The concert was a good reminder for me about the draw of stadium shows. Attending the concert was a birthday gift for Wonder Boy and it also firmly established that 39-years-old can look pretty good and so can a 65-year-old. I mean, damn. If we can all sport guns like Bruce Springsteen at 65, go crowd surfing and be the obvious star on a stage sporting 16 other outstanding musicians from the E Street Band and Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, then good for us.
One thing I love about big shows is how much leeway the musician has because people are So. Excited. to see the artist. For instance, when Bruce Springsteen played Hungry Heart, the crowd sang the first verse on their own. I’m used to seeing that happen at the refrain or at some point mid-song. But last night people started the song with no accompaniment from Bruce Springsteen and it didn’t matter. I can’t imagine any of the indie rock bands I see pulling that off.
Bruce Springsteen has been making albums since 1973 and the crowd’s diversity reflected the longevity of his career as well as his place in the musical canon. With little exception, people were on their feet for the entire three hour and seven minute show … all 26 songs. Throughout the concert there was a rumble that sounded like a deep “Boooooo” but was really people yelling “Bruce.”
After he finished his closing song, a beautiful solo of Dream Baby Dream, I felt privileged to have attended the concert. Happy to have taken my husband to a show he really wanted to see. And really motivated to start lifting weights so I look as good in a sleeveless T-shirt as Bruce Springsteen.
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| I think the phones-as-lighters phenomenon at the end of concerts is pretty goofy. And looks sort of awesome. |