Because it’s never too early for Springsteen…

I found a great Springsteen post this morning via The Hype Machine.

Now, I could go on and on for days about a variety of Springsteen subjects – like how INCREDIBLE the setlists have been lately, for example.

But instead, I’ll link to one man’s perspective on Springsteen, and his first Springsteen live experience on the much maligned 92-93 world tour – you know, that tour with the “other band.”

I have told many friends about this particular concert. It was, simply put, the single most impressive concert experience I’ve ever had. Springsteen played for right at three hours (maybe 2:45 if you take away the breaks between two encores), all the while my date-slash-friend held a lengthy and flirty conversation with the two Army dudes from Fort Bragg sitting behind us. But even her betrayal wasn’t enough to take my attention away from Bruuuuce, whose joy for performing has been plenty well-documented.

He sang “Thunder Road” the way he performs it on the MTV Concert album, the way some dude who was older in the tooth would sing it, all the while crying for and laughing at the young twenty-something who wrote the song in the first place. That song is so freakin’ amazing that it’s stunning at any speed, even with the inestimable Roy Bittan laying down some mood-altering organ instead of pounding on that wonderful piano. “Light of Day” was so transcendent that I to this day can even listen to the Joan Jett/Michael J. Fox version and still adore it.

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I don’t consider it definitive, but I do love that version of “Thunder Road” from the MTV disc, a particular version that never is skipped when it comes up on the Ipod.

My first Springsteen experience also came on the 92-93 tour on August 22nd, 1992, the second night of a two night stand at Richfield Coliseum. Both nights were far from sold out, and I was foolish not going both nights.

Bruce @ Richfield Coliseum 1992

Looking back now at the setlists, the first night is clearly superior, but as all Bruce shows are, they were both great for different reasons.

Seeing Springsteen for the first time on that Saturday night in August, my longtime love for Springsteen’s music tripled. And hell, I didn’t even have a copy of the Springsteen Agora show at that point!

Hot rumor that is gaining steam, has Springsteen nearly confirmed to help close down Yankee Stadium with a show in November.

Yeah, I might have to go to that one!

Bruce Springsteen – Darlington County (acoustic)

11 Comments on “Because it’s never too early for Springsteen…

  1. Hey, in the spirit of the Boss, share a boot! Reach back and find something obscure that has a lot of meaning to you.

    Blatant begging. Sorry.

  2. Ann – how DID you miss the show…and two of ’em, no less!!

    Dan – you don’t need to do TOO much begging. I’ve got several Boss shows that I’ve been plotting to post for a while. One of which is actually from this tour……….I’ve been searching for the right time to do it….and your blatant begging might give me just the excuse..haha.

    Either way, stick around….I’ve got plenty of Bruce for everyone’s enjoyment.

  3. Hey Matt,

    Thanks for the plug and comments, and you’ve definitely been added to the “Blogs of Worthy Note” list. Granted, this isn’t quite the same as Amazon’s best-seller list, but it’s the best I can do.

    So funny that your next post is the Living Color of Tracy Chapman’s song. I had mentioned that exact song to a friend in an email just last week.

  4. Since you don’tseem to mind the begging; how about something with “Incident” on it??? I don’t see too many boots with that have that (Main Point is a great one), and it is a song that just blows me away.

  5. if you’ve got Main Point, you certainly have one of the best….I’m not even sure where my copy of Main Point is (more on that in a sec)

    When you asked me about a boot that had Incident on it, I had to think for a minute, because after 3 moves in the past year and a half, I have NO idea where some stuff is!

    I did find a bunch of my Bruce shows last night though, and when I got home tonight, I decided to see if any of them had Incident on them, and I found one that has not only that song, but also one of my favorite Springsteen rarities (later released on Tracks.)

    I’ll throw it up in the next coupla days!

    Thanks for the suggestion!!

  6. Billy – thanks for the add! I’m honored!

    re: Living Colour – a cover of one of my favorite Tracy Chapman tunes…how could I resist?

    Now, I just need a cover of my OTHER favorite Tracy Chapman tune, “Fast Car!”

  7. stop the presses – I actually found most of the rest of my Springsteen shows tonight.

    So you’ll get your Incident, and it will come off something cool that I wanted to post originally, anyway…..but had no idea where it was, until now.

    Now, if I could just find that dang Matthew Sweet show I’ve been hunting for!

  8. No worries – I think I found 98 percent of my Bruce stuff last night, including my “Prodigal Son at the Main Point” version of the Main Point show, which is allegedly the best version.

    I dunno – that show always sounded great anyway.

    I do try to back up my shows pretty obsessively as data files on disc. I’m a nut like that, yet believe it or not, trying to become less of one!

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