It's great to catch up with old friends. It's even better when they have new children that they bring along. Today, I was lucky enough to have a house full of friends and kids and it was great.
Ken and Carrie along with their five month old son Owen were on their way to a bbq in Northern NJ and stopped by on their way. Soon after they arrived, the Ira and Aly walked over from next door and Abby and Noah. Not too long after, Andy and Lisa arrived with Will and their baby girl, Ellie. All the while, my nephews Nicholas and Anthony were helping with the food and with Avery as they stayed over last night. At one point, it was eight adults and eight kids in the house.
We hung out, ate, played outside, played inside, and just caught up. It was abundantly obvious that my friends are enjoying being parents as much as I am. At the end of the day, I thought about just how long I have been friends with Ken, Andy and Ira. Ken and I met in 1992 as we lived in the same dorms and had some classes together. He had a Bruce concert shirt that he wore, so we hit off immediately. Andy and I met in 1993, his freshman year, my sophomore year as Joe Lewin told me that Andy had some Bruce bootlegs that he might let me borrow so I could copy them. Ira and I went to Israel together in the winter of my junior year 1994/1995, which was his senior year. I don't normally quote the Grateful Dead, but..."What a long strange trip it's been."
To still be friends with people 14, 15, 16 years later...it's very special. That we are all in the same place in our lives right now, married with small children, certainly makes it easy to relate to what each other is going through.
Later in the day, my sister Sari and brother-in-law Jeff came over for dinner. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Sari is pregnant. She and Christine spend time talking about pregnancy and parenting. I am really excited in a lot of ways, but I am very much looking forward to Sari and Jeff joining the parenthood club.
Five years ago tonight I was at Giants Stadium for the 10th Bruce show at Giants Stadium. I attended all 10, and many more that summer. I went with Ira. After the show, Ira went home to his wife and daughter. I went straight down the shore...it was the last night ever at The Tradewinds. I started drinking immediately as I was crashing locally. I was on stage with Brian Kirk and the Jirks as the last song ended and spent the rest of the night drinking on the beach. While I am still attending Bruce shows, I couldn't be further from that place in my life right now. I wouldn't change it for anything...and if I had to bet, neither would Ken, Andy, or Ira.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Amazing Happenings
Some might think that with the end of the Bruce tour and the apparent demise of the Yankees season that I might have the end of summer blues. NOT SO! There are some amazing happenings to report, so I am happy to share...
MY SISTER SARI IS PREGNANT! My brother-in-law Jeff and sister Sari are expecting their first child which is due April 11, 2009. I can't welcome them in to the best club I have ever been lucky enough to be a member of. Parenthood. They are both truly two of my favorite people and I couldn't be happier for them and my entire family.
While everything after that is completely secondary, there is one other piece of good news. The basement project is finally done in my house. We started the project a few months ago, and I could not be happier with the outcome. All of the credit goes to my wife Christine as she picked everything except the TV. The general contractor was Steve Garguilo of Garguilo Builders and he did an amazing job. This week, The Media Room of Montville installed the TV, surround sound, etc. They also did a tremendous job in designing the set up, recommending the TV, and executing the plan. Christine is calling it The Man Cave, so if I am missing, you can look for me there.
And if that wasn't enough, Avery is getting cuter and cuter every day. She's crawling now so she is all over the place, but loves to smile and clap her hands. She's just amazing!
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!"
JN
MY SISTER SARI IS PREGNANT! My brother-in-law Jeff and sister Sari are expecting their first child which is due April 11, 2009. I can't welcome them in to the best club I have ever been lucky enough to be a member of. Parenthood. They are both truly two of my favorite people and I couldn't be happier for them and my entire family.
While everything after that is completely secondary, there is one other piece of good news. The basement project is finally done in my house. We started the project a few months ago, and I could not be happier with the outcome. All of the credit goes to my wife Christine as she picked everything except the TV. The general contractor was Steve Garguilo of Garguilo Builders and he did an amazing job. This week, The Media Room of Montville installed the TV, surround sound, etc. They also did a tremendous job in designing the set up, recommending the TV, and executing the plan. Christine is calling it The Man Cave, so if I am missing, you can look for me there.
And if that wasn't enough, Avery is getting cuter and cuter every day. She's crawling now so she is all over the place, but loves to smile and clap her hands. She's just amazing!
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive!"
JN
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Random thoughts...
Just a few thoughts...
- It's good to know that when things are tough, Hank Steinbrenner will give up and make excuses. Of course, he said he is not giving up on 2008, but when you are looking ahead to next season with over 25% of this season left, what does that say to the fan base? Here's one of the quotes, "We're going to win it next year. If we need to add a top veteran pitcher, we'll do that. We'll do whatever we need to do. Next year we'll be extremely dangerous." Does that mean that I shouldn't watch or go to any more games this year? Will I get a refund from Hank for the remaining games? Maybe he should take a page out of his father's book and try to inspire the team...not make excuses for them.
- Has anyone noticed that Joe Torre's Dodgers are pretty much tied for first place in the NL West? Looks like I might have a rooting interest in October after all. Somehow, I think Joe would have had the Yankees in the hunt this year...or at least playing with some heart. Heck...he got Manny to cut his hair. The guy can do anything.
- Today marked the end of an era. WFAN officially announced that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo will be released from his contract. There will be no last show. Mike and The Mad Dog are officially over. Mad Dog is rumored to be heading to Sirius, while Mike might be looking for a new partner. While I know that they haven't been getting along, after 19 years, they should have had one last hurrah.
- Brett Favre's a Jet, which is great news for the Giants. Nothing like winning the Super Bowl and being under the radar in your own city.
- Good luck to Michael Phelps. Six down...two to go.
That's all for this week. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
- It's good to know that when things are tough, Hank Steinbrenner will give up and make excuses. Of course, he said he is not giving up on 2008, but when you are looking ahead to next season with over 25% of this season left, what does that say to the fan base? Here's one of the quotes, "We're going to win it next year. If we need to add a top veteran pitcher, we'll do that. We'll do whatever we need to do. Next year we'll be extremely dangerous." Does that mean that I shouldn't watch or go to any more games this year? Will I get a refund from Hank for the remaining games? Maybe he should take a page out of his father's book and try to inspire the team...not make excuses for them.
- Has anyone noticed that Joe Torre's Dodgers are pretty much tied for first place in the NL West? Looks like I might have a rooting interest in October after all. Somehow, I think Joe would have had the Yankees in the hunt this year...or at least playing with some heart. Heck...he got Manny to cut his hair. The guy can do anything.
- Today marked the end of an era. WFAN officially announced that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo will be released from his contract. There will be no last show. Mike and The Mad Dog are officially over. Mad Dog is rumored to be heading to Sirius, while Mike might be looking for a new partner. While I know that they haven't been getting along, after 19 years, they should have had one last hurrah.
- Brett Favre's a Jet, which is great news for the Giants. Nothing like winning the Super Bowl and being under the radar in your own city.
- Good luck to Michael Phelps. Six down...two to go.
That's all for this week. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Summertime Bruce
There are certain things that, for me, are just right. My daughter taking a nap on my lap, October baseball in the Bronx, Friday night dinners at my parents' house, and Bruce in the summertime. Some would argue that for me, any time is a good time for Bruce. However, there is something special about the summertime. Bruce played Giants Stadium three times this week, perhaps for the last time.
First, let me talk about the tailgate. Because of the construction of the new Giants Stadium, the parking lots have been reconfigured in the last year, forcing us to move our tailgate from Lot 17A to Lot 18C for Giants games, and for Bruce shows also. We tailgated Sunday and Thursday...and took Monday off. I have to work sometimes...right? The attendance for the tailgates was stellar. It was a great mix of people I see often, people I don't see enough, people I just see at Bruce shows, and people I haven't seen in a long time. The roll call for both Sunday and Thursday included my sister Sari, brother-in-law Jeffrey, Dave and Jodi Katz, Spider, Fresh, Greg S, Jeff Koko, and my partner in crime for Bruce...Sammy. It was also great to see Greg V. and his new wife, the rest of the Koko Family, the Nugget King Rob Fisher, Gordon, Greg, Jen C and her 8+ month pregnant sister Adrienne, Back Nine Schein, and of course, Beckerman. If I missed anyone...I am sorry...but I am typing pretty late. The menu was WindMill hot dogs, burgers, a special recipe of bites of a steaks that Spider likes to call Steak Tips, and of course....a lot of cold beer.
The tailgates started at 3:30 both days and lasted until about 8. Great weather, great food, great friends, and great music. Oh by the way...afterwards, there were concerts.
As for the shows, they were tremendous. I can't really judge which of the three I enjoyed more. One didn't stand out from the rest like some of the other epic stands. Of the 55,000 people there each night, I am confident that no one had a better time than me. Some might have had an equally good time, like my sister Sari on Thursday, but no one had a better time. Over the course of the three nights, Bruce played 53 different songs. Each show was over 3 hours, and there was a great mix of hits, old, new, obscure, etc. I always say when I head in to a show that I want to hear something I have never heard before. This stand, I heard four songs I have never heard before: Held Up Without A Gun (played for only the third time ever), I'll Work For Your Love (one of my favorites off of the new album), Summertime Blues (a great cover), and Drive All Night (I had heard it solo, but never with the band...amazing).
The musical highlights were many. Jungleland (twice), Drive All Night, Incident, Held Up Without A Gun, Cadillac Ranch, Badlands, etc. As good as the music was, Bruce was better. He was working the crowd, taking sign requests, and connecting with people. Sitting near the front all three nights, it was great to see Bruce interacting with the fans, especially the small children. Being a father now, that stuff really hits home for me. The first night, he played Growin Up for a 10 year old fan named Rosie. Also that night, he sang a verse of Girls in their Summer Clothes to a young fan in the front row while holding her hand and looking right at her. Monday night he gave his harmonica from Promised Land to a 7 year old fan with a sign asking for the harmonica. He was great.
There was a lot of anticipation for these shows since they went on sale in December, and it lived up to everything we hoped it would be. If you were there with me, thanks for contributing to a great time. If you weren't...I hope you can join us next time.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
First, let me talk about the tailgate. Because of the construction of the new Giants Stadium, the parking lots have been reconfigured in the last year, forcing us to move our tailgate from Lot 17A to Lot 18C for Giants games, and for Bruce shows also. We tailgated Sunday and Thursday...and took Monday off. I have to work sometimes...right? The attendance for the tailgates was stellar. It was a great mix of people I see often, people I don't see enough, people I just see at Bruce shows, and people I haven't seen in a long time. The roll call for both Sunday and Thursday included my sister Sari, brother-in-law Jeffrey, Dave and Jodi Katz, Spider, Fresh, Greg S, Jeff Koko, and my partner in crime for Bruce...Sammy. It was also great to see Greg V. and his new wife, the rest of the Koko Family, the Nugget King Rob Fisher, Gordon, Greg, Jen C and her 8+ month pregnant sister Adrienne, Back Nine Schein, and of course, Beckerman. If I missed anyone...I am sorry...but I am typing pretty late. The menu was WindMill hot dogs, burgers, a special recipe of bites of a steaks that Spider likes to call Steak Tips, and of course....a lot of cold beer.
The tailgates started at 3:30 both days and lasted until about 8. Great weather, great food, great friends, and great music. Oh by the way...afterwards, there were concerts.
As for the shows, they were tremendous. I can't really judge which of the three I enjoyed more. One didn't stand out from the rest like some of the other epic stands. Of the 55,000 people there each night, I am confident that no one had a better time than me. Some might have had an equally good time, like my sister Sari on Thursday, but no one had a better time. Over the course of the three nights, Bruce played 53 different songs. Each show was over 3 hours, and there was a great mix of hits, old, new, obscure, etc. I always say when I head in to a show that I want to hear something I have never heard before. This stand, I heard four songs I have never heard before: Held Up Without A Gun (played for only the third time ever), I'll Work For Your Love (one of my favorites off of the new album), Summertime Blues (a great cover), and Drive All Night (I had heard it solo, but never with the band...amazing).
The musical highlights were many. Jungleland (twice), Drive All Night, Incident, Held Up Without A Gun, Cadillac Ranch, Badlands, etc. As good as the music was, Bruce was better. He was working the crowd, taking sign requests, and connecting with people. Sitting near the front all three nights, it was great to see Bruce interacting with the fans, especially the small children. Being a father now, that stuff really hits home for me. The first night, he played Growin Up for a 10 year old fan named Rosie. Also that night, he sang a verse of Girls in their Summer Clothes to a young fan in the front row while holding her hand and looking right at her. Monday night he gave his harmonica from Promised Land to a 7 year old fan with a sign asking for the harmonica. He was great.
There was a lot of anticipation for these shows since they went on sale in December, and it lived up to everything we hoped it would be. If you were there with me, thanks for contributing to a great time. If you weren't...I hope you can join us next time.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
All Star Week
Sorry that it's taken me a week to get to this, as I know you are all chomping at the bit for my next blog entry (ha ha). Last week, Yankee Stadium played host to the All Star Game and all of the related festivities. It was one of the most enjoyable baseball experiences of my life.
I started the experience Monday afternoon at All Star Fan Fest with my brother-in-law Jeff. He's a great person to hit an event with as he always seems to have a good time. We met up outside the Javitz Center and when we walked in, it was a little intimidating. There was a map, but we ignored it and just started near the front door. Easy enough, right?
The first area we visited was the ongoing live auction. They were auctioning some of the coolest items I have seen, and they were all on display in glass cases. They had the private collections of both Whitey Ford and Thurman Munson that they were auctioning. Whitey's collection included a lot of items that he had collected during his career, as well as afterwards. Autographed pictures of Billy, Mickey, and many other Yankees were abundant. They were also auctioning the jackets that they gave Whitey when he threw out the first pitch at recent World Series games. Thurman's collection was all of his awards, contracts, trophies, etc. Included was his two World Series rings, as well as the World Series trophy they gave him as Captain of the 1978 Yankees. He also had a picture of Mickey and Joe D that was signed by both, to Thurman.
The rest of the Fan Fest was a series of batting cages, pitching cages, kids stuff, and lots of stuff to buy. All I bought was a poster, which is a miracle. I was surprised that it was so Yankees oriented, with very little Mets stuff anywhere.
I then met up with my business partner Joe at Ben Benson's. We had a quick drink and then walked to the subway on our way to the Home Run Derby. We each had a baseball glove as we were sitting in home run territory, and Joe brought his new camera. This camera has a great zoom feature and takes amazing pictures.
As we left the subway, I noticed a man that looked a lot like Bob Watson. As I approached, I noticed he had an MLB lapel pin. When I got even closer, I noticed he was wearing a Yankees World Series ring. I asked, "You're Bob Watson...right?" He said he was. I explained that one of my earliest Stadium memories was him hitting a foul ball near me and my father. I think I was seven years old. It was a hard line drive in to the loge, and my father grabbed me. I remember asking my father why he didn't catch it. After all, he had my glove. Watson replied, "He caught you instead".
We went to grab something to eat across the street from the Stadium and we noticed how many random shirts there were. People were wearing Pirates shirts, and Cardinals shirts, and Brewers shirts...it was not a typical Yankees crowd.
We made our way inside, grabbed our seats, and batting practice was still going on. It was cool to see all of the kids on the field wearing their father's jerseys playing in the outfield.
There really is only one thing to say about the Home Run Derby. Josh Hamilton was AWESOME. Even though he didn't win, he should have. He hit 28 home runs in the first round, which was a record. His 71 year old high school coach was his pitcher and he crushed balls all over the park, including one off of the back wall. He obviously got tired, so Justin Mourneau won by hitting five home runs in the finals.
On the way back, I bumped in to Fresh on the subway, which is always a treat.
Tuesday, I met up with Jared for the All Star Game itself. We met at the Meadowlands and took one car in. We made it to the Bronx in about 20 minutes. We met up with Scott, Rob, Sam, and Mike in the parking lot and then went for something to eat. On the way in, I bumped in to the Francis Family. It was a who's who. When we got in to the Stadium, we decided to go see Jared's friend Bobby. One problem, we were in right field and he was in left. No problem because we had plenty of time. During the walk, we bumped in to Strauss, as well as the Denis and his family.
Once they started the pre-game festivities, it was obvious that rightfield wasn't going to be a good spot for photos, so I started wandering the Stadium near the infield. The introductions were amazing. They brought out many living Hall of Famers and they stood near their positions. They introduced the Hall of Famers at each position, and then the starting All Star from each team ran out to join them as they were introduced. It was very cool. Willie Mays was the only centerfielder. They switched it up at the end and introduced the starting catchers first, and then introduced the Hall of Fame catchers, Gary Carter....and Yogi Berra. Rightfully so, Yogi was the last one introduced.
Then, it was time for the ceremonial first pitch. It all happened so fast. They introduced the principle owner of the New York Yankees...GEORGE STEINBRENNER. I don't think George has ever been introduced at Yankee Stadium. He was driven out in a golf cart with his family and delivered the balls for the first pitch. He was visibly crying and moved by the experience. He delivered four baseballs for the four Yankee Hall of Famers, Reggie, Goose, Whitey and Yogi. They threw the pitches to Girardi (there as a coach), and the three Yankee All Stars, ARod, Jeter, and Mariano. It was amazing. All of this...and the game hadn't started yet.
The game was a low scoring affair, which ended up going 15 innings. We left at the end of the 10th, but there were a lot of highlights. Jeter getting a hit and stealing a base, Papelbon getting booed mercilessly and the fans chanting "Mariano" as he pitched and blew the save. Billy Wagner blowing the save was funny too. The biggest highlight of the game for me was Mariano coming in to the game to his signature song, Enter Sandman and pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. After the AL failed to score in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded and no outs, we decided to leave as it was just after midnight.
All in all...an amazing experience with great friends. Here's a link to the photos. Enjoy.
All Star Week Photos
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
I started the experience Monday afternoon at All Star Fan Fest with my brother-in-law Jeff. He's a great person to hit an event with as he always seems to have a good time. We met up outside the Javitz Center and when we walked in, it was a little intimidating. There was a map, but we ignored it and just started near the front door. Easy enough, right?
The first area we visited was the ongoing live auction. They were auctioning some of the coolest items I have seen, and they were all on display in glass cases. They had the private collections of both Whitey Ford and Thurman Munson that they were auctioning. Whitey's collection included a lot of items that he had collected during his career, as well as afterwards. Autographed pictures of Billy, Mickey, and many other Yankees were abundant. They were also auctioning the jackets that they gave Whitey when he threw out the first pitch at recent World Series games. Thurman's collection was all of his awards, contracts, trophies, etc. Included was his two World Series rings, as well as the World Series trophy they gave him as Captain of the 1978 Yankees. He also had a picture of Mickey and Joe D that was signed by both, to Thurman.
The rest of the Fan Fest was a series of batting cages, pitching cages, kids stuff, and lots of stuff to buy. All I bought was a poster, which is a miracle. I was surprised that it was so Yankees oriented, with very little Mets stuff anywhere.
I then met up with my business partner Joe at Ben Benson's. We had a quick drink and then walked to the subway on our way to the Home Run Derby. We each had a baseball glove as we were sitting in home run territory, and Joe brought his new camera. This camera has a great zoom feature and takes amazing pictures.
As we left the subway, I noticed a man that looked a lot like Bob Watson. As I approached, I noticed he had an MLB lapel pin. When I got even closer, I noticed he was wearing a Yankees World Series ring. I asked, "You're Bob Watson...right?" He said he was. I explained that one of my earliest Stadium memories was him hitting a foul ball near me and my father. I think I was seven years old. It was a hard line drive in to the loge, and my father grabbed me. I remember asking my father why he didn't catch it. After all, he had my glove. Watson replied, "He caught you instead".
We went to grab something to eat across the street from the Stadium and we noticed how many random shirts there were. People were wearing Pirates shirts, and Cardinals shirts, and Brewers shirts...it was not a typical Yankees crowd.
We made our way inside, grabbed our seats, and batting practice was still going on. It was cool to see all of the kids on the field wearing their father's jerseys playing in the outfield.
There really is only one thing to say about the Home Run Derby. Josh Hamilton was AWESOME. Even though he didn't win, he should have. He hit 28 home runs in the first round, which was a record. His 71 year old high school coach was his pitcher and he crushed balls all over the park, including one off of the back wall. He obviously got tired, so Justin Mourneau won by hitting five home runs in the finals.
On the way back, I bumped in to Fresh on the subway, which is always a treat.
Tuesday, I met up with Jared for the All Star Game itself. We met at the Meadowlands and took one car in. We made it to the Bronx in about 20 minutes. We met up with Scott, Rob, Sam, and Mike in the parking lot and then went for something to eat. On the way in, I bumped in to the Francis Family. It was a who's who. When we got in to the Stadium, we decided to go see Jared's friend Bobby. One problem, we were in right field and he was in left. No problem because we had plenty of time. During the walk, we bumped in to Strauss, as well as the Denis and his family.
Once they started the pre-game festivities, it was obvious that rightfield wasn't going to be a good spot for photos, so I started wandering the Stadium near the infield. The introductions were amazing. They brought out many living Hall of Famers and they stood near their positions. They introduced the Hall of Famers at each position, and then the starting All Star from each team ran out to join them as they were introduced. It was very cool. Willie Mays was the only centerfielder. They switched it up at the end and introduced the starting catchers first, and then introduced the Hall of Fame catchers, Gary Carter....and Yogi Berra. Rightfully so, Yogi was the last one introduced.
Then, it was time for the ceremonial first pitch. It all happened so fast. They introduced the principle owner of the New York Yankees...GEORGE STEINBRENNER. I don't think George has ever been introduced at Yankee Stadium. He was driven out in a golf cart with his family and delivered the balls for the first pitch. He was visibly crying and moved by the experience. He delivered four baseballs for the four Yankee Hall of Famers, Reggie, Goose, Whitey and Yogi. They threw the pitches to Girardi (there as a coach), and the three Yankee All Stars, ARod, Jeter, and Mariano. It was amazing. All of this...and the game hadn't started yet.
The game was a low scoring affair, which ended up going 15 innings. We left at the end of the 10th, but there were a lot of highlights. Jeter getting a hit and stealing a base, Papelbon getting booed mercilessly and the fans chanting "Mariano" as he pitched and blew the save. Billy Wagner blowing the save was funny too. The biggest highlight of the game for me was Mariano coming in to the game to his signature song, Enter Sandman and pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings. After the AL failed to score in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded and no outs, we decided to leave as it was just after midnight.
All in all...an amazing experience with great friends. Here's a link to the photos. Enjoy.
All Star Week Photos
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The First "Best Concert I Ever Saw"
Today is the 15th anniversary of the first show that I considered, "The Best Concert I Ever Saw". While I guess the fact that it was 15 years ago makes me feel a little old, I am comforted by the fact that the tshirt still fits and it was only a bit over a month ago that I saw the latest, "Best Concert..." In fact, I wore the tshirt from 1993 to the Count Basie last month.
June 24, 1993 - Bruce Springsteen finished his 1992-93 tour with two shows in the US after an extended run in Europe. The first of the two was a benefit for World Hunger Year and The Community FoodBank and would be held at (still called) the Brendan Byrne Arena. Two nights later, Bruce would finish the tour at Madison Square Garden and in between, he would play the last Letterman on NBC. I was 19 years old, had recently finished my first year of college and was set to work at the JCC camp in Flanders. I don't think camp had started yet, but I was also playing baseball in the Essex County league that summer also.
I was hanging out with a lot of my high school friends in the beginning of the summer, and went to the show with Anna Scalora. This was well before the days of having "Bruce friends" and believe it or not, I was kinda scrambling to find someone to go with. Everyone else that I knew at the time that liked Bruce already had a ticket to the show. Needless to say, at the time, I didn't know that many Bruce fans.
I sat behind the stage...even early on in my Bruce concert career, I loved sitting behind the stage to see the interaction with the band. Also keep in mind, this was before the internet, and tracking set lists, so I had no clue what to expect. The show opened with Bruce and his back up singers trading vocals on I Ain't Got No Home, a Woody Guthrie song. I had never heard it before, but it was great. Then Bruce did an acoustic set, Seeds, Adam Raised A Cain, and a song that I had never even heard of before, This Hard Land, which he played for Steven.
The band then joined Bruce on stage and launched in to Better Days. Bruce had opened with this when I saw my first show and from the first minute, even though I was sitting as far away as I could possibly get, I was hooked. When he sang the line..."and it feels like I'm coming home," I thought the roof was coming off of the arena.
The other highlight of the first set (there were still intermissions at Bruce shows back then) was Leap of Faith. When Bruce jumped in to the crowd, someone stole one of his boots. He came back on stage minus a shoe! The woman with the shoe eventually was allowed on stage to give it back to Bruce. A truly hysterical moment.
The second set opened with Bruce on the acoustic again, this time joined by Roy for Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?. The acoustic songs, in hindsight, were a precursor to Bruce's next tour. The second set just rocked thereafter. I listened to the bootleg of this set probably 1000 times and it never gets old. Because The Night, Brilliant Disguise (with Bruce and Patti dancing together at the end), Human Touch, The River, Who'll Stop The Rain, Souls of the Departed, Living Proof (still one of my favorites), Born in the USA, and Light of Day. WOW. And we really haven't hit any of the highlights yet. While it might look like a pedestrian set list on paper, at the time, I was completely blown away.
Then the encores started. Bruce brought out his friend Joe Ely to sing his song Settle for Love, which is a great country rocker. After that, Little Steven came out for Glory Days. Sitting behind the stage, I noticed that after Glory Days, Steven sat down on the drum riser...he didn't leave the stage. The other time I saw Steven play with Bruce on this tour, he played one song and left. This was getting interesting. Bruce then played an acoustic Thunder Road. He then invited out Southside Johnny and the Miami Horns. They went right in to a great version of It's Been A Long Time. The song was relatively new at that point, and the three friends, Bruce, Steven, and Johnny were having a great time recreating what they had recently recorded.
After It's Been A Long Time, Southside left the stage and Bruce walked around flashing ten fingers at the band. I thought he was saying "Stay" to Southside, but he was saying "Ten" to the band...as in 10th Avenue Freeze Out. The Miami Horns launched in to their parts...and Bruce was cooking. When they got to the bridge, Bruce looked backstage and started waving his arm. As he sang the line, "Well they made that change uptown and The Big Man joined the band" Clarence came running on to the stage and hit his solo right on cue. I thought the building was going to explode it was so loud. Having never seen the E Street Band, this was amazing. Clarence stayed on stage for the next song, which Bruce introduced as follows, "Can't have The Big Man here and not do this one...it's the Jersey set." With that, he counted off "1-2" and they launched in to Born To Run. Clarence was having a bit of trouble with his mic, so for his solo, Bruce took his mic and put it inside Clarence's sax so everyone could hear the solo. This was just amazing.
Bruce then quieted it down a bit with My Beautiful Reward, which gave us a chance to catch our breath a bit and followed it up with Old Dusty Road, again with Joe Ely and a future E Street Band member, Soozie Tyrell. little Steven, Southside and The Miami Horns then came back out for Havin' A Party, which was followed by Jersey Girl, with a guest appearance from Mighty Max Weinberg. They closed the show with Southside, The Miami Horns, and Little Steven joining Bruce for It's All Right...and it was.
You know an experience is truly great when you look back 15 years and you can still see the images in your head...and they give you goosebumps. I really consider myself a lucky person because I have a lot of those moments to look back on,...and I know...many more to come.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
June 24, 1993 - Bruce Springsteen finished his 1992-93 tour with two shows in the US after an extended run in Europe. The first of the two was a benefit for World Hunger Year and The Community FoodBank and would be held at (still called) the Brendan Byrne Arena. Two nights later, Bruce would finish the tour at Madison Square Garden and in between, he would play the last Letterman on NBC. I was 19 years old, had recently finished my first year of college and was set to work at the JCC camp in Flanders. I don't think camp had started yet, but I was also playing baseball in the Essex County league that summer also.
I was hanging out with a lot of my high school friends in the beginning of the summer, and went to the show with Anna Scalora. This was well before the days of having "Bruce friends" and believe it or not, I was kinda scrambling to find someone to go with. Everyone else that I knew at the time that liked Bruce already had a ticket to the show. Needless to say, at the time, I didn't know that many Bruce fans.
I sat behind the stage...even early on in my Bruce concert career, I loved sitting behind the stage to see the interaction with the band. Also keep in mind, this was before the internet, and tracking set lists, so I had no clue what to expect. The show opened with Bruce and his back up singers trading vocals on I Ain't Got No Home, a Woody Guthrie song. I had never heard it before, but it was great. Then Bruce did an acoustic set, Seeds, Adam Raised A Cain, and a song that I had never even heard of before, This Hard Land, which he played for Steven.
The band then joined Bruce on stage and launched in to Better Days. Bruce had opened with this when I saw my first show and from the first minute, even though I was sitting as far away as I could possibly get, I was hooked. When he sang the line..."and it feels like I'm coming home," I thought the roof was coming off of the arena.
The other highlight of the first set (there were still intermissions at Bruce shows back then) was Leap of Faith. When Bruce jumped in to the crowd, someone stole one of his boots. He came back on stage minus a shoe! The woman with the shoe eventually was allowed on stage to give it back to Bruce. A truly hysterical moment.
The second set opened with Bruce on the acoustic again, this time joined by Roy for Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?. The acoustic songs, in hindsight, were a precursor to Bruce's next tour. The second set just rocked thereafter. I listened to the bootleg of this set probably 1000 times and it never gets old. Because The Night, Brilliant Disguise (with Bruce and Patti dancing together at the end), Human Touch, The River, Who'll Stop The Rain, Souls of the Departed, Living Proof (still one of my favorites), Born in the USA, and Light of Day. WOW. And we really haven't hit any of the highlights yet. While it might look like a pedestrian set list on paper, at the time, I was completely blown away.
Then the encores started. Bruce brought out his friend Joe Ely to sing his song Settle for Love, which is a great country rocker. After that, Little Steven came out for Glory Days. Sitting behind the stage, I noticed that after Glory Days, Steven sat down on the drum riser...he didn't leave the stage. The other time I saw Steven play with Bruce on this tour, he played one song and left. This was getting interesting. Bruce then played an acoustic Thunder Road. He then invited out Southside Johnny and the Miami Horns. They went right in to a great version of It's Been A Long Time. The song was relatively new at that point, and the three friends, Bruce, Steven, and Johnny were having a great time recreating what they had recently recorded.
After It's Been A Long Time, Southside left the stage and Bruce walked around flashing ten fingers at the band. I thought he was saying "Stay" to Southside, but he was saying "Ten" to the band...as in 10th Avenue Freeze Out. The Miami Horns launched in to their parts...and Bruce was cooking. When they got to the bridge, Bruce looked backstage and started waving his arm. As he sang the line, "Well they made that change uptown and The Big Man joined the band" Clarence came running on to the stage and hit his solo right on cue. I thought the building was going to explode it was so loud. Having never seen the E Street Band, this was amazing. Clarence stayed on stage for the next song, which Bruce introduced as follows, "Can't have The Big Man here and not do this one...it's the Jersey set." With that, he counted off "1-2" and they launched in to Born To Run. Clarence was having a bit of trouble with his mic, so for his solo, Bruce took his mic and put it inside Clarence's sax so everyone could hear the solo. This was just amazing.
Bruce then quieted it down a bit with My Beautiful Reward, which gave us a chance to catch our breath a bit and followed it up with Old Dusty Road, again with Joe Ely and a future E Street Band member, Soozie Tyrell. little Steven, Southside and The Miami Horns then came back out for Havin' A Party, which was followed by Jersey Girl, with a guest appearance from Mighty Max Weinberg. They closed the show with Southside, The Miami Horns, and Little Steven joining Bruce for It's All Right...and it was.
You know an experience is truly great when you look back 15 years and you can still see the images in your head...and they give you goosebumps. I really consider myself a lucky person because I have a lot of those moments to look back on,...and I know...many more to come.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..."
JN
RIP George Carlin
In the past few weeks, we have lost three giants: Bo Diddley, Tim Russert, and now, George Carlin. Bo was one of the founding father's of Rock N Roll and the creator the Bo Diddley beat. With Tim Russert's passing, we immediately became less informed as he helped us shape our opinions, never inflicting his agenda. And of course, he was a big Bruce fan. With Carlin, the world is less funny today, and also less honest.
The following appeared in today's NY Times and is posted here without permission. I thought it was worth sharing.
Op-Ed Contributor
Dying Is Hard. Comedy Is Harder.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/opinion/24seinfeld.html
By JERRY SEINFELD
Published: June 24, 2008
THE honest truth is, for a comedian, even death is just a premise to make jokes about. I know this because I was on the phone with George Carlin nine days ago and we were making some death jokes. We were talking about Tim Russert and Bo Diddley and George said: “I feel safe for a while. There will probably be a break before they come after the next one. I always like to fly on an airline right after they’ve had a crash. It improves your odds.”
I called him to compliment him on his most recent special on HBO. Seventy years old and he cranks out another hour of great new stuff. He was in a hotel room in Las Vegas getting ready for his show. He was a monster.
You could certainly say that George downright invented modern American stand-up comedy in many ways. Every comedian does a little George. I couldn’t even count the number of times I’ve been standing around with some comedians and someone talks about some idea for a joke and another comedian would say, “Carlin does it.” I’ve heard it my whole career: “Carlin does it,” “Carlin already did it,” “Carlin did it eight years ago.”
And he didn’t just “do” it. He worked over an idea like a diamond cutter with facets and angles and refractions of light. He made you sorry you ever thought you wanted to be a comedian. He was like a train hobo with a chicken bone. When he was done there was nothing left for anybody.
But his brilliance fathered dozens of great comedians. I personally never cared about “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television,” or “FM & AM.” To me, everything he did just had this gleaming wonderful precision and originality.
I became obsessed with him in the ’60s. As a kid it seemed like the whole world was funny because of George Carlin. His performing voice, even laced with profanity, always sounded as if he were trying to amuse a child. It was like the naughtiest, most fun grown-up you ever met was reading you a bedtime story.
I know George didn’t believe in heaven or hell. Like death, they were just more comedy premises. And it just makes me even sadder to think that when I reach my own end, whatever tumbling cataclysmic vortex of existence I’m spinning through, in that moment I will still have to think, “Carlin already did it.”
Jerry Seinfeld is a writer and a comedian.
The following appeared in today's NY Times and is posted here without permission. I thought it was worth sharing.
Op-Ed Contributor
Dying Is Hard. Comedy Is Harder.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/opinion/24seinfeld.html
By JERRY SEINFELD
Published: June 24, 2008
THE honest truth is, for a comedian, even death is just a premise to make jokes about. I know this because I was on the phone with George Carlin nine days ago and we were making some death jokes. We were talking about Tim Russert and Bo Diddley and George said: “I feel safe for a while. There will probably be a break before they come after the next one. I always like to fly on an airline right after they’ve had a crash. It improves your odds.”
I called him to compliment him on his most recent special on HBO. Seventy years old and he cranks out another hour of great new stuff. He was in a hotel room in Las Vegas getting ready for his show. He was a monster.
You could certainly say that George downright invented modern American stand-up comedy in many ways. Every comedian does a little George. I couldn’t even count the number of times I’ve been standing around with some comedians and someone talks about some idea for a joke and another comedian would say, “Carlin does it.” I’ve heard it my whole career: “Carlin does it,” “Carlin already did it,” “Carlin did it eight years ago.”
And he didn’t just “do” it. He worked over an idea like a diamond cutter with facets and angles and refractions of light. He made you sorry you ever thought you wanted to be a comedian. He was like a train hobo with a chicken bone. When he was done there was nothing left for anybody.
But his brilliance fathered dozens of great comedians. I personally never cared about “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television,” or “FM & AM.” To me, everything he did just had this gleaming wonderful precision and originality.
I became obsessed with him in the ’60s. As a kid it seemed like the whole world was funny because of George Carlin. His performing voice, even laced with profanity, always sounded as if he were trying to amuse a child. It was like the naughtiest, most fun grown-up you ever met was reading you a bedtime story.
I know George didn’t believe in heaven or hell. Like death, they were just more comedy premises. And it just makes me even sadder to think that when I reach my own end, whatever tumbling cataclysmic vortex of existence I’m spinning through, in that moment I will still have to think, “Carlin already did it.”
Jerry Seinfeld is a writer and a comedian.
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