189 -- Bruce Springsteen -- Monday, March 28, 2016 -- Madison Square Garden -- NYC

More time, money, and prep went into this concert than any other.  James Porter, my Aunt Mary, my sister, and my mom participated in a Bruce Email Countdown for weeks before the show – just as Hark had before the Bruce Charlotte show.  This group thread finished with 79 messages!  Musically, this show may not have been as strong as Charlotte because Bruce had to slog through every last River track.  Emotionally, though, it was incredible.  To share that many moments with that many important people in my life felt special.

Some of those moments appear in the live blog below…   

--- As we wait for Bruce to come on stage, we snack on my mom’s chocolate Easter bunnies.  My mom shares that she has never heard of Rock Paper Scissors, and we attempt to tutor her.  Oh, Nadine Curley Verbesey…  

--- Bruce’s first line: “Hello, my snow people!”  This was a funny, necessary acknowledgement.  Snowstorm Jonas canceled the original show three months earlier.  Finding out that he “may now have to play a few more songs” made up for it!!  

--- “Meet Me in the City Tonight” is much better than in DC.  Maybe it's NY crowd, the closer seats, or the fact that they now have all the kinks worked out.

--- Bruce begins the album with an earnest, ambitious speech.  Pretty sure Ke$ha does not do the same thing at the start of her shows.

--- “Sherry Darlin’” party.  Aww, NCV grabs my hand and tries to dance -- even though she hates the song.

--- Two acoustic “Hearts” are better than (an electric) one.

--- “Hungry Heart” / “Out in the Street”!!!

--- The Bruce Stevie call-and-response always works.

--- Never knew that he and Patty met in Chelsea.  “‘I Wanna Marry You’ is a daydream about love, a love that doesn't exist…”  Oh!  It just occurred to me the thematic contrast between that and "The River": Innocence vs Experience!  “Marry You” is usually dull, but it’s is so much better this time with Stevie’s soul scatting intro.

--- “The River” itself!!!  Patty doing half, the coos, and new harmonica at the end = great additions.

--- “Point Blank”: ultra moody intro improves it.  Still overlong though.

--- “Cadillac Ranch”!!!  So friggin’ catchy.  James makes a good point: it does sound a bit like Fleetwood Mac.

--- Yay, Bruce is back in the crowd again for “I'm a Rocker.”  The guy in front of us says, “He's 66?!”

--- Best version of “Ramrod” ever since Bruce’s 90-year-old mother Adele comes on stage for it.  They do a mutual booty shake halfway through!!!

--- “Drive All Night”!!!!  Every phone in the arena organically rises and lights by the end.  It’s like there are 18 parts in one song.  Magical.  

--- More wisdom in the half-sung, post-“Wreck,” album-ending speech.



  --- “Badlands”!!!!!  I think I ripped a hole in my shoe from all the jumping.  Six years since I last heard it.  Maybe the last time I'll get to hear it.  It'll have to live on in memories now.  

--- “Brilliant Disguise.”  Mehhhh, waste.

--- Cool Patti Smith "Because The Night" complete with a sickkkk guitar spin solo. 

--- Literally, a TEN SECOND pause to catch their breath before the encore.  After that, four audience members join the band on stage, including his dancing mom, two random guys, and one relentless white-sweatshirt queen.  Incredibly, I wrote nothing for the encore -- through eight straight songs: “Thunder Road,” “Born to Run,” “Rosalita,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “10th Avenue Freeze Out,” “Meeting Across the River,” and “Jungleland[!!!!]”  There was no need to write anything.  Memories of those moments, shared with those people, will last…      

Grade: A+