OP-ED: Count me as one of those who thought Bruce was over the hill, dated in his musical style, maybe even a little full of himself. After the "Rock the Vote" tour, I vowed I'd never see him again. But my friend, Ed, had an extra ticket for the final-ever show at Giants Stadium. Aisle seat. So much for my vows.
He made several trips into the audience ...singing ...dancing.... even crowd surfing (crowd surfing at 60? He could've broken a hip!)
The "done to death" playing of full albums worked for me. It made me realize how good the songs on "Born In The USA" are. I came in thinking Bruce was really part of our past, and that the diehards were trying to relive their "Glory Days."
But I found myself excited about the songs again. Yes, I was disappointed that, in the last concert ever at Giants Stadium, he didn't do "Rosalita" or "Thunder Road." But as soon as I heard those first notes to "Kitty's Back," I was in heaven.
I LOVE when there is time for musicians to REALLY show off their chops. And their solos were incredible. The Big Man, at 67, with recent medical issues, can still blow!
There was such a mixture of people there -- living proof of how many years this man's career had spanned, how many fans he's collected along the way. There were young kids, older adults -- and if I am not mistaken, I may have seen a walker.
Bruce read the signs people had made. During "Dancing in The Dark," he grabbed one that said "Bald Men Can Dance Too," pulled the man up to the stage and created another silly moment as the two danced together.
Another sign said "Suzanne Will You Marry Me," so Bruce sang to them, then hugged and congratulated the happy couple.
He gave the microphone to a little girl who couldn't have been more than 4. But she sang along as if she'd been raised on his music (probably was).
It made me think of my triplet nephews, who knew all the words to "Thunder Road" by the time they were 3. They would ask me to sing it to them when I put them to bed -- and, of course, corrected me when I muffed a lyric.
He collected some signs for requests, then played the Rolling Stones song "The Last Time." How appropriate. I found myself on my feet again. (For a video of the song from last night, go to: Bruce: The Last Time)
It seemed no time had passed when the fireworks went off, signaling the end of live music before the "Wrecking Ball" eventually takes down the stadium in the swamps.
But wait. A few more songs (or course) and the lights came up.
I can tell the naysayers: "Grandpa Tight Jeans" STILL ROCKS! And by the looks of it, it didn't seem anyone had trouble with the price of the tickets. And when the DVD of the show comes out, we can say were there.
Lynn Paret is a local artist whose paintings and drawings center on rock and rollers through the ages. She has produced a series of "Baby Rocker" jackets with hand-crafted renderings of everyone from the Beatles to Blue Oyter Cult to U2 -- and, yes, The Boss. And like any great artist, she takes requests! So check out: Creations by Lynnp620. And tell her CLIFFVIEWPILOT sent you.
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Comments (4)
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Lisa
said:
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Lynn Is The Best! Hi, Lynn Paret is a "talented" artist and great person (I personally know her), Bruce should be honored to have a person like her take the time to write a piece like this! Bruce, it MUST be true! |
Lynn Paret
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Leave me your comments.. I would love to hear your experiences with Bruce.. Like.. dislike.. ? Good shows.. bad? I am a Born Again Bruce Fan! Register.. leave me your story..Its easy.. scroll down to the very bottom of the page.. and on the right hand side you will see the register.. or log in.. I look forward to hearing form you! |
Susan Mioduszewski
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Great article, Lynn! Although I am a child of the 70s, I was never much of a Bruce fan, but this article made me feel like I was there! Glad you found a whole new appreciation for an artist you once admired! |
Raheem Raheem
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... Living in NJ and not being Bruce fan, (how can that be?) I too was blown away by seeing him in concert few years ago. This article is right on target. This reviewer put the reader in the stadium, enjoying the show as if being there. Please have more articles like this one. Raheem |
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