It turns out that the route to UVA is one long, straight road. Good to know.
Dinner with Jason Lee and Mick Andersen before the concert was fun. Mick was painfully boring – as usual. ;)
RIP
Danny Federici, a lifelong member of the E-Street Band, died a week before the show. The stories and videos that were shared during the show did him justice.
None But The Old
So I was not four rows from the stage this time – not by a long shot. I was in the Upper Level, Section 310, Row W – about as far from the stage as you could get. The biggest problem was not that it was harder to see (which it was) or that it was harder to hear (which it definitely was).
The biggest problem was that I was surrounded by senior citizens. I’m not being mean, unfairly trashing diehard fans because they happened to be middle aged. I’m simply stating facts: I was surrounded by 60 year olds who refused to chant, cheer, or even sway. Expecting them to be truly hip was probably expecting too much, however; they had just finished surgery… (Ok, so that part was a little mean – but deserved!)
Still Had One Thing Going For Me
I still had Springsteen. In the end, the sound and the audience were secondary. I was still there experiencing the past, present, and “future of rock and roll.”
Everything But "Jungleland"
So I was not four rows from the stage this time – not by a long shot. I was in the Upper Level, Section 310, Row W – about as far from the stage as you could get. The biggest problem was not that it was harder to see (which it was) or that it was harder to hear (which it definitely was).
The biggest problem was that I was surrounded by senior citizens. I’m not being mean, unfairly trashing diehard fans because they happened to be middle aged. I’m simply stating facts: I was surrounded by 60 year olds who refused to chant, cheer, or even sway. Expecting them to be truly hip was probably expecting too much, however; they had just finished surgery… (Ok, so that part was a little mean – but deserved!)
Still Had One Thing Going For Me
I still had Springsteen. In the end, the sound and the audience were secondary. I was still there experiencing the past, present, and “future of rock and roll.”
Everything But "Jungleland"
…was covered in the November 18, 2007 entry.
“Jungleland”
“Jungleland” never stood out for me on CD. It was a good story song, but it seemed a bit dated – not a song I would cross my fingers for him to play live. After the UVA rendition, I’ll consider any subsequent concert in which he does not play it a disappointment.
The power of the moment was the pacing. The song before it was “Badlands.” He worked the crowd into a lather; they were stomping, cheering, fist pumping – willing to spit in the face of anything that got in their way.
Revved as they were, though, they’d also expended a ton of energy. They were ready for something more calm. Enter “Jungleland.”
After a brief pause and clever “Meeting Across the River” transition, the familiar piano keys started up: do, do, doot, dooo, doot, do, doot, doot, do, dooo… “The RANGErs had a homecoming in Harlem late last night…”
For the next nine minutes, I closed my eyes, crossed my arms, and listened. The nosebleed seats, which had previously been a burden, now became an advantage. Others had not had to struggle the whole night to hear the songs; I had. Now, with the arena dead silent, I could finally hear. And, oh, what I heard: an opera out on the turnpike, a ballet fought in the alley, a rasp for “barefoot girls sitting on the hood of a Dodge drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain.” It probably sounds painfully earnest to a non-fan. Listen to 4:05-9:48, though -- through the sax solo, piano solo, and key change. I hope, in some small way, you’re moved.
“Jungleland”
“Jungleland” never stood out for me on CD. It was a good story song, but it seemed a bit dated – not a song I would cross my fingers for him to play live. After the UVA rendition, I’ll consider any subsequent concert in which he does not play it a disappointment.
The power of the moment was the pacing. The song before it was “Badlands.” He worked the crowd into a lather; they were stomping, cheering, fist pumping – willing to spit in the face of anything that got in their way.
Revved as they were, though, they’d also expended a ton of energy. They were ready for something more calm. Enter “Jungleland.”
After a brief pause and clever “Meeting Across the River” transition, the familiar piano keys started up: do, do, doot, dooo, doot, do, doot, doot, do, dooo… “The RANGErs had a homecoming in Harlem late last night…”
For the next nine minutes, I closed my eyes, crossed my arms, and listened. The nosebleed seats, which had previously been a burden, now became an advantage. Others had not had to struggle the whole night to hear the songs; I had. Now, with the arena dead silent, I could finally hear. And, oh, what I heard: an opera out on the turnpike, a ballet fought in the alley, a rasp for “barefoot girls sitting on the hood of a Dodge drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain.” It probably sounds painfully earnest to a non-fan. Listen to 4:05-9:48, though -- through the sax solo, piano solo, and key change. I hope, in some small way, you’re moved.
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment