The Big Man

It took me a few days to figure out exactly what I wanted to write about the passing of Clarence Clemons.  I couldn't not write something, but I also didn't want to write something you could read somewhere else. So, I am going to write about some of my favorite Clarence moments.

June 24, 1993 - I have written about this show is a past blog post.  It was the second to last show on the 92-93 Tour, Bruce's first without The E Street Band, and the show was in The Meadowlands Arena.  The show was amazing up until the encore and then it went to another level.  Little Steven, Southside Johnny and The Miami Horns had already made their way on stage when Bruce turned to the horns and the band, flashed ten fingers, and started yelling "tenth, tenth".  Southside went backstage as the band launched in to 10th Avenue Freeze Out.  Now, this was very early in my concert going career, so I didn't expect what happened next.  When Bruce sang the line, "When the change was made uptown and The Big Man joined the band", Clarence ran out from from backstage and nailed it.  The crowd went CRAZY!

When they finished 10th Avenue, Bruce said "Can't have The Big Man here without doing this one...it's the Jersey set" and launched in to Born To Run.  I had seen Born To Run previously on this tour, but this was something totally different.  It was transcendent.  Sitting behind the stage, I could see that Clarence wanted his mic turned up throughout the song.  I guess they never turned it up because when it came time for his solo, Bruce walked over and stuck his mic right in to Clarence's sax.  Simply amazing.

January 31, 1998 - Another show that I have written about previously.  Clarence mentioned in a radio interview that he would be playing with "some friends" while in town so it was obvious that he would sit in for the Jon Bon Jovi and Friends show with Bruce, Little Steven and Southside.  While the entire show was amazing, there is one Clarence moment that sticks out.

The band launched in to an impromptu, unrehearsed version of The Fever.  Bruce came out to sing the second verse and by then, La Bamba had tracked down Clarence to come out and sing the part he recorded for the original "he's got the fever for the girl".  Truly the highlight of one of my all time favorite shows.

July 18, 1999 - My first time seeing Jungleland, I was sitting in 9th row with my father on the same day David Cone threw his perfect game.  I remember tearing up during the intro and the sax solo.  When they announced the tour, I remember thinking, I have to go every night in case they play Jungleland, Incident or Frankie.  I am glad I did.

I really could go on and on.  Clarence's sound is The E Street Band.  He was larger than life and had more nicknames than Muhammad Ali.  He was The Big Man, The Kahuna of Surf and Soul, The Duke of Poduca, and The Biggest Man You Have Ever Seen, among others.  While I think The E Street Band will live on, they can get someone to play the notes, but not someone to play the role.  There's only one Big Man.

"Teardrops on the city, Bad Scooter searching for his groove"...he found it when he found Clarence.  Rest in peace Big Man.

JN

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts to ponder...

- I just don't see how this Yankee team is that good.  I know they had a strong start, and the starting pitching has overachieved.  However, the age of the team, the lack of athleticism, the lack of depth, and reliance on the home run to score are all worrisome.  I hope I am wrong.

- That said, Mariano remains the greatest.  I was at a charity event with him last week (more on that later) and two people said that he is a better person than he is a pitcher.  Is that possible?  I just watched him strike out Adrian Gonzalez and it didn't even look fair.

- The Knicks need a new coach before I will take them seriously.  Even if they move Chauncey Billups' expiring contract for a third stud, the fact that they don't stress defense will hurt them in the long run.  Look at the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Bulls have the best defensive coach in the game and the Heat play tough D.  I know everyone thinks that Phil Jackson should come back and finish his career in New York, but I don't see it.

- Oklahoma City vs. Memphis was a GREAT series to watch.  If they can keep that Memphis team together, they will be better than the eighth seed next year.

- I hope the NBA learns something from the NFL and avoids a lock out.  Interest in the game is high, they have bankable stars, up and coming teams in small markets, and they can't afford to alienate their fans with a lock out or strike.  The players can't afford it so the owners will jam them, but it's important not to lose the momentum in place.

- The NFL owners and players can't figure out how to share $9.3 billion annually? Really?  Really???

- I am watching the Yankees/Red Sox game on the Optimum app on my iPad.  Finally, Cablevision got something right.  I can't watch the ESPN or HBO apps because they won't allow me, but at least they gave me this.

- Speaking of the iPad, if you have one, you have to try the Flipboard app.  Thank you Rob Fisher for giving me the heads up on this one.  It's a great app for aggregating your social media/news feeds.

- When my son was born 18 months ago, I started a small baseball card collection for him.  Since the baseball card store is above my barber shop, I have slowly expanded that collection and I can't tell you how much I still enjoy opening packs of baseball cards.  Each pack is like a present.  You don't know what's inside...and can't wait to find out.

- The big trend in baseball cards now is autographed cards and cards with game used memorabilia inserted in to the card.  It's very cool.

- Speaking of my son, his new thing is that he climbs on a chair in the kitchen, goes from the chair to the kitchen table, stands up on the table and tries to swing from the light fixture.  He needs to wear a helmet at all times.

- My wife is a superhero.  She is seven months pregnant and still runs around after the kids, runs the house, and does an amazing job.  I am not sure which superhero...but definitely a superhero.

- The new gig at work couldn't be working out better.  My only regret is that I didn't make the change sooner.  Thanks for asking.

- I mentioned a charity event earlier.  I attended Brandon Steiner's charity event last week.  Brandon and his wife have built homes for children who either have no homes or can't live in their current environment.  The room was filled with athletes including former Rangers, former Knicks, and former and current Yankees who all showed up for Brandon and the kids.  It was a great event, but more than that, it was great to see a super successful man giving back in his community.  Great job to the Steiners.

- I will leave you with this tidbit.  I recently visited The College of New Jersey campus and had lunch with the former president of The College, Dr. Harold Eickhoff.  It had been years since I had been to campus and actually grabbed a map to try and figure out all of the new construction, but it felt like home.  A home that someone has remodeled, but home nonetheless.

That's all for now.  More soon.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive".

JN

A Quick Look Back

Tomorrow starts a new chapter in my professional life. I start at CBRE in East Brunswick after almost ten years at Cushman & Wakefield. I would like to thank all of my friends at C&W. As I look back tonight, it was really an amazing time in my life. It was a time of amazing growth professionally and personally. During my time at C&W, I met my wife, got married, had two amazing children, celebrated a Giants Super Bowl, a Yankees World Series, moved from Belmar to Laurence Harbor to Livingston to Whippany, saw the world change on 9/11, lived through two economic downturns, won clients, lost clients, made some amazing friends, became a Yankees season ticket holder, and grew up a lot. And there were some concerts mixed in also.

The new challenge starts tomorrow. I am up for the task and can't wait to see what the next ten years brings. Hopefully more of the same. Life is pretty amazing.

Tomorrow's theme song: Don't Look Back - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCG0i1z6rRE

"Put your foot to the floor and darling don't look back" BS

JN

Local Heroes

My friend Sammy sent me an email today reminding me that today is the 13th anniversary of the Jon Bon Jovi and Friends concert at the Count Basie Theater in 1998. I wrote a blog entry about it three years ago (http://jn19.blogspot.com/2008/01/13198-come-together.html), but it spurred me to gather the thoughts that have been kicking around my head the last few weeks.

I was lucky enough in less than two weeks to see Bruce Springsteen perform in Asbury Park as part of the Light of Day Benefit and to see Jon Bon Jovi at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville to benefit the Parker Family Medical Center. I thought about reviewing the shows, and I will throw in my two cents. However, what strikes me most about seeing these two shows is that "our guys", meaning our guys from New Jersey, really get it.

Now you can throw stones at Bon Jovi for loving the spotlight, and for doing a lot of charity in the public eye. You can throw stones at Bruce for his politics. However, year in and year out, these guys show up...at home...for some cause or another. Whether it's Light of Day, The Hope Shows, Holiday Shows, or shows for the kids' schools, these guys can raise some money. It's easy to sit back and write checks when you have the kind of money that they have. But these shows aren't just about raising money. It's about spreading awareness, raising money, and having a great time for a great cause.

Bruce shows up pretty much every year for Bob Benjamin and Light of Day. This year, he changed up his set a little bit. After coming out to play one song each with Jesse Malin, Willie Nile, and Alejandro Escovedo (who did a ridiculously good acoustic set), Bruce walked out on stage with his acoustic. While he typically is happy to blend in, it was clear that he was itching to play.

He started out with You're Own Worst Enemy. Now, after over 150 shows, my goal when I see Bruce is to see something I have never seen before. That was taken care of with the first song. From there, it was an acoustic version of This Hard Land and then he brought out Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers and strapped on the electric guitar.

The set was heavy with material from the Darkness on the Edge of Town period, both from the record and from the recent box set. The highlight of the night was, by far, One Way Street. He truly went to another place while singing this song. A soul singer. See for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knWyxAynOnE

At the end, with a stage full of people at nearly 1:00 a.m., Bruce pulled out the acoustic again and led a slow singalong version of Thunder Road (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izPRG0B5_3Q&feature=related). He could have mailed it in, played some stuff that he has played with The Houserockers a bunch of times, but he showed up to rehearse and he SHOWED UP for his fans.

Jon Bon Jovi also showed up for his show. His Bon Jovi tour started up again this week, so he could have stayed home, hung out with the family, etc. However, he asked Bobby Bandiera to put together a band and a show so they could raise some money for one of Jon's favorite charities. Apparently, he has been raising money for the Parker Family Medical Center for about 10 years and he took the time during the show to let us know why it's a cause close to his heart.

It was a nice of mostly covers with members of Bobby's band taking turns stepping forward to share the mic with Jon...or simply take the lead. Jon was gracious to all of the singers, allowing them each time to shine. The highlights for me were the songs Southside came up for. Hold On, I'm Coming (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byo_eTaW1kY) and 634-5789 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yckn6zSZmx0) were amazing and every time Jon plays with Johnny, it's obvious that he holds him in a special place. Seeing the Bon Jovi material in a small club setting was also very cool too. Songs that fill stadiums in a small venue is always a great thing.

So...as I sit here thinking about these shows...I thought it was important to help them pass along their message. Throw your stones if you choose, but these guys are "our guys" and they get it. I am proud to say that they are from New Jersey...and so am I.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive".
JN

Random Thoughts on New Year's Day

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy 2011. Here are some random thoughts to ring in the new year:

- The pace of technology continues to amaze me. It seems that the folks at Apple and Google are some of the brightest, but whoever invented Angry Birds might be the smartest of them all.

- The iPad was definitely my favorite gadget of 2010, but it does so many things, that calling it a gadget is severely selling it short.

- 2010 included the birth of my niece Addison, Sammy and Jen's wedding, my son's first steps, my daughter's ever expanding vocabulary, two fantasy baseball titles, and a new pool in the backyard among other amazing things. It was a great year all around. I have a feeling 2011 will be even better.

- The Giants are wildly disappointing and while they can still sneak in to the playoffs, they don't deserve it based on the last few weeks. The last time I was this convinced that they had to fire Tom Coughlin was three years ago. Yes, they won the Super Bowl that year.

- I have a ton of respect for Cliff Lee taking less money to play in Philadelphia. Granted $120m is nothing to laugh at, but he still left millions of dollars on the table and I think it's awesome.

- The Red Sox got a lot better this off season. A lot.

- How good is Blake Griffin? Is anyone else watching this guy? He looks like he is playing on an 8' rim against kids five years younger than him on the school playground.

- Any news on global warming? Seems pretty cold to me.

- We saw Black Swan with Natalie Portman tonight. Great movie, but my favorite Natalie Portman movie (other than the Star Wars prequels) is Beautiful Girls. If you haven't seen it, rent it immediately. That said, if she doesn't in an Oscar for this role, it's a crime.

- Bruce playing The Old Carousel House in Asbury Park as a promo for the new material on The Promise (Darkness outtakes) was VERY cool. The fact that I didn't get in is VERY uncool.

- The box set for the Darkness On The Edge of Town reissue might be the best thing that Bruce and company have ever put out. The DVD's are amazing and the packaging is wildly impressive. With excepts from his writing notebooks and video footage from rehearsals and the studio, this set really takes you inside the inner workings of how the record was made. Great stuff.

- I almost switched companies this year. During the process, I learned some things about myself. Luckily, they were all positive.

That's all for tonight. I will try to blog a little more often in the coming year. I don't really believe it resolutions, but let's just say I am going to try.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive."

JN

October 1995

It wasn't until earlier this month that I realized that two "firsts" in my life occurred in the same month, October 1995. These two events turned out to be the gateway towards countless others, shaping the passions of my early adulthood. Fifteen years ago...I was 21 years old, a senior in college, with my whole adult life ahead of me.

October 4, 1995 - Game 2, Division Series, Yankees vs. Mariners @ Yankee Stadium

The Yankees had not been in the playoffs since 1981. As a seven year old, I was lucky enough to attend several games that postseason, but this was different. The Yankees had been denied by the strike in 1994, ending that shortened season with the best record in baseball. As the first wild card, the Yankees were providing Don Mattingly with a long overdue opportunity to play in the postseason.

Game 1 was the night before, but because it was Erev Yom Kippur, I didn't attend. I watched that game, a Yankee victory, with my grandmother in my parent's house. The next day, I attended Yom Kippur services, prayed for the Yankees, and then headed to The Bronx for break fast. Jared and I had two tickets in the first row in the loge (second level) and some college friends traveled with us, sitting elsewhere.

We were planning on breaking the fast with a pretzel and a beer, so we waited on line at the concession where we bumped in to my cousin Keith. I am pretty sure this was the first time Jared and Keith. So we broke the fast with Keith who was sitting in the same section, although a few rows back. Andy Benes vs. Andy Pettitte (a rookie) with the Yankees up 1-0 in the series.

The game can only be described as a classic. In the sixth inning, Donnie Baseball hit what would be the final home run of his career. With the Yankees down a run in the bottom of the 12th, Ruben Sierra hit a ball off the wall with two runners on. Jorge Posada would score the tying run, but Bernie Williams would get thrown out at the plate. I remember picking Jared up off the floor after that play. The pressure was intense.

A skinny reliever names Mariano Rivera would throw 3.1 scoreless innings giving up two hits and striking out five and in the bottom of the 15th inning, Jim Leyritz (The King) would hit a lazy fly ball to rightfield that carried over the wall for a two run home run to win the game. Mariano was the winning pitcher. Euphoria set in.

Unfortunately, euphoria didn't last long. The Yankees had announced that as soon as they clinched this series, tickets would go on sale the following morning at The Stadium. Remember, this was 1995 and there was no such thing as Ticketmaster.com. So we had the car packed for days...waiting to win a game and then go sleep out in The Bronx for ALCS tickets. The Yankees would lose Games 3 and 4 in Seattle setting up the deciding game in Seattle.

I remember watching the game in my townhouse at school with my friend Andy. We chose not to watch with a lot of people because the game was big. The biggest of our lives really to date. David Cone started and threw 147 pitches in 7.2 innings. He probably went an inning too long. The game went in to extra innings again and the Yankees went up one run in the top of the 11th off of Randy Johnson. However, Buck Showalter chose to stay with Jack McDowell in the bottom of the 11th instead of turning the game over to John Wetteland. Edgar Martinez won the game with a double...Ken Griffey Junior scored the winning run from first base and I remember Andy getting up and leaving without saying a word.

It took me a few weeks to unpack the car and I didn't watch another inning of baseball until 1996.

October 17, 1995 - The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, New Jersey

Bruce produced Joe Grushecky's album, American Babylon and was hitting the road to promote the album with Joe's band, The Houserockers. I scored tickets to two of the shows, The Stone Pony and the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. The night at The Pony would be my first time seeing Bruce in a bar setting and was only my eighth Bruce show.

I showed up around 4pm to wait on line and get a good spot inside. When I got there, I found out that I just missed Bruce by about 10 minutes! He was there for soundcheck, came outside, signed a few autographs and then took off. While I was disappointed, I was psyched to see Bruce for the first time at the legendary Stone Pony.

I don't remember the exact timing, but if I had to guess, they opened the doors around 6, the first band went on around 8 and it was FOREVER until Bruce took the stage. I was two or three people deep from the stage, hanging out with my Aunt Sandy. We couldn't move because it would be impossible to get back to our spots and it was HOT in the Pony. No air conditioning.

When Bruce finally joined Joe Grushecky on the stage, all the waiting was worth it. While they only played two Bruce songs, it was amazing seeing Bruce that close...having fun, singing back up, and ripping guitar solos. The feel of the crowd, the atmosphere, the music...it was perfect.

I knew that I needed to be in front again two nights later in Philly, but had a class so I couldn't get there that early. Luckily, I made friends with some women that didn't mind holding a spot in line for me if I promised to bring dinner. They were taking the day off and would be among the first on line. I kept up my end of the deal bringing a pizza and sharing with everyone in the front of the line. They kept their end as well, so when they opened the doors, we were among the first in. I positioned myself directly in front of where they would put Bruce's mic on the railing...no one in front of me.

Again, the power of the show was amazing. Bruce was really on fire. One of the Bruce songs played was Light of Day. In the middle of the song, Bruce queued the band to stop playing. The crowd went crazy. The band each picked up their drinks...soaking in the applause. Bruce was really hamming it up. He put down his beer...then picked it up again...the crowd all going crazy. He took a sip, tossed me the beer, and went back in to the song..."Well I got thrown out of work on the Kokomo." I caught the beer and downed the rest (I was thirsty).

A bouncer came over shortly thereafter and wanted to confiscate the bottle as the venue didn't allow bottles in the audience. When I explained that Bruce tossed it to me, he allowed me to keep it. After the show, I asked John Eddie (one of the opening bands) if he could take the bottle back and ask Bruce to sign it. He said he couldn't, but suggested I wait near the tour bus as Bruce was riding with the band.

I waited the near the tour bus. Bruce came out with Terry, carrying his own bang, but wasn't signing for anyone. I asked anyway..."Bruce, can you sign the beer bottle you tossed me?" He responded, "Sure...that I'll sign." He signed the Coors Light bottle, got on the bus, didn't sign anything else, and I had an amazing souvenir.

I have been to countless postseason games at Yankee Stadium since, including the World Series clinching games in 1996 and 1999...and the clincher in 2000 at Shea. I have seen Bruce over 140 more times since October 1995, including several at The Stone Pony, The Tradewinds, and other small venues. Looking back, I still can't believe it was the same month.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" BS

JN

Bonds, Clemens, and Rose

Roger Clemens won over 350 games, struck out more than 4600 batters, won a record seven Cy Young Awards, an MVP Award and is now under indictment for lying to Congress.

Barry Bonds own a record seven MVP Awards, is the career home run record holder with 761, is the career leader in walks and intentional walks, stole over 500 bases and is under indictment for lying to a grand jury.

Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's career record for hits and finished with over 4200 hits, set career records for most at bats and games played, and was banned from baseball for lying about gambling on the game. He was later sent to jail for lying on his taxes.

These guys were the best. Bonds and Clemens dominated the game both before and after performance enhancing drugs. Rose was the ultimate competitor. As an outsider looking in, it seems that they all thought they were above the game. The rules didn't apply to them. Granted, no one thought the rules applied to them when it came to performance enhancing drugs, but Bonds and Clemens haven't admitted to anything and maintain that they are clean.

Do they think we are dumb? No. They probably have convinced themselves that they didn't do anything wrong. To be that good, you have to convince yourself that you are better than anyone else maybe even before you are. Clemens came in to the league and knew he could get out any hitter at any time. Similarly, Bonds knew he could hit anyone. Would they have been as good if they weren't as confident? No way!

So now they are both under indictment. Their Hall of Fame credentials, once beyond reproach, are under question. As an aside, both would have been first ballot Hall of Famers had they never used performance enhancing drugs based on the first parts of their respective careers. However, Bonds saw Sosa and McGwire getting all of the attention and knew he was better than they were. Clemens was getting run out of Boston and knew he had more in the tank.

Here's where Pete Rose comes in. He has the credibility to get these guys on the phone and offer some advice. If anyone knows the importance of coming clean and asking for forgiveness, it's Rose. He should have called them both and told them to learn from his mistake. However, we are now facing the possibility of the career hits leader, the career home run leader, and one of the best pitchers of our time NOT being in the Hall of Fame. I'm not saying if they came clean that they would be in, but they should be based on the body of work prior to the drugs. If it's not Pete Rose, maybe it should be Mark McGwire. He's back in the game (Cardinals hitting coach), and maybe, just maybe, that will make a difference in the way the writers vote.

I am rooting for Albert Pujols or Ryan Howard to hit 800 clean home runs. I hope Derek Jeter bounces back, finds a clean and legal fountain of youth and finishes with 4300 hits. I hope someone comes along to make us forget about Rocket and his seven Cy Youngs. However, with two small words, they could start the healing process that may allow them eventually to enter the Hall of Fame. "I'm sorry". Bonds doesn't seem to care...but Clemens sure done. Hopefully these guys figure it.

"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" BS

JN