Okay, I know I've been a bit of a Bruce cynic on this board - sometimes in reaction to what I perceive as to much Boss devoutness. I've seen him several times, always enjoyed him but still felt people went overboard about him - but I have to say - after seeing him in LA recently, following this tour on line, the many magical clips, tributes, and things he has done - I can't remember ever being as impressed by any artist EVER. His soul, energy, humor, passion, drive, vigor and that intangible power he has to elevate us has totally done me in - this guy is the freaking best - the most vital artist on the planet - the best showman ever - the guy I'd most wanna get drunk with - I just have to say it - and this board helped push me there (great seeing BluzDude and Sweet Charmed Life at the gig two weeks ago) - this guy is untouchable. In my opinion he is just the best, period, ever.Sorry - but that Levon tribute he did pushed me over the edge - we do not deserve a guy this good, at this stage of the game - just had to gush.

Very happy to hear this!
I have had mixed feelings about Bruce through the years but everyone I respect who's seen him this time out has been elated!

It takes real class and love of music for a "superstar" to make the decision to perform to the current level -- and to motivate the entire band accordingly.

God, I hope Bill Wyman is on the next Stones tour and kicks Keith and Ronnie's asses. And while I'm in a praying mood let's have less stadiums and more gigs where the band and the audience are as one.

welcome to the dark side, Chris....LOL

Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and Vienna. Pity that he's not playing my place Hamburg.

As a Bruce fan who has seen many shows since the Born in the USA tour, I expected to "clock in" another show just to have under my belt, and add to my collection of ticket stubs. However, I thought the show that I saw in Buffalo a few weeks ago was simply stellar, far and above some great shows that I had seen in the past. I am especially liking the new material from Wrecking Ball (which in IMHO opinion) is probably one of his strongest releases since the Rising. In concert, Bruce has been playing with different musical genres (as showcased on Wrecking Ball) like Celtic, gospel/soul, and even rap, and making it work together for a night of great musical entertainment (and balanced with thematically powerful tunes). I walked into the First Niagara Center asking myself,how could this guy top what he has done previously? Once again, this fan was blown away. He easily exceeded my expectations (and I am a pretty cynical concert-goer at this point in my life). At 62 years old, the Boss has still managed to take risks and sound relevant. In my mind, that is quite an achievement!

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Sighunt
As a Bruce fan who has seen many shows since the Born in the USA tour, I expected to "clock in" another show just to have under my belt, and add to my collection of ticket stubs. However, I thought the show that I saw in Buffalo a few weeks ago was simply stellar, far and above some great shows that I had seen in the past. I am especially liking the new material from Wrecking Ball (which in IMHO opinion) is probably one of his strongest releases since the Rising. In concert, Bruce has been playing with different musical genres (as showcased on Wrecking Ball) like Celtic, gospel/soul, and even rap, and making it work together for a night of great musical entertainment (and balanced with thematically powerful tunes). I walked into the First Niagara Center asking myself,how could this guy top what he has done previously? Once again, this fan was blown away. He easily exceeded my expectations (and I am a pretty cynical concert-goer at this point in my life). At 62 years old, the Boss has still managed to take risks and sound relevant. In my mind, that is quite an achievement!

perfectly put

Good on ya!

I'm not feeling the intense love quite yet. I bought the LIVE 75-85 5 album and listened to side one.

I wasn't in love unfortunately.

I have a nice Bruce story. In 1999 he came to Boston and good seats were hard to come by. Luckily, a friend of my husband's gave us a couple of tix for the front of the auditorium. Anyway, I have this friend who's kind of a square - I've known her since I was 8 years old. She's one of those people if I met today, I can't see us hanging out because we have little in common. She's a bit of a goody-two shoes. Regardless, we always shared our love of Bruce and fantasized about seeing him LIVE.

My husband sweetly gave her his ticket so I took her to her first-ever rock concert. Bruce WAS AMAZING!! One of the best shows I've ever seen. But I really wanted to hear Thunder Road (one of my very favorites). The concert was almost over and still no Thunder. Then the music started, and he leaned down as he started to sing he made eye contact with me and my friend. To this day, it was one of the most wonderful things that ever happened to us. She still talks about that concert as her biggest (and only) rock n' roll high.
God Bless Bruce!

I've always been a little jealous of Bruce fans; of the connection they feel they have to him. I regret that I don't feel it; not with him; not with anyone else. The closest I've come to it would probably be my lifelong love-hate relationship with the Who.

I don't think Bruce fans feel any more connected to him than fans of other bands/artists. It seems like these days people either hate or love Bruce but I guess you could say that about The Stones too.

"Lyin' awake in a cold, cold sweat. Am I overdrawn, am I going in debt?
It gets worse, the older that you get. No escape from the state of confusion I'm in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-06 23:11 by FrankM.

Darkness on The Edge of Town is a great great album.

Try and get to see to see the "making of" film. That turned me onto Bruce.

He wrote about 70 songs for that album.

It's a great documentary.

I love Darkness but I keep coming back to Nebraska. Powerful, powerful album and so ahead of the pack at the time it was released.

Nebraska is great.

Recorded on a 4 track cassette porta-studio and carried around in his pocket for weeks.

Just goes to show.

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GravityBoy
Nebraska is great.

Recorded on a 4 track cassette porta-studio and carried around in his pocket for weeks.

Just goes to show.

Nebraska's my favorite...can't believe it came out 30 long years ago.

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FrankM
I don't think Bruce fans feel any more connected to him than fans of other bands/artists.

I disagree. I think there is a bond between Bruce and his audience that is not at all like the relationship most bands have with their audiences. Take the Stones, for example. The Stones are all about cool detachment. That's okay. It suits them and their music, but it's different with Bruce. His fans get a more personal kind of experience. I think he makes them feel as if he actually cares about them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-07 02:52 by tatters.

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FrankM
I don't think Bruce fans feel any more connected to him than fans of other bands/artists. It seems like these days people either hate or love Bruce but I guess you could say that about The Stones too.

I think we do, to be honest. I love the Stones and Dylan's music every bit as much, but with Springsteen there's a personal and emotional connection that's on a level that no artist can really match. To some people, that can be a good or a bad thing of course, but with many major acts there's a sense of 'detachment'. Whether its bonafide or not, you cant imagine many people having a sense of 'connection' with too many major megastars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, McCartney, Lady Ga Ga or the like. And even the Stones, for that matter. Although I respect the fact that for many people thats a good thing.

All right Chris,you have seen the light,personally l have been a fan since l saw him live in his 5-night, 10-show stand at The Bottom Line in NYC,in 75.l was blown away,at those gigs,not even The Stones could touch him.
Here is one of my shots:


"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-07 03:31 by ROPENI.

I just got done seeing 4 straight shows on this tour. I've also got a couple of bootlegs from this tour.I simply can't get enough. No silly opening acts to kill time with. No fancy bells and whistles or gimmicks to try and beef up the show. Most shows are in the 3 hour range. His genuine love for performing is infectious. He involves the audience literally and figuratively. Changes the setlists nightly and on the fly. He's also 62 years old and the best live act in the business these days. Period.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-07 03:55 by sweetcharmedlife.

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sweetcharmedlife
I just got done seeing 4 staright show on this tour. I've also got a couple of bootlegs from this tour. Isimply can't get enough. No silly opening acts to kill time with. No fancy bells and whistles or gimmicks to try and beef up the show. Most shows are in the 3 hour range. His genuine love for performing is infectious. He involves the audience literally and figuratively. Changes the setlists nightly and on the fly. He's also 62 years old and the best live act in the business these days. Period.

case close - i agree
and Ropeni - where is your photo book, man? serious - you are this board's bon gruen

Nice and passionate confession hbwriter!

I also became a fan thanks to this board (thank you, Gazza) and I can't wait to see him just in 3 weeks and then twice again in July. When it comes to the live performance, he really is the best. I think the only one who can be compared is McCartney, who is a different kind of performer of course, but you feel exactly the same joy of just doing music and they both do 3 hour shows. And both of them seem just to get better with age.

Steve Forbert is just as passionate and talented as Springsteen, and he must pay for his shows all by himself ....



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Gazza
welcome to the dark side, Chris....LOL

Ha ha. Like John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band?

i like Bruce but i believe he is one of those artists media cannot talk bad about him.
i listened 3-4 times to wrecking ball and i find it a very normal album. after track 6 i find very difficult not to get bored. very weak tracks, when he goes sort -of-gospel is really boring..
same thing happened to me wjen i listened the last dylan album. he had a lot of super-positive reactions and i found it a patchwork of tired and copied songs....

I was never really into him. I remember him coming to Columbus for the Reunion Tour and the Dispatch had a big write-up on him (an entire page in the Arts section complete with color pictures and setlist). I remember asking myself why the Dispatch would devote so much space to this lame-ass "average" musician . . .

I knew in advance that I would have a certain Saturday in 2003 all to myself. I now lived near Frankfurt, Germany and by chance saw that Springsteen and the E-Street Band was playing a show in Ludwigshafen, about an hour south. I thought about it and decided to get a ticket off of Ebay. I thought it would be one more artist to scratch off my list of not having seen.

I was blown away and converted. I had never seen a performer have so much discernable passion for his craft . . . ever. I've always been of the opinion that, no matter who they are, most popular musicians begin phoning it in sooner or later. I've never had this impression of Springsteen. He seems to be enjoying himself every night. Even after 40 years he seems to be performing with an intensity and joy seen only in those still in awe of the fact that they are living their dream.

I've made the comment before that Springsteen is the only artist I hear that immediately makes me think of America and feel homesick. Bruce's music and sound represents - to me - everything that is good about America, even in times of turmoil. His music and his stories make me think of my life and my dreams and my thoughts. They all seem so revolutionary, but really aren't because their nothing more than our own stories. He's telling our stories . . .

Anyways, I don't think I really accomplished anything with this post - at least nothing I was hoping to accomplish. I'm just looking forward to Frankfurt and Cologne at the end of the month. You never know how much longer we're going to have this band around.

E. Duane

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electric-duane
I was never really into him. I remember him coming to Columbus for the Reunion Tour and the Dispatch had a big write-up on him (an entire page in the Arts section complete with color pictures and setlist). I remember asking myself why the Dispatch would devote so much space to this lame-ass "average" musician . . .

I knew in advance that I would have a certain Saturday in 2003 all to myself. I now lived near Frankfurt, Germany and by chance saw that Springsteen and the E-Street Band was playing a show in Ludwigshafen, about an hour south. I thought about it and decided to get a ticket off of Ebay. I thought it would be one more artist to scratch off my list of not having seen.

I was blown away and converted. I had never seen a performer have so much discernable passion for his craft . . . ever. I've always been of the opinion that, no matter who they are, most popular musicians begin phoning it in sooner or later. I've never had this impression of Springsteen. He seems to be enjoying himself every night. Even after 40 years he seems to be performing with an intensity and joy seen only in those still in awe of the fact that they are living their dream.

I've made the comment before that Springsteen is the only artist I hear that immediately makes me think of America and feel homesick. Bruce's music and sound represents - to me - everything that is good about America, even in times of turmoil. His music and his stories make me think of my life and my dreams and my thoughts. They all seem so revolutionary, but really aren't because their nothing more than our own stories. He's telling our stories . . .

Anyways, I don't think I really accomplished anything with this post - at least nothing I was hoping to accomplish. I'm just looking forward to Frankfurt and Cologne at the end of the month. You never know how much longer we're going to have this band around.

E. Duane

Great post

I was a fan since living in Houston, circa '73. He was huge down there and as this Midwest boy had never heard of him, I assumed he was a Texan in the same vein as Jerry Jeff or Waylon or any of those (otherwise country) guys that Houstonian rock-fans embraced. I was shocked to learn he was from New Jersey a year or so later.

I first saw him in August 0f '75 on the a pre-Born To Run warm-up date in Akron, Ohio. It was stunning. I saw him again a month later in Ann Arbor, Michigan and THAT sealed the deal. I became a zealous fan very much to the chagrine of many friends and aquaintances at the time and for some years to come.

I saw every tour ever after, usually on multiple dates, up to 2003. He lost me when he started schilling for political candidates and I haven't been back since. Our "bond" had been broken and that made me very angry. Friendships end however and we'd had a good thirty years 'together' which is a lot longer than most relationships last so I figured, "That's life."

I was interested to hear that he discretely but firmly announced he wouldn't be doing any political support for anyone (i.e. Obama) on this tour. I assumed he was tired of struggling to sell the last quarter of the house in many of the cities he was playing in the '00s as he had indeed alienated a significant portion of his fan-base. Not a majority, certainly, but enough to make his strong-arm deal a tougher to sell to promoters.

Anyway, my wife and her friends went to the recent Detroit date and came back absolutely gushing with praise. The show is apparently slicker now, utilizing more horns and back-up singers. It doesn't hurt that Wrecking Ball is his best, overall effort since the '70s either. The recordings I've heard have been stellar - fresh and unique. The idea of hearing "The E Street Shuffle" in its original arrangement is basically worth the price of admission.

I may just have to check out the fall leg of the tour.

When I watched him at the Super Bowl, I think I got a sense of what it is that his fans get from him. I myself don't get it. I'm not exactly sure what the problem is. Maybe it's his songs. I just don't like most of them very much. When you guys say you didn't like him until you saw him, I wonder, How can that be? In order to like him when you saw him, you still would have had to be predisposed to liking his songs, right?






Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2012-05-07 17:35 by tatters.

I don't know what it is but maybe a lot of his songs were just kind of meant to be witnessed in a live setting.

I'm a really big fan of the Allman Brothers Band and a lot of people don't get them either because of their jamming. The ABB live experience is really where it's at and if you speak to a lot of die-hard fans, they spend little time messing around with studio albums because of the endless live material available.

From what I gather the Grateful Dead was the same. You had to seem them live to get them. Springsteen, albeit a completely different type of music, fits in to this category for me. After witnessing him live, I learned to appreciate his music even more. I learned to pay attention to his lyrics more.

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electric-duane
I don't know what it is but maybe a lot of his songs were just kind of meant to be witnessed in a live setting.

I'm a really big fan of the Allman Brothers Band and a lot of people don't get them either because of their jamming. The ABB live experience is really where it's at and if you speak to a lot of die-hard fans, they spend little time messing around with studio albums because of the endless live material available.

From what I gather the Grateful Dead was the same. You had to seem them live to get them. Springsteen, albeit a completely different type of music, fits in to this category for me. After witnessing him live, I learned to appreciate his music even more. I learned to pay attention to his lyrics more.

I don't know why people wouldn't get ABB. Isn't listenning to some great guitar work is what rock and roll is all about. I really don't care what lyrics are all about. Don't listen to them. give me a great Warren Haynes lead any day.

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andrea66
i like Bruce but i believe he is one of those artists media cannot talk bad about him.
i listened 3-4 times to wrecking ball and i find it a very normal album. after track 6 i find very difficult not to get bored. very weak tracks, when he goes sort -of-gospel is really boring..
same thing happened to me wjen i listened the last dylan album. he had a lot of super-positive reactions and i found it a patchwork of tired and copied songs....

Regarding his records, the only studio albums I tend to listen to over and over again are Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge OF Town, but his Live performance is a whole other story. When we saw Springsteen live a couple weeks ago my wife made the comment "Even the new songs come off a lot better live than listening to the CD". I tend to agree. Live performers just don't get any better IMHO.