Bruuuuce!

[eaglesvet]

Lots of Springsteen happenings this week!! For football and non-football fans alike, don't forget to check out the half-time show of the Super Bowl. The Boss has agreed to bring his band to this nationally televised venue (apparently after years of turning down invites), and promises to deliver quite a show. In an interview this week, he describes it as what you would hear/see during the last 12 minutes of one of his concerts at the Meadowlands (NJ)...which I can verify is absolutely hot, on-target, rock and roll !!


I'm sure you're not surprised to learn that I am a veteran of many a Springsteen show. In fact, during the mid-80's Born in the USA tour, if I didn't have a ticket to attend a particular show, I would still drive down to the Meadowlands each night and wait for the sounds of the encore to start. At that time, security would let people just waltz on into the stadium for free, and we'd be treated to the Boss's renowned 45 minute encores--which varied nightly!! Ahh, those were the days!! Anyway, the crowd was in an absolute FRENZY by the last 20 minutes or so...so if Bruuuuuce can reproduce that spirit at the Super Bowl , we are in for a real treat!

Bruce will be debuting his new album, "Working on a Dream," which went on sale this past week...so I imagine at least one song will be from the new one. He also opens up a new world tour, which I'll discuss in the next post.

[eaglesvet]

Bruce's new album, "Working on a Dream," received a 5-star rating from Brian Hiatt of the The Rolling Stone, who called it the best of the 3 great rock and roll albums the Boss has put out this decade. Apparently, Bruce reaches back to his roots on the Jersey shore (ala Born to Run), and made this album with sounds reminiscent of Roy Orbison and Phil Spector. Hiatt also recalls the British Invasion, the Byrds, Manfred Mann, and the Turtles when describing the various songs on the new one. Something for everyone, I gather!

Bruce kicks off his "Working on a Dream" concert tour with the Super Bowl show; and then the rest of the US arena shows begin April 1 in San Jose and finish up May 23 in the Meadowlands. He then goes to Europe. Most of the US shows go on sale this Monday Feb 2, with a few exceptions that I will point out. Locally, the vendor is 'Meadowlands All Access,' which I have never used before. I'll have to become completely familiar with their website before 9 am Monday... because Bruce will sell out the 2 arena shows here in about 30 seconds. Apparently, he caused a systems crash earlier in the week in Sweden and Norway selling out his June shows there.

The North American Tour:(On sale date 2/2 unless noted)
4/1 San Jose, CA

4/3 Glendale, AZ

4/5 Austin, TX -on sale 2/7

4/7 Tulsa, OK -on sale 2/7

4/8 Houston -on sale 2/7

4/10 Denver

4/15 LA

4/21 & 4/22 Boston

4/24 Hartford, CT

4/26 Atlanta

4/28 & 4/29 Philly

5/2 Greensboro, NC -on sale 2/6

5/4 Hempstead, NY

5/5 Charlottesville, VA

5/7 Toronto, Ontario -on sale 2/6

5/8 University Park, PA

5/11 St. Paul

5/12 Chicago

5/14 Albany, NY

5/15 Hershey, PA (the only small stadium, rather than arena)

5/18 DC

5/19 Pittsburgh

5/21 & 5/23 East Rutherford, NJ

Please double check me at www.brucespringsteen.net. I wouldn't want to be responsible for any inaccuracies. At least locally, ticket prices are between $65 and $95...a veritable bargain for his 3+hr action-packed shows! And you can bet I will be bringing a sign request for 4th of July, Asbury Park (aka Sandy)!!

[Stars]

EV, good luck getting your tickets to see Bruce! That is exciting news about his new album and upcoming tour!
I was just thinking this morning that I want to listen to clips of his new songs, then I saw your post. I'll be listening later on today, and let ya know what I think. My brother LOVES Bruce, and I know he'll be seeing him on this tour!

[sodascouts]

Cool! Bruce is one of my favorite musicians, but I've never seen him live. Sounds like an amazing show!

I've been seeing commercials for a different type of show lately - seems Bruce is doing a kind of documentary TV series about working on his album. Have you heard about this?

[eaglesvet]

Yup, I think it's the same DVD that's included in the 'Deluxe" version of the new album. VH1 is airing it several times this week, I've read. It's not a series, just the one show repeated. Bruce began writing songs for "Working..." while on the Magic tour in 2007-2008, and recorded it in between Magic concerts in 2008. So, given it was written and recorded relatively quickly, the DVD/ VH1 show should show some interesting footage. You should check out his website for all the background info, as well as the link to the Rolling Stone review.

Soda, you absolutely have to go to a show this tour! I remember he made your top 10 singers list, so I assumed you had seen him. You will be exhausted just watching him, Little Steven, and Nils work out on stage with their guitars....watch for Nils to do flips (literally!). Bruce's shows used to be 4 hours easily, including the 45 minute encore. In Sept. '07, we had the great luck of scoring 2 seats to a 1000-seat rehearsal in the Meadowlands arena--his last rehearsal show before the Magic tour opened officially. That show was "only" 3 1/2 hours..but it was absolutely the best by far (and by far the closest I've ever been...1st row up from the floor, in one of the first side sections slightly in front of the band ...you know how many years of shows it took me to get this close???) Anyway, you will not be disappointed...trust me!

[Brooke]

I like a lot of Bruce's songs (favorite is Pink Cadillac), too, but have never been to a show. My brother, however, is a huge fan. I think he went to a concert last fall in KC. He's been oodles of times. I should check out his web site.

My husband and I were trying to guess which songs he would do for the superbowl. My picks are Born In The USA, Born To Run, and Dancing In The Dark. Hubby picks Pink Cadillac. I figure that one might not be family-oriented enough!

Do you know which songs other than a new one, ev?

[eaglesvet]

Nope, don't know what songs he will be singing, but my guess is the title song to the new one. I do know, however, how many songs he will be singing...how, you ask? Well, it's an interesting story... But first, although I'm sworn to secrecy on the details, there's nothing preventing y'all from guessing it (quietly to yourselves ; please don't post the #.) Hint: He'll play one song for each of Ticky's and my children.

So I have been dying to spill the beans about something I had alluded to in another thread a couple of weeks back. I think it's safe now...the public news is basically out now, for the most part. So, let me tell you my story! (PM, are you listening?) Since before Thanksgiving, I have been sitting on a thrilling bit of news (at least for me), that I've had to remain hush-hush about. It concerns a client of mine who owns a 12-lb terror of a terrier, a real devil-dog--let's call her 'Landshark,' and her owner Ms. Society. As you might guess, Landshark has earned her name because veterinarian, staff, and owner risk life and limb every time she visits the animal hospital for any reason whatsoever. Although she is now 7 yrs. old, she has only been a patient of our hospital for 3 1/2 yrs. Only in the last 10 mos. or so has Ms. Society realized that Dr. E is the vet most likely to successfully examine and treat Landshark with the least amount of stress, and no injury, to any party involved (animal or human); so now I have the distinction of being 'Landshark's doctor.' BTW, I attribute my success to one particularly competent veterinary assistant and judicious use of chemical restraint (ie, sedation!)

Anyway, a week before Turkey Day, Landshark needed hip surgery by an orthopedic specialist at our hospital. I was the doctor in charge of her 2-day hospitalization/ recovery. During that time at work, we got a new CD player/radio up front in the waiting room to replace the old radio-only. (Don't worry, this story is going somewhere, I promise...I just want to let the drama unfold as it actually happened...) During those 2 days, our receptionists literally had only 2 CD's to play over and over and over again, which they did--enough to drive anyone crazy . I finally cracked at lunchtime of the 2nd day, went out to my car, and brought in every CD I had--LROOE, Bruce's Magic, James Taylor, Jackson Browne--that I thought would be OK for waiting room use. At the end of the day, when Ms. Society came to pick Landshark up to take her home and she heard Magic playing, she asked, "Oh! Who's the Springsteen fan?" When my receptionists told her that it was me, her eyes lit up as they led her into the exam room to hear all about post-op hip care from me.

Now, prior to that moment, I didn't know anything personal about Ms. Society at all. Thankfully, Landshark had been pretty healthy up until the surgery, and so I had only had to see her a handful of times in less than a year. But, as it turns out, Ms. Society is the connection I have been waiting for my entire life ! (OK, maybe just 30 years or so...) She proceeded to tell me that once she brought Landshark back to her house, she needed to head into NYC to her apt on Central Park, because Bruce and the E Streeters were hangin' out, waiting to plan out the Super Bowl halftime show! As my knees weakened, she pulled out her Springsteen 'staff pass' to prove she was legit (as if any self-respecting person in this neck of the woods would dare make something like that up!) At that point, I lost all semblance of professionalism and became giddy with excitement...she began to tell me the number of songs they would sing (though not which ones), and that the new album would come out at the same time, and the next world tour would start right afterward. So, I've been sitting on this info since Nov. because she made me promise not to tell anyone!

It turns out that she grew up with one of the band members, and thus became involved with them on a professional level as well. Her main involvement is with fund-raising for 2 of the charities they hold near and dear to their collective hearts. She hosts charity events and parties for them, their friends, acquaintances, business associates, and philanthropists; mainly in the city. But then she also does things like help them plan Super Bowl halftime shows in her apt. Quite a job description, huh?

So I haven't even gotten to the thrilling part. Sensing my extreme fascination in her friends, and excitement in learning who she was, she made me some offers I couldn't refuse. She promised me some Bruce setlists the next time she came in...which she delivered about 2 weeks afterward when Landshark came in for suture removal. For every concert, Bruce will hand-write a setlist (remember, every show is a little bit different), then photocopy one for every band member to have onstage. Well, she gave me 2 set lists from both Oct. 2007 Los Angeles shows (a month after I saw him at a rehearsal show at the Meadowlands). These pieces of paper were touched by Bruce and then handed to Danny Federici (the late organ player, who died of melanoma in spring 2008, and whose accordian playing is featured on the song Sandy.) It's very cool to see his handwriting, and how he abbreviates the songs... and how he abbreviates them slightly differently each night. Then, if you look at the planned set list and then what he actually played, there still might be one or two songs that vary! For example, he wrote 'BTR' on one, and 'B to R' on the other for 'Born to Run'. He wrote 'Girls' for 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes'. He wrote 'Last', and right now I can't even tell you which song that is without looking it up. I have the 2 setlists uploaded (I think) onto my computer; I would like to try to post them here later. If I am unsuccessful ( a distinct possibility), anyone who is interested can look at them on www.brucespringsteen.net. At the top, click on LIVE. Scroll to the bottom, and click on 2007 tour. Scroll down to Oct. 29 and 30 (my dates) and click on Set List (on the right). You'll then see a thumbnail of a hand-written list...click on it to enlarge. That's what I have!

Now, the grand finale for me...and I am waiting with bated breath for her return call... She has promised me that whenever I want a BACKSTAGE PASS TO MEET BRUCE AND THE BAND, ALL I NEED TO DO IS ASK!!! Well, I told her that day that I would be holding her to her promise, and believe you me, I will!! I hope she calls me Sunday (from the football stadium, if she has to)... before tix go onsale, because I assume I still have to get the tix, and then she gets me the passes. But if she means she can get me the tix and the passes, all the better!! I would love not to have to chance getting sold out of seats...and that is a real possibility in this state. He can sell out 11 stadium shows in something like 15 minutes, so 2 arena shows will go before you can snap your fingers. One false keystroke, and it could be all over ...but let's not think that way. Only happy thoughts...

Can you tell I'm psyched?!

[eaglesvet]

I like a lot of Bruce's songs (favorite is Pink Cadillac), too, but have never been to a show. My brother, however, is a huge fan. I think he went to a concert last fall in KC. He's been oodles of times. I should check out his web site.

My husband and I were trying to guess which songs he would do for the superbowl. My picks are Born In The USA, Born To Run, and Dancing In The Dark. Hubby picks Pink Cadillac. I figure that one might not be family-oriented enough!

Do you know which songs other than a new one, ev?

Brooke, I'll trade you! How about I go to one Keith Urban show if you go to one Springsteen show? I KNOW you will love it! Think about it-- "...So Rosie, come out tonight, baby come out tonight..."

Unfortunately, I don't think I have ever heard them do Pink Cadillac live, but bring a sign...they were taking requests the whole second half of the last tour, so ya never know!

As for Keith, I am strongly considering seeing him this tour! As long as I like his new CD as much as I anticipate I will (considering my only knowledge of him is from the CMAs when he sang Sweet Thing ), I think I'm there!

[sodascouts]

HOLY CRAP!!

You're going to meet Bruce backstage?!! OH MY GOSH!! That's so cool!!!!!!

You must tell us all about it!

How AWESOME!!!!!

Knew those years of vet school would come in handy one day, eh?

I think I might have exhausted my concert funds for this year, but if I can manage it, I'll go to a Bruce show!

[Prettymaid]

EV, as I read your story my excitement grew and grew and grew until I exploded with joy! What a nice thing for her to do! I am so happy for you!