We are seeing Bruce at Madison Square Garden. Such an easy trip. We get off the train and do not even have to go out in the street. Just up the escalator and we are in. We are taking the 6:49, for a 7:30PM start. Bruce is pretty timely for a rock and roll icon-having come out at Friday's concert at 8:27PM. This is the WreckingBall tour. I have a concert prep procedure since the seventies (yes, you read correctly) I get ready by listening to the concert title CD, trying to recognize each song without looking at the song list. I also review playlists from the prior concerts. Now there are many videos online from recent concerts so I can put on a song, listen to it, get all psyched. People have recorded the entire concert from Friday. After all these years, I am one of the few people in the arena who cannot recognize most songs until Bruce and the band are into a few lines. Most people in the audience start singing along after a few notes. I don't know how they do it. Many know every single word of every song. I still mess up Born to Run sometimes. When New York, New York starts playing around 8:20- We know the drill. The band will come out of the hole soon. We are looking, standing, clapping, cheering. The first sighting always gives me chills. As the band emerges, some with arms around each other, my eyes fill with tears. This is a first for me-tears combined with the clapping, and rocking. I have been young with them and now older with them. We are all screaming and cheering and then it happens- Badlands- perfect. We are on our feet and will remain standing for the next 3 hours.
STANDING FOR THREE HOURS
The pure joy that I feel at Bruce concerts is almost spiritual. He almost preaches at times, cajoles us to hope, strive for redemption, urges us to party, participate, appreciate. He works in the new somber songs with the old classics and we love it. Though Wrecking Ball is sort of an angry sad collection of songs, the concert is not reflective of that mood. Bruce seems so young again, playing with the crowd and smiling and teasing us.
Some highlights for me
The camaraderie of the band -new and old -obviously enjoying and supporting each other, moving forward from loss to a better day
Bruce's playfulness-chugging two beers from the audience, some going down his shirt, grabbing and picking kids out of the audience, and an extended body surf on his back through the crowd- longest one that I have ever seen. -check it out-stay with it, he comes right by at the end horizontally.
The old songs-Spirit in the Night, Rosalita, Backstreets, She's the One Dancing in the Dark with his mother-Twenty seven years ago it was Courteney Cox up on stage with Bruce. Friday it is his 85-year-old mom, Adele, way
cute-. How does it feel to be the mother of Bruce Springsteen?
The departure-Bruce thanking each band member as they descend into the tunnel and waiting till he is alone, last one out there-then he looks up and waves to all of us-the party host wishing all a good night till next time
MIGHT AS WELL HAVE SOME WINE
Having a Guinness at Tracks with those who missed their trains -
I miss Clarence, first concert without him but we have his nephew Jake on the sax and all band members engaging with intense passion. It is a transporting evening yet a grounded one. I have smiled so much, and feel so connected to every single person here and that is what it is all about. As I write about the concert, I wish I had Bruce's ability to convey feelings with words. I have always loved his use of language, such a gift. A great storyteller. A little blarney at times to honor his Irish heritage.
Bruce introduced the Band during My City in Ruins acknowledging and calling each one out. Then when done, he turns to the crowd and shouts "Is anyone missing?" Is anyone missing?" We are all thinking Clarence, I am sure all are thinking of family and friends who are gone- as we grow older with Bruce we all have lost loved ones. Bruce asks again, "Is there anyone missing?"
He then answers
"As long as we are here
and you are here,
they are here."
Bruce closes with Tenth Avenue Freeze out- a song which has always provided an interplay between him and Clarence see next video where they reenact C joining the band- when we get to that line "the big man joins the band" a montage of photos of Bruce and Clarence comes on the big screen and singing stops, Bruce points to the screen-give a look while we scream, applaud and yes, blink away some tears, we watch the photos of Clarence and Bruce over the years- as the video ends, the song begins again, all of us singing, a united crowd joining in tribute
"As long as we are here, and you are here, they are here" (spirits in the night)
