Happy Birthday Bruuuce!!!

Bruce Springsteen is my all time favorite artist. My family and friends might think I'm a bit obsessed with the Boss.  I like to think I'm just a passionate admirer.  A friend once asked me how I became a believer of  Bruce.  I tend to believe that the Bruce seed was planted in my head in 1985.  My brother had the Born in the USA album and I do remember singing along to Dancing in the Dark and Glory Days. I fondly recall the both of us lip syncing to the song We Are the World repeatedly. It was always fun to mimic Bruce's raspy voice.

   I feel though that the first time I really discovered Bruce Springsteen and his songs was 1995 when I purchased his Greatest Hits CD.  Listening to his hits made me want to buy all his previous albums which I did.  I would listen to Born to Run over and over. When Bruce sings, "Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend, I want to guard your dreams and visions"; Oh how I wished to be Wendy and drive and drive to anywhere but where I was at that moment. The pounding beat of Badlands makes me jump from my seat every time I hear it. There's that verse in No Surrender, "We learned more from a three minute record baby than we ever learned in school"; I wondered how did Bruce know what I was thinking?  His writing captures how I feel on any given day.

    Hearing Bruce's songs on a CD or Ipod is great but hearing them live in concert takes it to a whole other level.  There is nothing like a live Bruce show. He and the mighty E Street Band know how to rock. They put it all out there. Their energy is infectious. There's a moment in the Reunion Tour (1999) when Bruce is "preaching" and he says "I can't promise you life everlasting. But I can promise you life right now." Isn't that what it's all about? Being in the present moment?  When I'm attending a Bruce show that's how I feel.  I feel in the moment and there's a special sense of connection with everyone around me.  We're all there for the same purpose.  I've been lucky to attend 16 Bruce concerts in my life, most of them in Boston.  In honor of Bruce's birthday here are my top five favorite Springsteen Boston shows:

5.  August 24, 1999, FleetCenter. My first ever Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show.  It was overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time. When the lights went down and the crowd started chanting Bruuuce I knew I was in for an experience.  Hearing all the songs live gave them new meaning. A highlight for me was when Bruce sang Bobby Jean, one of my favorite songs.  I didn't want the show to end. I was hooked and officially became a Bruce follower right then and there.

4. October 28, 2005, FleetCenter.  Devils and Dust Solo Acoustic Tour.  Loved hearing Bruce share some personal stories.  I was captivated when he spoke about growing up Catholic which led him to sing Jesus was an Only Son. Brilliant.

3.  October 2, 2002, FleetCenter.  The Rising Tour.  First time hearing the Rising songs live. The Rising is a tremendous song. When Bruce sings "come on up for the rising" there isn't one person sitting. Twenty thousand people standing and singing and feeling it.  Awesome.

2.  November 19, 2007, TD Banknorth Garden. The Magic Tour. (Danny Federici's last full show with Bruce and the band before succumbing to cancer in 2008) I waited in line for two hours before showtime at the box office hoping and praying for a ticket.  I had been at the show the night before and I craved  more. The wait paid off because I scored a seat just ten feet from the stage. I could see the sweat just pouring from Bruce's face. The highlight of the show was hearing the band play Sandy, E Street Shuffle and Kitty's Back; all these songs showcased Danny. It was a poignant and truly special night.
 
1.  September 7, 2003, Fenway Park. The Rising Tour.  Bruce and the band at Fenway. Really what more can I say?  Fenway is like Boston's Cathedral and hearing Bruce at Fenway was like a spiritual experience.  Never before did I feel so present and in the moment.  Born to Run, Thunder Road, Jungleland...that's the holy trinity right there. City of Ruins, Seven Nights to Rock...I could go on and on.  It was a wondrous evening of pure rock'n'roll.

Happy Birthday Bruce.  Can't wait for the next tour....see you on up the road.