Bruce

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For the week leading up to and especially the day of the concert, internally, I felt this close to being one of the screaming girls in the Ed Sullivan audience seeing The Beatles. For Show Prep I've been listening to the band's latest CD, Magic, non-stop for the last couple of weeks. One day, when Girls in their Summer Clothes came on, I felt my eyes misting up ever so slightly. I felt ridiculous until I realized how lucky I am to love a band so much and to get to see them perform. So I don't feel so silly anymore, just happy and grateful.

The band's last time here was on my 37th birthday. Back then I knew exactly how many times I'd seen them in concert. Now I can't remember anymore - not even close. I'd attribute it to this annoying Middle Aged Brain thing, but I also think it's just not important to me any more. I enjoy the hell out of every concert, being in the moment. And I love having an opportunity to tell Bruce thank you. I always sincerely say thank you during the concert, for all the joy he and the band have brought me for 33 years. Pretty cool to be able to say that.

March 6 / Rochester, NY / Blue Cross Arena
Notes: Last time the E Street Band played here, five years ago this month, they tour-debuted "Fire." This time, it was "come sit by my fire," as an impromptu "Rosalita" came out in Rochester, purely by request. In the encore, after a young girl held up a "Rosalita, Please" sign for much of the show, Bruce finally said "Gimme that sign," slowly revealed it to a losing-their-shit crowd, and launched into a rough-and-tumble version of the Wild & Innocent classic with the sign propped against the mic stand the entire time. And that that was just the icing on the cake of an intensely high energy show, a perfect synergy of performer, audience, setlist, and setting.

"Is this a new building or an old building?" Bruce asked the crowd. "Old building!" "Yeah, I thought so... old buildings are still the best buildings." And he rocked it by packing the main set solid: "Night" to open; "Jackson Cage" added between "Lonesome Day" and "Gypsy Biker"; two barnburners -- "Because the Night" and an audibled "Loose Ends" -- sandwiched between "Reason" and "She's the One." It's worth starting a new sentence for another of tonight's Moments, "Racing in the Street." And a crowd truly deserving of the "Rosie" boon completed the energy feedback loop. Still no red headed woman -- Patti remains absent from this leg so far -- but damn if they're not getting the dirty job done.

"Rochester number one!" Bruce hollered at the end of the night -- and he's right, this is a contender for best show of the tour so far. "Don't let them tear this building down!"
-Photographs by A.M. Saddler

Setlist:
Night
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
Jackson Cage
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Because the Night
Loose Ends
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Racing in the Street
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Rosalita
Born to Run
American Land

I liked this review better than the one Jeff Spevak wrote for our newspaper. And with pictures! The author is right, we all lost our shit when he slowly turned that sign around that said, "Rosalita Please". I believe it qualifies as my favorite moment of the night.

Bruce always talks a fair bit. He told us he was given the key to the city by the mayor. I don't know if it's true or just part of his story. But he went on to say, he was happy about it because when he has his celebrity meltdown, he'll have some place to go. "And you guys have to let me in, I got the key, I got the key!"

His wife Patti wasn't at the concert 5 years ago either. He told us she sends her love. "With 3 teenagers, somebody's got to stay home. Last I heard, 3 cars had been stolen, but whatever, she'll work all that out, she'll work it out."

And the part where he asks if the arena is a new building or an old building? The next morning the Newsmakers section of the newspaper had a bit about this item, so his question made even more sense:

Bruce Springsteen will perform a benefit concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on Wednesday, May 7th.

Proceeds from “An Evening with Bruce Springsteen” will benefit the historic Count Basie Theatre and help offset the cost of the renovation and restoration of the theatre that will begin this summer. A portion of the concert proceeds will also support other programs and operations at the Theatre, such as the Cool School. Patti Scialfa serves on the Board of the Basie Foundation and as Honorary Chair of the Capital Campaign.


A couple of months ago I'd planned to take off the day after the concert but then changed my mind, trying to hoard my vacation days for when I need them more in the fall/holiday show season. Then Steve took it off, so it was a very short leap for me to change my mind back to taking it off. I'm glad I did because the concert started a full hour late and the traffic to leave was a bear so we got home about 90 minutes later than I would have expected.

We went out to breakfast, I took a short nap and spent most of the day as a true Stefani Day, not even a Pine Tree Designs day. I realized later that my nap was due to dehydration. I drank water with my dinner but we didn't drink anything at the concert so as to not have to go to the restrooms. We were both very thirsty by the time the concert was over - and sitting in the parking garage for ever and a day didn't help. So we found a Wendy's that was still open and drove through to get beverages. I didn't feel dehydrated when I woke up the next morning but remembered later that I literally chugged my milk in one swoop at breakfast, in addition to draining my water glass. After reading the paper, I got that feeling where I absolutely could not keep my eyes open. More water and nap and I felt rejuvenated.

The rest of the weekend is nothing but Pine Tree Designs work for next week's show.
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