Having missed out on his prime years, I started getting into Bruce’s music after HBO aired one of his “Reunion Tour” concerts with the E Street Band in the late 1990s. Did the deep dive on his earlier work, started going to shows on The Rising Tour, and have been to seven or eight since then (lightweight compared to others on here), including his brilliant one-man Broadway show. Even if only for a few minutes while driving, I’ve listened to his music every day for 20+ years.
Favorite songs are “Backstreets,” “The River,” “The Ties That Bind,” “Because the Night,” “The Promise,” and “Brilliant Disguise.”
Favorite concert experience was September 2003 at Fenway Park in Boston, my junior year of college - absolutely perfect fall evening in New England at a historic ballpark enjoying the best live show I’ve ever seen.
Many more, Boss.
He was second on the bill replacing Boz Scaggs who I bought tickets to see that night.
I never heard Bruce before that night but he blew me away with his performance. Became an instant fan of Bruce and couldn’t wait to go to the record store the next morning to buy Greetings from Asbury Park.
Great memory still to this day.
that album (cassette really) was quite literally the soundtrack to my teenage years - drinking out in the woods with my buddies, usually a fire, and a cassette player blasting that cassette tape as loud as it would go and a bunch of drunk teenagers screaming the lyrics.
I went to the SeaHearNow festival last weekend on the beach in Asbury Park and saw my first full Bruce show and it was amazing. 35,000 people singing every word on the beach. I’d typically roll my eyes when others would describe his concerts as life-changing, a spiritual experience, and all the other superlatives, but I’m still eating crowing a week later. It was easily the best concert I’ve ever been to and I’m fully a Bruce convert now and 100% in. I downloaded the show from nugs.com late last week and have been listening non-stop.
Though I doubt I’ll go see him again as I don’t think even his best stadium show would live up to last Sunday night.
Makes sense. I’ve never been against him or anything and listened to some of his music, just never got into it enough to want to see him live. I’ve always respected how he represented NJ in general and Asbury Park and the Monmouth County area specifically.
The 10thAve is from when my wife and I lived in Belmar, NJ ironically about a block from 10th and E Street and this setup honoring him.
Link - ( New Window )
I’ve seen Bruce many times over the years, maybe 13-14 shows. One thing I appreciate is he rarely disrupts the flow of his shows to preach. Last saw him at Barclays with my wife last year, not a hint of politics, just 3 solid hours of good old fashioned rock n roll. When he spoke, he came across as emotional and reflective, as if to share he knows the end is near for him as a performer.
For comparison, I saw U2 in Philly maybe 6 years ago, and Bono stopped almost every song or two to spew about politics. He was getting boos midway through the show. I was with friends who lean both right and left politically that night, and they were all annoyed by it. We just wanted to sing and dance along to some good music, not listen to yet another millionaire private jet flying celebrity talk at us about politics
With Bruce and the E Street Band, my experience has been they just love playing live, and priorities 1, 2, and 3 for them is putting on a great show for their audience
Happy Bday Bruce !
My son got to perform on the same stage as Bruce Springsteen! If you get a chance, go check it out. They book very talented bands.
Bruce did a return concert there (on the summer stage) a little bit ago.
Asbury used to be a complete shithole, but it's really undergone gentrification.
The live version of The River from Live 75/85 is one of my favorite performances of any song.
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put such a tiny shore town like Asbury on the map, along with Little Steven, Southside Johnny and all their pals. The music history there has always fascinated me.
Asbury used to be a complete shithole, but it's really undergone gentrification.
It's still not great. But the area around the club is not bad. Not a place I would hang out in except for the music. I would post pics if I knew how
I went there a couple of years back and made a mental note of the performers scheduled that weekend. Stone Temple Pilots were playing the Pony, Johnny Mathis was playing the Paramount Theater, and there was some kind of Star Trek thing at the Convention Hall featuring a live Q&A with William Shatner. Eclectic mix!