Springsteen

[DaydreamNation]

Recently unearthed my Better Days cassette and it is PURE GOLD. I can't tell my courage from my desperation...

100% the most underappreciated record in his catalog (assuming you meant Lucky Town)

[Jackets N Pones]

Haha yes Lucky Town! Oops!

Liner photos are awesome. So many good lyrics. I really like "Local Hero." Came across this story while looking up the meaning of the song. Is this true?

The first stanza is about Bruce and Patti driving around a remote New Jersey town. just killing time, as the song says. Bruce spotted a 'Velvet Bruce' (like a Velvet Elvis, but Bruce) in the window of a small store. It was between 2 other velvet pictures, one of a Doberman and one of Bruce Lee. Bruce asked Patti to go in and buy the artwork, since he did not want to be recognized. While making small talk with the salesperson, she asked her who it was on the velvet. The girl replied "just a local hero, he used to live here for a while". Kind of a reference one makes when they are in a hurry, just trying to get you to pay for the object and get you out of the store. Patti laughed hysterically when retelling the story to Bruce a few moments later, as did Bruce. And now the Springsteen's have a Velvet Bruce hanging on the wall in their home.

[Jackets N Pones]

Anyone going to this?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/09/arts/music/bruce-springsteen-broadway-concerts.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Farts

[ericm]

Today is the 40th anniversary of seeing my first Bruce show. 

Holy hell, what a ride it's been. Now it's all these years and shows down the road but I still remember that night at MSG so well. The anticipation, the electricity in the air at the Garden for the third and final night of the run, and man they didn't disappoint.

It was one of those shows you build up in your mind before hand and thankfully it was even better. So much energy on stage and in the crowd, so loud, so much fun it was like a drug and I had to keep going back over and over as so many of us have over the years. It started off rockin' and really never stopped after "Factory". The closing run of the last 7-8 songs just blew the roof off and wiped everyone out. Including a 16 year old me. 

There's maybe a handful of artists/bands that I'm drawn to like that, that just hit a place in my core, (I know many here get what I'm talking about  ) and here's hoping 2019 and beyond Bruce and MMJ are back on the road.

Here's the amazing set list from MSG - 8/23/78


HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL / BADLANDS / STREETS OF FIRE / SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT / DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN / HEARTBREAK HOTEL / FACTORY / THE PROMISED LAND / PROVE IT ALL NIGHT / RACING IN THE STREET / THUNDER ROAD / JUNGLELAND / FOR YOU / CANDY'S ROOM / ADAM RAISED A CAIN / FIRE / SHERRY DARLING / 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) / NOT FADE AWAY - GLORIA - SHE'S THE ONE / IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY / BACKSTREETS / ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) / BORN TO RUN / BECAUSE THE NIGHT / QUARTER TO THREE

[Crispy]

Awesome, Eric! One of these days I'll catch a Bruce show with you, man! Until then, I'll hang on to that mojo you sent along that got me up next to the stage in OKC a while back. 

[ericm]

Awesome, Eric! One of these days I'll catch a Bruce show with you, man! Until then, I'll hang on to that mojo you sent along that got me up next to the stage in OKC a while back. 

 

I hear ya brother, we'll get to one. 

Definitely hang on to that mojo. Bruce shows are always fun but getting a spot like you had takes it to a whole other level.  Hell, anywhere in the building is great, but the pit is where it's at, and elbows on the stage is as good as it gets.  Getting that at your first show is definitely some really good mojo! 

[Shug]

Great recollection, eric!  I'm not a Springsteen fanatic, but reading stuff like what you wrote and this review of the Roxy '78 show sure make me wish I had got to see him in '78 like you did.  I was only 11, though, and that was the year I was hoping to see Cheap Trick at the San Diego stadium with a few other bands I'd never heard of...Blue Oyster Cult, UFO and Pat Travers.  Couldn't get my mom or anyone else to take me to that show, goddammit!  Still wish I was a few years older and had caught the tail end of the '70s...thanks for sharing those recollections!

http://blog.nugs.net/

[ericm]

Great recollection, eric!  I'm not a Springsteen fanatic, but reading stuff like what you wrote and this review of the Roxy '78 show sure make me wish I had got to see him in '78 like you did.  I was only 11, though, and that was the year I was hoping to see Cheap Trick at the San Diego stadium with a few other bands I'd never heard of...Blue Oyster Cult, UFO and Pat Travers.  Couldn't get my mom or anyone else to take me to that show, goddammit!  Still wish I was a few years older and had caught the tail end of the '70s...thanks for sharing those recollections!

http://blog.nugs.net/

Yeah man, Shug, 78 was such a great time to get on board the live show train.

Bruce was coming off a 3 year hiatus/legal battle over his music and hadn't toured since the Born To Run album. Finally we got the release of Darkness On The Edge of Town in 78 along with a great tour.

Crazy stuff that tour as he played big arenas like MSG, The Cap Centre and the like but also some small venues like the Agora, and Capitol Theatre in Passaic. Then throw in the tiny club like show to maybe 500 people at the Roxy and it ran the whole scale of venues. Funny thing is the intensity and lengths of the shows never changed. 

I could list a whole bunch of highlights from my MSG show but there's too many, lol. I will say it was one of my first shows getting cover songs and hearing a Jerry Lee Lewis one and an Elvis one were pretty damn cool to see. I think in spite of seeing a decent amount of concerts by that time the only other cover I ever saw live was the Beatles "I'm Down" done by Yes. Probably a big reason to this day why I never mind seeing great bands do covers.

Funny how little things like that work out and stick with you a lifetime down the road. 

There's some great Bruce stuff there on nugs and I'm thrilled he's finally gotten on board with that and is releasing a show every month. The one from the Cap Theater in Passaic 78 is just amazing. The night before was a live simulcast and I've listened to that boot many times over the years but the recently released show on nugs is about as good as it gets for any Bruce fan.

[ericm]

Bruce today in NYC at the 9/11 memorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f21gQ5yRq9U