the railroad tracks
Goin' someplace there's no goin' back
Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin' round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin' in their cars in the southwest
No home no job no peace no rest" - The Ghost of Tom Joad

"I don't even know why, I don't know why I made this call
Or if any of this matters anymore after all
But the stars are burnin' bright like some mystery uncovered
I'll keep movin' through the dark with you in my heart
My blood brother" - Blood Brothers

"Now Terry's pop says these kids are some kind of monsters
But Terry says "No, pop, they're just plain heroes" - Zero and Blind Terry

"We're born in this world, darling, with few days and trouble never far behind
Man and woman circle each other in a cage
A cage that's been handed down the line
Lost and running 'neath a million dead stars
Tonight let's shed our skins and slip these bars" - Happy

"Trees on fire with the first fall's frost
Long black line in front of Holy Cross
Blood moon risin' in a sky of black dust
Tell me Baby who do you trust?
The fuse is burning
Shut out the lights" - The Fuse

The Wrestler, Devil's Arcade, Last Carnival, What Love Can Do all great lyrics.

Whew. Feel like I'm on Backstreets instead of the BB.

I am to the right of Springsteen's right hip, my mouth is covered by the person in front of me. My wife is slightly to the right and down, she is giving the boss a look.

Very nice picture DMF. You really had great seats.



TIS

Nothing wrong with feeling like Backstreets, Don Andew! Or, to borrow a phrase: "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive."

I take it that, by your lyrics you listed, that The River is one of your favorites?

My response to your comments: While never having seen "Lost in the Flood" live either, I agree that it's a great live song. So glad it was on the Live in NYCDVD. That has always been my favorite song on Greetings.

I love the way Bruce used to talk about the stained relationship with his father in songs like "Adam Raised A Cain" and "Independence Day," which later evolved into "Walk Like a Man."

The verse you listed for "Darkness on the Edge of Town" might be the summary of Springsteen's songwriting style and his on-stage demeanor.

I think that starting with Born to Run, through Darkness, The River, Nebraska, Born in the USA, and Tunnel, Bruce Springsteen might have made 5 of the best consecutive albums in rock history. Not necessarily the best, but among the elite. Each one of those records was downright brilliant and defining moments, all for different reasons. I would put them right alongside all of the important works of Dylan, from Beggar's Banquet through Exile on Main Steet by the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin I through Houses of the Holy.

Just saw this on Rolling Stone's website:

Bruce Springsteen Playing All of “Born to Run” in Chicago

The story goes on to say that he may play other albums in their entirety in subsequent stops of the tour. An unconfirmed rumor was that Bruce would play a different album in its entirety for each of the Giants Stadium shows.

I would loooooove to hear either the Darkness or Born in the USA albums when he comes to Cleveland (obviously, I would not be upset with Born to Run, either).

Wow, I apologize Longneck. I had no idea your daughter was born on 5/17. Congrats! I don't frequent all of the threads on a regular basis. My sincerest (but late) best wishes to you, Mrs. Longneck, and baby Molly!

No go listen to "Living Proof" off of Bruce's Lucky Town to hear his take on the joy of seeing your child enter the world.

The Boss was in town last Tuesday, playing the Born to Run album in its entirety. It was a fun, energetic show, although I was pretty tired from work going to a weeknight concert.

Bruce played for 3 straight hours. One thing I have been disappointed about from this tour is the sparse playing from his latest record "Working on a Dream." Granted, he has a 35 year old catalog, but this is the first time he has ever played so little from new material. The only downer of the show was the horrific "Back in Your Arms." Probably one of the few songs in the Springsteen catalog I strongly dislike.

Best moments for me were "10th Avenue Freeze Out," "Meeting Across the River" into "Jungleland," a surprising "Pink Cadillac," and the perfect way to end the night: "Rosalita."

Goombah, did you hear about this?

Yes I did. Hey, it proves the guy is human. He's now 60 - he can sluff it off as a "senior moment!"

what does a Jersey guy know about the midwest?

Maybe he wanted to be in Ohio

Mig, he's getting forgetful, not stupid.

He did it last week. It would have been far better if he had done it this week - during the days leading up to the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.

Springsteen sues bar

What a guy. I guess his lawyer needed a few bucks.