Concert Review: Springsteen Tears Down Jimmy Hoffa’s House

If you bought tickets to one of the other four Bruce Springsteen shows to shut down Giant Stadium, I’m sorry. It’s gone. The building was torn down last night, and you should have been there.

Here's to you Giant Stadium.

Seriously, that was an epic three hour and 15 minute performance; they never stopped playing. Even at the end of the set, the band lined up, took a bow, talked something over for a few seconds, and then Bruce yelled, “It’s too cold to stop playing!” and jumped back into a long seven song encore. Where does he get the energy to run, jump, sing, and play like that? Apparently 60 is the new 16; he has the energy of a teenager.

His stage presence is completely unrivaled by any other performer I have ever seen. He really knows how to play to his audience, and we love him for it (As opposed to that unprofessional jerk, Peter Frampton).

Six songs in, they played Hungary Heart (Am I the only person who always forgets that he wrote that song?). During the song he ran down the stage and started jumping into the crowd. After his first leap about 75 feet to my right, I pulled out my Flip cam and powered it up, just in case he jumped in near me (I was standing up at he front of the floor section). It turned out that his next stop was directly in front of me, and I captured the whole thing!

I know it’s shaky, but the way the crowd was pushing, I was delighted that I kept the Boss in frame the whole time. I even got to pat him on the back (envy me baby boomer women… I never realized he was such a big sex symbol among 50+ women).

The Music

There’s so much to talk about that I will not be able to cover the whole show…

He opened with a song he wrote special for the Giant Stadium shows. It was called Wrecking Ball… want to guess what it was about? It was a fun start to the evening.

I really enjoyed hearing Working on a Dream, it’s been a bit of a personal theme song for this past year (finishing grad school, finding a new job, you get the point).

The performance of the album Born to Run in its entirety was exceptional from start to finish. During the song Born to Run, the crowd which already had a party-like atmosphere, went completely insane; it was quite a sight. However, the musical highpoint for me was Jungleland.

Jungleland was never a favorite of mine, but something about the piano, Bruce’s voice, Little Steven’s killer solo in the middle, and especially Clarence Clemons gorgeous solo sax work made my night. The song made me weepy, and I’m not ashamed to say so; it was a beautiful performance.

He followed that up with a series of songs from The Rising. That album was what originally sparked my interest in Bruce, so it was nice hearing them. Lonesome Day was retooled a bit, and I was ambivalent about the altered version, but it could have been a me resisting change on a song I love.

The high points of the encore for me were Growing Up (I’m a sucker for stage banter, and this had some “grade A” banter) & the Irish rockish American Land (That was foot-stomping good).

The whole set list (and all of Bruce’s set lists are up on his website)

I could go on and on, but it seems unnecessary. The show rocked.

If you are going to one of the other Bruce shows at Giant Stadium over the next week, here are some tips:

1. The field level/ general admission entrance is Gate B.
2. If you have field level/ general admission tickets, get there early to get up close. You won’t regret the time investment.
3. Ladies, don’t bother with the cute, uncomfortable shoes, as you will regret wearing them (Even the people with seats were standing the whole time).
4. It got quite cold. Wear layers.

Going to See the Boss

I went to bed early last night to rest up for Bruce Springsteen tonight.

I’m going with fellow Springsteen fan Mark of JerseyStyle Photography. He wrote a great pre-concert post…

I’ll be back tonight to talk about the show.

The Light in Darkness

A few weeks ago a man named Lawrence Kirsch noticed that I had written a few posts about Bruce Springsteen (All Bruce Posts). Lawrence is among other things, a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen. He organizes what I will call crowdsourced books in honor of the rock & roll legend – He reaches out to fans of Bruce and allows them the opportunity to submit a piece of writing or photography to the book.

thelightindarkness.com

I jumped at the opportunity, but I wanted to do a bit more to promote the book and the concept behind it. I think a book by the fans is an incredible idea.

To spread the word Lawrence gave me a few minutes of his time for an interview:

The Geek Whisperer: Tell me a little bit about the The Light in Darkness.

Lawrence Kirsch: The positive reaction to my first book on Bruce Springsteen, For You Original Stories and Photographs by Bruce Springsteen’s Legendary Fans was overwhelming. I always thought about digging deeper into one of Bruce’s original albums, and since Darkness on the Edge of Town is my favourite album and tour, it was an obvious choice.

TGW: How did this project come about?

LK: I was researching photos for a Spanish collection of CDs last year, reissues of all of Bruce’s original CDs with fantastic new collector books for each album. I was having a lot of satisfaction tracking down never-before-seen photos that I thought the Springsteen fan community would enjoy.

From there it was a natural leap to start researching my own volume on Darkness.

TGW: Why write specifically about Darkness on the Edge of Town?

LK: Many reasons, but if I can quote from one of the fan submissions:

“It’s a hard, hard album with a sound so brilliant, gorgeous and true that there really ought to be a law against it just so we could break it. This is the climax of American Rock. It is tired, ragged, angry, moving, but still spirited. A grizzled fighter with one last bout. It feels like the Okie standing in front of the tractors in The Grapes of Wrath. That kind of rage — empty handed, wanting someone to hit, hopeless but not gone yet.

But there’s still that spirit, a vestige of the youthfulness of Rock still in it. It conjures up bits of Eddie Cochran, Roy Orbison, Elvis, Johnny Cash. It stands next to Tom Waits’ Blue Valentine like brothers coming to the same conclusion through different paths. It’s brilliant and hungry.

Listen with care”

I witnessed the opening concert of the 1978 Darkness tour in Buffalo, the last two in Cleveland and about 15 in between. It still ranks as my top tour and top performance of any artist I have ever seen.

TGW: Who can submit writing or photography?

LK: Glad you asked. I feel that too many fans have the false impression that only those who saw the 1978 tour can contribute. That is definitely not the case. Anyone who is a fan of the album can submit a story.

Whether you heard it first in 1978, or more recently discovered Darkness, we want your stories about how the album and/or live shows affected you. We are also looking for original 1978 photography and memorabilia.

TGW: When is the deadline for content submissions?

LK: July 1, 2009

TGW: How can I buy a copy of The Light in Darkness?

LK: You can visit www.thelightindarkness.com to find out more about the project, order books, or submit content.

* * * * *

Since I am far too young to have been around for the release of Darkness I decided that it was appropriate to reflect on the timeless nature of Bruce’s work:

Darkness on the Edge of Town is a timeless album. Bruce Springsteen’s music in general is everlasting because he crafts his lyrics and instrumentals in such a way that they avoid the trite clichés and trends of most other popular music while still remaining remarkably relevant and relatable. This is why Bruce Springsteen endures, why his music always has meaning in spite of the passage of time. His music isn’t about a “cool riff,” an incredible solo, or even his legendary lyrics; they are about universal emotions. That is why thirty years can pass and Darkness on the Edge of Town endures.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC Presents John Lennon

I spent this evening at the opening of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC’s new exhibit, John Lennon: The New York City Years.

The museum, while small, is a lot of fun. It’s packed with memorabilia that will please most rock & roll fans. The stuff that interested me the most were the guitars. One of Eric Clapton’s Martin acoustics, Steve Vai’s Green Meanie, Kirk Hammett’s Skully, and one of Jimi Hendrix’s reverse strung stratocasters had me feeling like a little kid in Cooperstown.

I also loved Johnny Rotten’s “Don’t Fuck With Chuck (Manson)” jacket; it was delightfully insane.

And Bruce Springsteen’s 57 Chevy was way cool.

Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

As you enter the museum they outfit everyone with headsets. The headphones were Sennheiser PX200, and they were the best sounding noise cancelling headphones I have heard outside of the very pricey studio quality stuff. They had great mids which Bose seriously lack. When you walk in front of a display, music from the artist featured begins playing through the headset – it was a nice touch.

Sadly they didn’t allow photography, so the only pictures I was able to take were by the bathrooms:

Giant "I love Ringo" Les Paul

An actual urinal from CBGB (Envy me for seeing this artifact)

The only part that I found disappointing was the John Lennon exhibit.

It was created by Yoko Ono, and near as I can tell she is famous for three things:

1. Breaking up the Beatles
2. Her painfully bad voice
3. Being an attention whore

Sadly at least a third of this exhibit was about her. Even worse, at some points those excellent Sennheiser PX200 headphones forced Yoko’s paint stripping voice into my ears.

Her excessive presence in this exhibit might not have been as obnoxious if she wasn’t the creator of the thing.

The stuff about John was cool, but far too much of the exhibit was about Mrs. Self-Important.

Wrapped Up Like A What?

I heard Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light” three separate times in three different places yesterday. It launched me into a discussion about the garbled lyrics in Mann’s cover.

In case you don’t know what I am talking about, the Boss wrote the song in 1973 for the album “Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ.”

The original chorus goes like this:

And she was blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
She got down but she never got tight, but she’ll make it alright

The portion in question is, “Cut loose like a deuce.”as in a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe hotrod – Slightly cryptic, but it makes sense, right? Just as the Boss intended.

Then in 1976, Mann decided to cover the song and it landed at #1 on the Hot 100… with a small change to the lyrics.

Mann allegedly sings, “Revved up like a deuce” in place of the original lyrics. However, many people hear him sing, “Wrapped up like a douche.”

I’ve been listening to this song since I was a little kid and even before I knew what a douche was, that’s what I thought he was saying. Listening to the song three times yesterday, I am still hearing douche.

Even in this live version, from 1976, he clearly says “revved up” but I am fairly certain he is singing “douche.”

Anyone else care to weigh in?

Southside Johnny & Bruce Springsteen 1978

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes @ BB King’s

I just walked through the door after a long day in NYC that culminated with a Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes concert at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. 

I’ve seen my fair-share of live musical performances from all manner of genres, and this was by far the most fun that I have ever had at a concert. 

Let’s take it from the top. 

The band was on fire from the first song. Southside Johnny is an incredibly engaging frontman. He changes things up on the spot, alters tempo, lyrics, and regularly brings other great musicians on stage from the audience. This time he brought up harp (harmonica) players Dennis Gruenling to play on a few songs.

Gruenling was a very expressive harp player. He kept his solo’s interesting and never overstayed his welcome. I liked him a lot. (I also hassled him for his business card after the performance, so I will have to look further into what he is up to. Expect more on this guy)  

The rest of the performance was what I expected. The band was powerful and Southside Johnny’s unique stage presence brought the act to life. 

I should also mention that B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is a superb venue. It is small and intimate with great acoustics. I recommend seeing a show there if you have the chance. 

This is the second time I’ve seen Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes live at BB King’s. I saw them a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, but Johnny was sick during that performance and was not quite as energetic as he was this time.

One of the great strengths of Southside Johnny shows is the audience. He used to have a very large following, especially in the NY/NJ area, but over the years he has fallen into obscurity. The fans that show up to his shows are real fans. His love for his fans rings just as clear as our love for him. He puts no barriers between himself and the audience during the performance. I was standing only a few feet away and I saw a couple of people pass him cocktail napkins with song requests on them. 

This was a killer performance straight through the set, but as great as it was, the encore was even better.

Enter Steven Van Zandt (Little Steven) of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Little Steven was a founding member of the Asbury Jukes back in the mid 70s.

Southside Johnny & Little Steven

I honestly can’t remember the set-list but it took them a couple songs for Little Steven to sync up with the band, but once they did it was a ton of fun. 

A lot of the specifics are blurry to me… No I didn’t drink, I was just completely enthralled with the show and didn’t take any notes (mental or physical). If you know what the set list was, I would appreciate you posting it.

The Ticketmaster/ Bruce Springsteen Fiasco

In my opinion, Ticketmaster has always been pretty shady, but this is pretty insane:

http://stereogum.com/archives/ticketmaster-has-always-sucked-but-for-some-reason-people-are_050721.html

I would write more extensively about this, but Stereogum covers it perfectly.

The one thing I will reiterate is that it was the venue that chose to contract with Ticketmaster, not Bruce or any of his people.

I really hope that the Federal Trade Commission can enforce positive change. The best application of government is limiting corruption.

Randy Jackson Rocks the 80’s

Before Randy Jackson was “that guy from ‘American Idol’ who isn’t an ass,” he was an accomplished stage and session bassist. 

"Hey it's the guy who isn't an ass on 'American Idol'"

He recorded with people like Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd), Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and “that no talent ass-clown” Michael Bolton, among many others. He played live with guitar legends Carlos Santana and Jerry Garcia, and for about two years, he was the bassist for 1980’s über band, Journey.

Brace yourself for the all of the 80’s insanity…

Its like two cliche trains crashed into each other!

I have to get myself that jacket.

I wonder if he could prance like Steve Perry?

Well… the video makes it clear that he cannot prance like Steve Perry. How about that hair though? Pretty intense when he’s doing the head-bob; his hair doesn’t move at all!

If Randy Jackson looked like this on “American Idol,” I think I would watch it.

BRUCE!!!!

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! The highest holy-day of the year… at least in my family.

I have no real interest in any of the teams this year with the Jets (J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!) crash and burn end-of-season performance, I’ve been left with no one to root for… as usual. However, I still love Super Bowl Sunday, regardless of who’s playing. 

Super Bowl Sunday is a magical day when family and friends can gather and celebrate by consuming absurd amounts of food, football and advertisements. What’s not to love?

This Super Bowl Sunday is a bit more special than past ones because Bruce Springsteen will be rocking out during the halftime show. I’m not a dyed in the wool Springsteen fan like some… but he’s been doing some amazing studio and live work lately, and I have nothing but respect for the guy for that. 

Bruce’s latest album, Working on a Dream, hit store shelves last Tuesday, and it rocks!

I am particularly fond of the opening track, Outlaw Pete. Something about it just reached out and gabbed me on my first listen (which is rare on a Springsteen album for me, usually I have to listen to him a few times before I really start feeling it). 

Other noteworthy tracks are, My Lucky Day, Working on a Dream, the delightfully bluesy Good Eye, Life Itself (Which reminds me of some of the finest tracks off of The Rising (2002), and the radio-friendly, folk-pop, movie soundtrack hit – the Wrestler.  

Most of the songs are strong, but some of them tend to sound a bit alike… and then there is Queen of the Supermarket, which I just don’t get. But old Bruce has written a lot of songs and covered a lot of ground over the years, I won’t fault him for looking for his muse in an odd place every once in a while. 

I love this picture - Bruce Springsteen performs in a concert Sunday night, July 27, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

The album is a strong addition to the Bruce Springsteen catalog and further proof that aging rockers can still create inspired works of art. 

I’m looking forward to delectable food, amazing friends, a good game, and some topnotch Jersey rock. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

My Musical Journey – Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love Metal

Music is extremely important to me and has been as far back as I can remember.

My first musical love was the “Sesame Jamboree” cassette (remember cassettes?) that didn’t leave the tape deck in my mother’s car for years. When I was four or five, my parents were so sick of it they desperately tried playing anything and everything to see if I would respond to something else. What I found was Eric Clapton.

I still remember hearing Layla for the first time. I don’t remember the first half of the song, but I remember when the instrumental kicked in. I didn’t know anything about music, I just knew that that was the prettiest thing I had ever heard in my life. I’ve been a diehard Clapton fan ever since.

After finding Clapton, the rest of the classic rock catalogue just kind fell into place. Billy Joel, Elton John, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jackson Browne, the Eagles, the Allman Brother, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Pink Floyd (especially Pink Floyd), the list can go on and on.

That’s what I listened to until I went to college and discovered the blues – a natural offshoot of my love of Clapton and his brand of electric blues-rock. BB King, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Robert Johnson, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, (early) Fleetwood Mac, and so many obscure or local performers found their way into my ears. The soulfulness of blues just hit me in the heart and spoke to me on a level that after years of trying, I still cannot articulate.

That’s when I decided it was time to learn to play guitar. I needed to find a more intimate way to interact with music. Listening wasn’t enough anymore.

I realized that there was a world full of music that I was missing. I found jazz, indie rock, and all manner of international acts with the help of some friends.

Somewhere along the way I found metal. As a genre I loathed it for so many years. It was angry, aggressive, distorted, and mechanical. Classical music set to lyrics and pumped full of technology and rage. I saw nothing redeemable about it at all. Then a friend introduced me to a band called Dream Theater. These guys are arguably the pound-for-pound most talented collection of musicians to ever work consistently in a single band.

Their progressive metal spanned everything from ultra heavy thrash songs to slow, undistorted or barely distorted ballads. Their music is so complicated, but it still has so much soul. I listened to them on occasion, until the night I saw them live. During the show they played the song “The Spirit Carrie On.” I had never heard it before that night, but it hit me the same way Layla did when I was a little kid – I could barely breath. That was the moment that I realized what I was missing.

I started listening to Iron Maiden, Dragon Force, and Metallica and found a whole new world of music that spoke to me. This music spoke in a different way than previous genres. If blues speaks to my heart and soul, metal speaks to my mind. The complexity and anger doesn’t make me angry, it makes me think – hard.

I’m not sure if this post has a real purpose… I’ve just been in a very introspective mood.

If I’m going to make a point, I guess it’s listen to more music. I mean really listen to it. You never know what you will find in a genre that you thought you couldn’t stand. You may still dislike it – I’m still unable to find anything I enjoy in disco and techno, but I found some decent country music (which I never thought I would be able to do).

I think the other point here is to just say “thank you” to everyone who has brought new music into my life. There are so many of you out there and I think you should know how profoundly you have affected me. 

… And “thank you” to anyone who has read through this bit of reflective writing. I tomorrow I will be back to more “normal” Geek Whisperer content.