Bruce Rules!

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USA Today had an excellent article on my friend, Bruce Springsteen.

I haven't told you my latest Bruce story. I read last November that he and the band would be playing in Buffalo (an hour away) on March 7. I was torn - this is my #1 concert to see, always, but I wasn't into driving to Buffalo and back or spending the night. So I decided to see what day of the week March 7 falls on - that would be my deciding factor. Crap, it's a Friday - guess we could go. Next day it's announced he and the band are playing here in Rochester the night before - perfect! All of a sudden I was excited and wanted to see both shows!

Ruh-roh. The tickets went on sale the Saturday morning of my biggest craft show of the year, at the Rochester Museum & Science Center. These concerts sell out in 12 minutes, literally. So I enlisted Steve but admittedly, I was worried. He's a man. He gets a little self-involved. He only thinks he knows how important this is to me.

The last time Bruce played here (can't remember what year but it was ON my birthday - how special is that??) I ended up getting tickets by calling the TicketMaster office in Syracuse (an hour away) and got through because the phone was less busy, of course. So I emailed Steve instructions, urls and phone numbers so he'd have it in writing. I left my credit card on his laptop. I made him set the alarm on his phone to remind him in time to get set up at Command Central.

The craft show was just getting started when he text messaged me on my phone that he scored tickets. Of course I wanted to know where our seats were, which he texted me back. I think our seats are a little further away than last time but more on the curve of the arena so we'll have a clearer shot of the stage. And there are big screens to watch anyway. And no, that's not the same as watching on TV - it's totally different! :-)

I just realized that's probably a long boring story to anyone who isn't me.

Yet I continue . . .

I used to have memorized the number of Springsteen shows I've attended but somehow between the last show and this one, I've forgotten that number - I think this year makes 10. (I know, that's not a very high number for concert fans but it's high for me.) At one point in my life, I could even name the venues, in order. I do remember the first show was at RIT, a local college - in 1975. I was dragged there by friends even though I didn't want to go because I was mad at my boyfriend. It wasn't very crowded and we sat on the side so we could see the stage and backstage a little bit. It was very cool. Life-changing - no, really! I just about wore out my Born to Run album after that. It's still my most favorite album of all time, I'd have to say.

When his last CD, Magic, came out, I listened to it non-stop for months, I'm so happy with it. Then I put it away but I pulled it out last week - show prep, you know.

"I got to use muscles that I hadn't used in a long time," he says. "It's been fun going back to more lush arrangements and not being afraid to craft a bigger sound, to get back to writing choruses and hooks."

The article in USA Today that I linked to above says he's working on another album with the band and a solo acoustic album. He says he likes to work on several projects at once. He also talks about his kids, which I've always been curious about. But even wondering about them, felt to me like I was invading his privacy. I know, I'm weird. I celebrate my weirdness, to quote Mom.
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