Songs Played in L.A. on The River Tour

My uncle John asked me about the setlist over the three nights of Springsteen at the Los Angeles Sports Arena last week, specifically, “What songs were played?” That’s a loaded question because the answer is, “A lot of them.” By my count, it was 45 different songs to be precise! I understand how obsessive this comes off to the non-fan, or even casual-fan, but here’s what was played. As mentioned in my previous post, 22 songs were a given: all 20 tracks on The River album as well as the opener, Meet Me In The City, and the encore, extended version with band intros of The Isley Bros’ Shout! That leaves 23 other tunes. Among those, there were 6 other songs that were staples, and also played all three nights. Those were:

Badlands

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Dancing in the Dark

Thunder Road

Born To Run

And, no, despite the popularity of those 6 songs, none of those have been played at every single Bruce concert I’ve seen, but for this tour they are standards.

There were only 3 songs that were played two nights in L.A.:

Wrecking Ball (not played on night 2)

Because The Night (not played on night 2)

The Rising (not played on night 3, the first time it has been dropped on this tour)

This brings us down to the “special songs” that I’m sure my uncle really wanted to know about. These are the ones that really changed things up from night to night. There were 14 of this variety as follows:

Night 1 (Tues.)

Lonesome Day

Human Touch

She’s The One

No Surrender

Night 2 (Thurs.)

Death To My Hometown (tour premiere)

The Promised Land

Backstreets

Brilliant Disguise

American Land (tour premiere)

[both premieres presumably for St. Patrick’s Day]

Night 3 (Sat.)

Prove It All Night

My Love Will Not Let You Down

Tougher Than The Rest

Jungleland

Bobby Jean (added as show closer for only the second time this tour)

Some other notable stats: Both night 1 and night 3 got 35 songs whereas night 2 got 34 songs. However, on night 2, it seemed like Bruce extended Shout longer than either of the other two nights, to the point where he and the audience were ready to drop, in fact, by where I was on the floor, several did. Time-wise though, night 3 was the longest show, 3 hours, 45 minutes, clocking in at the longest Springsteen show I have ever seen, and one of his longest ever!

Well, there you have it. Those are the song statistics for the historic 3-night run at The Dump That Jumps, the last shows at the Los Angeles Sports Arena ever. This was the first place I ever saw Springsteen. Notably, my uncle John Lynd, the guy I’m posting this for, took me to that show!

Personal Premieres at the Springsteen L.A. Shows

Coming into the three shows at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, there were 9 songs off The River album that I had NEVER seen performed live in person. These songs were: Sherry Darling, Jackson Cage, Crush On You, I Wanna Marry You, Fade Away, Stolen Car, The Price You Pay, Drive All Night, & Wreck On The Highway. If you throw in The River outtake, Meet Me In The City, as well as the cover of The Isley Brothers’ Shout!, then those are 11 songs I had never ever heard Bruce sing live before. It turns out that over the 3-night stand, that those 11 songs would be the “only” new songs for me. Obviously, I say that a bit tongue-in-cheek, because, for any Springsteen fan, having never-before-heard-live-TO-YOU-songs, is a huge feather in your Bruce cap. And, having 11 personal premieres is nothing to sneeze at! That my friends, is the beauty of this current tour, Bruce promised to play the entire The River album each and every night. Thus, to my uncle who asked to hear a bit more about the setlists from last week, I want to start with this post, letting you know that, for each of the three nights, the first 21 songs were exactly the same. He opened with Meet Me In The City and then played all four sides (20 songs) of The River album straight through. This part of the show took-up the first 2+ hours of each evening. He also closed his encores with Shout, except for night 3 when he added a bonus closer. That was only the second night on the current tour that he didn’t close with Shout, but more on that in the next post.

Point Blank in Los Angeles

Point Blank intro., shot of monitor, photo cred.: Josh Kitchen

Last week, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took their The River Tour '16, the 35 anniversary of 1980's The River album, to the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Affectionately dubbed The Dump That Jumps, by Springsteen, his three shows there last week would be the final three concerts at the venue, ever! I was fortunate enough to catch all three shows there as follows: Tuesday, 3/15/16; Thursday, 3/17/16; and, Saturday, 3/19/16.

In a Facebook comment, my Uncle John left a plea for more information about the shows, some comments about the setlists, and a review. Since my first Facebook status update following the request turned into a rather long piece, I decided to post them here on my blog.

One of my highlights from last week's Springsteen shows was hearing the song Point Blank all three nights. I had heard it twice before, once at my first show in 1984 and once in 2000. However, these 2016 performances were better. The intro by Roy was otherworldly, goose-bump-inducing. Also, the backing vocals by Stevie were remarkable, even better than on the record, and obviously, Little Steven's critical contributions were missing in 1984. Most importantly, I had one of those experiences where, even though I'd heard the song hundreds of times on the album, and loved it, it was like I heard it for the first time last week! In particular, at the end Bruce sings "Did you forget how to love, girl, did you forget how to fight?" At least once he dropped the "girl" and asked, in a much more pronounced way: "Did you forget how to love? Did you forget how to fight?" It gave chills. That lyric was so understated on the studio version, even though The River was the first album I remember being captured by (at age 11), I'm ashamed to say I never heard those words! I had to go back and search for them, and they are there in a hushed tone. Live, they were particularly impactful to me because I'm going through a book, John Eldredge's Fathered by God, with my son, Wes, right now. In my favorite chapter, Warrior, the author talks about the importance of fighting, not quarreling or rabble-rousing, but contending, the idea that there are things in life worth fighting for, that a man must protect his heart for noble things. In this holy moment at the L.A. Sports Arena, it all came together, like the huge reveal at the end of Fight Club or Citizen Kane, and I was profoundly moved by the Great Warrior himself (no, not Bruce). I heard the Spirit tell me that I would never become passive, that I would fight! Indeed, I was born for the good fight! In particular, I knew as the song said, I would never become just another stranger in the shadows like some of the weak men I knew, my birth father among them. Most of all, I would, for the rest of my days be my wife, Chrisy's, Romeo, and, in that moment as Bruce sang and the E Street Band came to its heavenly zenith, I knew there were things I would ALWAYS put myself on the line for, my marriage, my family, the junior highers I lead at my church, the troubled youth in my classroom, all among them. I left those shows with, to quote Eldredge, "a great reservoir of passionate strength and holy desire." Unlike the protagonist in Point Blank, no matter what the state of my physical body, I would never ever wake up and be dying, oh, no, not this warrior!

Five Sentence Tribute: Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was the king of pop, a fantastic artist, great performer, and one heck of an underrated songwriter. So, so, so many of his songs make me downright happy:  Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Human Nature, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', The Way You Make Me Feel, Man In The Mirror, and the list goes on. I got rid of almost all my vinyl records, but could not sell, trade, or toss the THRILLER album. I was 13 when it came out and nobody was bigger in the 80s (only Madonna, Prince, or Springsteen come close, but not quite). I am happy to have seen him live in 1985 and was just hoping that it could happen again.

Memories, song, and my dad

Memories are funny things. Sometimes they come back out of nowhere and blindside you, so vivid, so real. That is what happened to me this afternoon. For me memories are extrinsically linked to music. That is to say that so many memories are jarred loose by music. So I was out on a 9-mile run and listening to my iPod and had selected Jimmy Buffett. The day was beautiful and I was in a grove and Buffett was singing:

 "Yeah, now, the sun goes slidin cross the water

sailboats they go searchin for the breeze

salt air it aint thin

it can stick right to your skin and make you feel fine

makes you feel fine . . . "

Grand memories of my dad, Grant Lynd, just flowed in. As real as the beautiful sun that was beating down upon me, as real and fantastic as the legs that were propelling me forward. Tears welled up from within me, fantastic tears of gratitude and love.

You see, one of the most vivid memories I have from my life are those of my early childhood and the weekends I spent with my father, Grant. These memories are both of his place on Ocean Avenue in Seal Beach as well as his condo on Barefoot Circle in Huntington Beach. All the memories have a soundtrack of good music, mostly Jimmy Buffett, Jackson Browne, and Bruce Springsteen. The lyrics I quoted above from Buffett are off his 1974 album, A-1-A. It is my favorite Buffett album. It is my dad's favorite too. I remember that album and specifically "Tin Cup Chalice" swirling through the wonderful breezy beach air and all the memories are good.

My dad had the best stereo system and always played music loud. I was always in awe of my father. Many of these memories stem from around the time I was 11 years old. That was 1980, the year my dad took me to my first Buffett concert. I remember everything. It was at the Universal Amphitheater. There was no roof on it then. It was Buffett's "Volcano" tour. I remember what he opened with, I remember what song he was playing midway through the show when I had to go to the bathroom and I didn't want to miss anything, I remember him closing the show with "Survive" and I remember being deeply moved by that song. I remember the shirt my dad bought me. My father has always been so generous. On concerts for me alone he must have spent enough money, to borrow a line from Buffett, to buy Miami. I remember the deep feeling of love and gratitude I had for my dad that night. My dad would take me to see Buffett literally every year after that for a decade. My dad was so fun! Those Buffett shows were a blast!

But today while I am running, I'm not thinking about Buffett. I'm thinking about Grant. I am thinking about being 10 years old and in that condo at the beach and how enamored I was with my father. He was always so handsome. I remember him working out as Buffett's music floated though the house, from sliding door to sliding door, and blowing out toward the Pacific. My dad would let me work-out with him. He taught me about weights, sets, and reps. During these memories, he was in the decade between his 30th and 40th years of age and I remember thinking how young he looked for his age. He was built. A good looking man.

Funny, I never thought about it much before today, but he was a runner. He subscribed to Runners World like I do now. I remember running past the harbor and down to the corner of PCH and Warner with him. I remember getting side stitches and not wanting to say anything about needing to stop because I didn't want to disappoint my hero. This memory is part of what brought me to tears of joy today.

I started thinking about all the things I have in common with my dad: I'm running now, we both love music, we've both seen Buffett more than 20 times, we both love the ocean, and so much more. I started thinking about all the good things he brought into my life. Love of music, yes, but so much more: love of history and a deep appreciation of education just to name two. He is a college graduate and he steered me that way. I remember how he taught me about bees. I think about how he took me surfing. I recall when he took me skydiving. I see our trips to Mexico in my mind. I am so grateful for Grant.

I'm still running and all these thoughts are flying through my head. In the short time it takes to listen to "Tin Cup Chalice" I've relived every good thing, and there are many, that my father ever did for me. I'm happy.

So the chorus comes around again, 

"And I wanna be there

I wanna go back down and die beside the sea there

With a tin cup for a chalice . . . ."

It all makes so much sense now. I kinda do wanna be there. But, I'm even more appreciative for where I am now! It's my daughter's 7th birthday today and I thank God for her. Part of these tears come not from being a son, but memories of seven years ago today when Chrisy delivered what she rightfully called "the best Valentine's gift ever!" I thank God for making me a dad four times over. I thank God for my father, truly, sincerely, thank God for Grant Lynd. I'm grateful that God gave me sons even though I didn't think I could be a good enough dad for them. I am though. I thank God that I am married and faithful. I thank God that it's Valentine's Day and he gave me Chrisy and we've been together for nearly 16 years.

This May my wife and I are even taking our boys to their first Jimmy Buffett concert. So, yea, I'm doing some things the same as my father did. I look to the sky. I throw my arms up. I'm alive. I feel whole. I am truly happy.

Okay, fine, I'll say it . . .

Best halftime show ever!

Yep, I rewatched it again. Here is my official ranking of all halftime shows in history from greatest to worst:

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
2. U2
3. whatever . . . .

We Are One Concert

Bruce and U2!  I cannot wait for this tomorrow!

A third testicle!

Very good news regarding the new U2 album due March 3rd.  Just read this quote from Bono in Rolling Stone.  He's talking about one of the songs on the disc:

". . . A hundred fifty beats per minute, three minutes, the fastest song we've ever played. We're not really ready for adult-contemporary just yet."

Apparently the Edge spent time during the past year hanging out with and jamming with Jack White and Jimmy Page while they were making a documentary called IT MIGHT GET LOUD and things have rubbed off!

An even better Bono quote:

"He's developing a third testicle, that's what is happening to the Edge."

Okay, the Edge with even more balls is something I can't wait to hear!

You can click here to find out more about some of the new tracks on No Line On The Horizon.

My Lucky Day indeed!

As many of you know, I wasn't too keen on the title track for the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen album, "Working On A Dream." However, this new song out today is amazing! I love it. Also, this video with the cool introduction/making of thing is so totally cool. I'm happy. Click on the link below:

Bruce Springsteen's MY LUCKY DAY

Coldplay Concert

I just got home from the Coldplay concert and I am on another live music high. I must say the concert totally exceeded all my expectations. I was quite moved by the entire performance and I walked away from tonight a MUCH BIGGER admirer of Coldplay than before. I just "liked them" before tonight, but I am now a full-blown fan.

My sister Lori Ann won tickets to the show on the radio station 98.7 FM and the prize included the "Viva La Meeta and Greeta" with the band, we got a group photo, and we got to hear their soundcheck which was extremely cool! Can you believe she was nice enough to take me?! Wow! Even though all these band photos are from the soundcheck and not the actual show, I'm going to just write about the main show here.Here is the set list from tonight:

LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR
VIOLET HILL
CLOCKS
IN MY PLACE
SPEED OF SOUND
CEMETERIES OF LONDON
CHINESE SLEEP CHANT
42
FIX YOU
STRAWBERRY SWING
GOD PUT A SMILE UPON YOUR FACE/
TALK (both techno style)
THE HARDEST PART (Chris/piano instrumental)
POSTCARDS FROM FAR AWAY (Chris/piano instrumental)
VIVA LA VIDA
LOST!
THE SCIENTIST (acoustic)
DEATH WILL NEVER CONQUER (Will singing acoustic)
VIVA LA VIDA (remix interlude)
POLITIK
LOVERS IN JAPAN
DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS
YELLOW
THE ESCAPIST (outro)

I thought that was an amazing set list. I think LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR was such a strong opener. I adore that song and from the very first notes the vibe was upbeat and cheerful. Right off the bat, during the very first song, I loved how the guys joined together and played off each other. It's almost like they huddled, not too spread out. They did this frequently and Chris especially just seemed to be having fun and taking it all in and very appreciative that he could play to us. As a whole the music was quite beatific and it just made me feel jubilant.

I think my very favorite highlight of the night was FIX YOU. I know I tend to be emotional, but this one caught me by surprise as the lyrics just hit me and I found myself eyes closed praying to God and running through people I know by name, myself included, and asking God to fix them. By the time the song got to the musical high point and Chris was sing "Tears stream down your face" over and over, I actually had tears streaming down my face. It was surreal. It truly was a spiritual moment for me.

Honestly when they got to VIVA LA VIDA, that was such a show-stopper that I couldn't imagine that they weren't done. I thought they surely had to end the show after that. It was so fantastic, everybody dancing and singing. Such a great moment.The encore was amazing too. I thought POLITIK was awesome and LOVERS IN JAPAN just brought the house down. I was so joyful during LOVERS IN JAPAN and then they dropped thousands and thousands of colorful pieces of confetti and we were dancing, singing, and jumping and I looked over at my sister and honestly said, "This is as close to heaven on earth as it gets for me." YELLOW as the final encore was perfect. It was so perfect I knew that had to be the last song.It really is wrong to single out those songs because everything was so good.  CEMETERIES OF LONDON and LOST! laid me out and I was struck by the loveliness of STRAWBERRY SWING which hit me as a very Beatlesque song tonight. Chris had me cracking up laughing during THE HARDEST PART which he sang from the B-stage as he added a verse about how difficult it was to see The Jonas Brothers being so young while he is so old. Also during that song I noticed what a great job Will the drummer did singing back-up vocals. Beautiful really. I was also totally surprised that all four of the guys got down off the stage at the Honda Center and walked down the isles to the rear of the venue and then walked up stairs to the lodge area (200 level) and sang two acoustic songs from there.  I have never seen that in such a large arena before.  Totally cool thing.
The sound was amazing tonight and the lighting was cool. They had full on lasers on SPEED OF SOUND for example, really a first class production all the way around. I totally enjoyed myself. It was a treat to be with my sister and catch up and we both danced a lot. I think they played literally everything I really wanted to hear.

Another thing that made tonight cool was that I loved the first opening band.  It was a group of five young guys from Texas called Sleeper Car and I was totally into their music. They reminded me of a cross between Social Distortion, The Jayhawks, and The E Street Band. Very seldom have I enjoyed an opening act so much as these guys.

Now I am very tired, but I am thinking currently thinking about how Chis Martin embodies the saying, "Dance as if no one is watching" as he just skips around and has a grand time. I want to skip a bit more today for sure!

Closer

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VIDEO IS STILL POSTED ON YOUTUBE, IT IS JUST NO LONGER EMBEDDED; THUS, YOU WILL HAVE TO SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.

Here's the official Travis video for CLOSER, one of the songs I wrote about in my previous post. I thought you might enjoy hearing the studio version. Like I wrote yesterday, when the song came out in 2007, I liked it, but I didn't love it. Now, I adore this song. It really touches me. It's from the album THE BOY WITH NO NAME. If the above video doesn't work just go strait here:  CLOSER.  This really is a simple song, but quite the lovely sentiment in my opinion. I do think this is a pretty cool video too. Also, here are the lyrics as well.

CLOSER

I've had enough
of this parade
I'm thinking of
the words to say
We open up
unfinished parts
Broken up
it's only love

And when I see you then I know
it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know
you will be there with me
I'll never leave you

Just need to get closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now
Closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now

Keep waking up (waking up)
without you here (without you here)
another day (another day)
another year (another year)
I seek the truth (seek the truth)
We set apart (we set apart)
Second dance
Second chance (a second chance)

And when I see you then I know
it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know
you will be there with me
I'll never leave you

Just need to get closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now
Closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now
Lean on me now

And when I see you then I know
it will be next to me
And when I need you then I know
you will be there with me
I'll never leave you

Just need to get closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now
Closer, closer
Lean on me now
Lean on me now
Lean on me now

Closer, closer
Closer, closer

Travis Euphoria

Guitarist Andy Dunlop climbs the scaffolding

(photo by Timothy Norris of LA Weekly)

Okay, so it was one week ago tonight I was at the Travis show. Yes, I used the word "euphoria" when I tried to explain that night's Travis concert. Euphoria is a noun that means "a feeling of general well-being" and that is exactly what I experienced at that concert at the Troubadour. I love this band. I have seen literally several hundred concerts in my life and I can honestly say that Travis lands somewhere in my top three shows. Of course, I consider Springsteen the greatest live experience ever and I would put U2 right up there because their live show also feels like a spiritual experience, but I had such a high last Tuesday that I honestly cannot even just say that Travis third. Wes has never seen U2, but he has seen Springsteen and, as we left last night he said, "That was the best concert I have ever seen. It was better than Bruce, it was better than David Crowder, it was better than all the others." Some of the others he had seen were John Densmore's band Tribal Jazz, Stray Cats, ZZ Top, Stevie Nicks, and The Pretenders. We both agreed that the best of those seemed like a joke in comparrison to what we saw last night at the very small club known as The Troubadour.

There is so much to say about the Travis show, but let me just go back to the spiritual aspect again and this concept of a feeling of general well-being. As good as the band is at playing their instruments, for as much as the boys rock, for as much joy as just fist pumping, jumping-up-and-down rock 'n' roll brings, I think what I adore the most about Travis is the wonderful, kind, soul-searching, "I want to be a better man" thread that runs through most of the music that Fran, the main songwriter, has blessed us with. What I realized even more as I stood there leaning against the stage last Tuesday night is that I love writers like Springsteen, Neil Finn, Bono, and Fran because, they connect to my heart, they want the same things I want. Their music actually makes the world a better place.

Bass player Dougie Payne

(this is a photo I took as nothing was between

Wes and I and the stage)

Let me give some specific examples from last night. First, Wes and I were literally pushing up against the stage so when the roadie came and taped the set list to the floor, I could see it. I was thinking I shouldn't look because it would take away the element of surprise. But, being a compulsive person, I had to look. As I ran down the songs there were, of course, songs I immediately thought, "Oh, I am looking forward to that one."

However, perhaps my favorite moment in the show came during a group of songs where I had not anticipated being blown away.

Neil Primrose pounding away on the drums

(Photo by Timothy Norris of LA Weekly)

The reason for this is that I was looking at songs thinking, "That is gonna rock" or "Andy will shred on that one" or "Neil is going to pound the heck out of the drums on that one" or "I can't wait to hear Dougie's baseline on that one" or "Frans vocals will just rule on that song" and all those things totally happened. However, the most important moment for me in the show came as a total EMOTIONAL response, it was an extended moment that laid this feeler out with a one-two-three sucker punch to the heart.

Lead singer Fran Healy comes off the stage to make an emotional

connection and sings among the audience during "Falling Down"

(photo by Timothy Norris of LA Weekly)

What I am talking about is what I now call the "trifecta of desire." I got blindsided by two unexpected selections and then reduced to jello by the triple-whammy of an old favorite that I had taken for granted. The first song that I was really surprised by my response on was a song called CLOSER off THE BOY WITH NO NAME ALBUM. I really really love that album from 2007, and I liked the song CLOSER, but I wasn't blown away by it . . . . until I was standing there and the lyrics blew threw me like a gentle breeze and I realized this was everything I wanted and I begin thinking about Chrisy and then I just felt tears streaming down my face as I watched in awe of the band. Consider a sampling of these lyrics from CLOSER:

"And when I see you then I know it will be next to me

And when I need you then

I know you will be there with me

I'll never leave you

Just need to get closer, closer

Lean on me new, lean on me now . . . . "

I know that chorus will not move you to where I was that night, but at the concert, the song hit me in a very powerful way, so powerful that I cannot put it into words. For me, that performance of CLOSER spoke to my desire to be even more at one with my wife.

Then came the big surprise off the new album ODE TO J. SMITH. Prior to that night I had told Wes that I loved the album so much I had a 7-way tie for my favorite song off the 11-song album: "I loved seven songs and just liked four songs." He asked which four I "only liked" and one of them was BEFORE YOU WERE YOUNG. That is the song that followed CLOSER at our concert and it was the perfect emotional follow-up and it was like I had never heard the song before. Check out this sampling of lyrics from BEFORE YOU WERE YOUNG:

"But even then we're never safe

From danger

And if you ever need me call

I will be there waiting

When you fall

You know I will

I'll love you forever

I'll never say never . . . ."

Wes and I right after the show right at the spot we were watching the show from

As this song was playing, in the way CLOSER had made me think of Chrisy, this song made me think of my children. At one point I even leaned over and kissed Wes on the head and gave him a pat on the back. In that moment the song spoke to my desire to be the best dad possible for my four children.

I was eating out of the band's hands. And, after that, came pure bliss, an old favorite TURN, but even that one seemed to hit me like never before. It was a song about spiritual longing and wrapped up all my desires. Here's a sampling of TURN:

"I want to feel like I felt before

I want to see the kingdom come

I want to feel forever young

I want to sing

To sing my song

I want to live in a world where I belong

I want to live

I will survive . . . . "

It was fantastic. This song was about the desire to truly live! TURN closed out the show on an emotional high as it was the end of the main set. It was pure . . . Euphoria!

During "Flowers in the Window" the whole band got together;

here Dougie is playing Fran's guitar while Fran sings

(I took this photo)

When the band came back for the encore, after two covers, Fran again turned to this type of song that simply makes me feel good. He brought all the band out to the edge of the stage and they sang FLOWERS IN THE WINDOW. One of their bigger hits, the song was written about his pregnant wife. It too filled me with love, peace, and joy. Here are some lyrics:

"When I first held you I was cold

A melting snowman I was told

But there was no-one there to hold

Before I swore that I would be alone forever more

Wow, look at you now

Flowers in the window

Its such a lovely day

And I'm glad you feel the same

Cos you stand up, out in the crowd

You are one in a million

And I love you so

Let's watch the flowers grow . . . . "

Such a lovely day indeed.

Wes and Travis

I'm very tired from a very remarkable night at the Troubadour. Travis put on one amazing show.  All I can say right now is I am experiencing pure euphoria right now. Here's a photo of Wes and the band. We had such a great night. I will be back to write more about this show.  What a night! Got to go to sleep though.

Street Poet

Okay, sorry I've been absent. What have I got for you? Well, just another Bruce post. I cannot help it. A friend of mine recently pointed this out to me, and I quote:
"I swear, Bruce has got to be the king of 'street poetry,' he is AMAZING, his lyrics create an instant video in your head, once which the LISTENER casts and directs-it's that simple!"
Okay, read that quote again, because my buddy is dead on! Funny, but for decades he wasn't into Bruce. Even though he gave me an example from a different song, I want to share lyrics that have been doing that EXACT thing for me. If you own THE RISING album then play the song "The Fuse" right now and listen to it, see what video runs in your head as you listen to the poetry. If you don't own it, check out these lyrics below. What do they do for you? I know that I have a whole scenario in my mind when I hear them. I don't really want to give my interpretation just yet because I will influence you, but here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs:

"The Fuse"
by Bruce Springsteen
from the album THE RISING (2002)

Down at the court house they're ringin' the flag down
Long black line of cars snakin' slow through town
Red sheets snappin' on the line
With this ring will you be mine
The fuse is burning
Shut out the lights
The fuse is burning
Come on let me do you right

Trees on fire with the first fall's frost
Long black line in front of Holy Cross
Blood moon risin' in a sky of black dust
Tell me Baby who do you trust?
The fuse is burning
Shut out the lights
The fuse is burning
Come on let me do you right

Tires on the highway hissin' that something's coming
You can feel the wires in the tree tops hummin'
Devil's on the horizon line
Your skin and I'm alive

Quiet afternoon in the empty house
On the edge of the bed you slip off your blouse
The room is burning with the noon sun
Your bittersweet taste on my tongue
The fuse is burning
Shut out the lights
The fuse is burning
Come on let me do you right

My City of Ruins, my 9/11 post

There is no better way for me to remember the events of seven years ago than to post the above clip from Bruce Springsteen. I remember the day this aired. I remember weeping. This particular performance still gives me goosebumps. It would be about a year later that Springsteen released his masterpiece album called THE RISING on which this song appears. THE RISING came out on July 30, 2002, and I have commemorated every September 11th by listening to the album. I honestly could write a ten-thousand word essay on the album and what it means to me, how it helped me process the single most horrific event of my generation. It always makes me feel more connected to the human race every time I meet somebody who actually gets, I mean really gets, that album, how beautifully crafted it is, how the themes of love, loss, hope, and still loving, run all through it, how the image of ascension is so masterfully woven through it. Honestly, there is no way to articulate what I feel in my soul listening to it.

This morning, over breakfast, Max asked me where I was that morning seven years ago. Much to my surprise I couldn't get through the story without crying again. I feel so sorry when I think of all the sons, daughters, friends, moms, dads, heroes, children of God who lost their lives that day. Thinking of the rescue workers who risked or lost their lives that day makes me want to live better. As I write this I am filled with gratitude. I am thankful for the freedoms and privileges that I have in this greatest country ever to grace planet Earth. As I hung my American flag today I thought of the brave men and women in our military and I am so thankful for them and all those who came before them.

"Come on rise up!" indeed.

Jerry Reed: Five Sentence Tribute

Cledus "Snowman" Snow rules! I mean who doesn't like SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT? If you've not seen THE SURVIVORS (1983) rent it now. "Guitar Man" is one of the great songs ever! If "East Bound and Down" is all he left it would be enough for me!

The Jayhawks - Waiting for the Sun

This is one of my favorite bands of all-time. This video is from 1992. It was shot in Minnesota. If you've not heard of The Jayhawks I say you check them out. So why post this now? My son e-mailed me the link and I just got way into the groove! Such a great record. Enjoy!

U2's Overlooked Masterpiece

There are some songs that we've heard so much we end up taking them for granted. I've been listening to U2s 1987 album, THE JOSHUA TREE, a lot lately and it's struck me just how genius, how beautiful, how meaningful their hit "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is. I honestly think it may be one of the best songs ever written. This group of lyrics in particular really have an emotional affect upon me:

"I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colours will bleed into one, bleed into one
But yes, I'm still running
You broke the bonds
You loosed the chains
You carried the cross
And my shame
And my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for . . . "

I can also totally relate to this line, so much so that it gives me chills:

"I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of the devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for . . . "

If it's been awhile since you've seen the clip of this hymn, then please give the video a look!

Bruce Remembering Tim Russert

This is a real nice tribute.

Underrated Song

The song "Kite" (from U2's 2000 masterpiece, ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND) is such an underrated song.  I will let it speak for itself, but I do highly recommend that you put it on right now and turn it up really loud!

KITE

Something 
Is about to give 
I can feel it coming 
I think I know what it is 

I'm not afraid to die 
I'm not afraid to live 
And when I'm flat on my back 
I hope to feel like I did 

And hardness 
It sets in 
You need some protection 
The thinner the skin 

I want you to know 
That you don't need me anymore 
I want you to know 
You don't need anyone 
Or anything at all 

Who's to say where the 
wind will take you 
Who's to say what it 
is will break you 
I don't know 
Which way the wind will blow 

Who's to know when the 
time has come around
Don't want to see you cry 
I know that this is not goodbye 

It's somewhere I can 
taste the salt of the sea 
There's a kite blowing 
out of control on the 
breeze 
I wonder what's gonna happen to you 
Do you wonder what has happened to me? 

I'm a man 
I'm not a child 
A man who sees 
The shadow behind your eyes 

Who's to say where the 
wind will take you 
Who's to say what it 
is will break you 
I don't know 
Where the wind will blow 

Who's to know when the 
time has come around 
I don't want to see you cry 
I know that this is not goodbye 

Did I waste it 
Not so much I couldn't taste it 
Life should be fragrant 
Rooftop to the basement 

The last of the rocks stars 
When hip-hop drove the big cars 
In the time when new media 
Was the big idea 
What was the big idea