9

The best concert tickets are the ones that you stumble into; ones that you haven't been waiting months and months to use. Often times, this is how I come to see Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, and last Tuesday was no exception. I was initially on the fence about going to my 9th show, but after reading the tour reviews and seeing videos from the concerts, I decided I had to go. I'm glad I did. It was my first time seeing them at the Meadowlands arena.

1. We Take Care of Our Own
2. Wrecking Ball
3. Badlands
4. Death to My Hometown
5. My City of Ruins
6. So Young and In Love
7. The E Street Shuffle
8. Jack of All Trades
9. Seeds
10. Prove It All Night
11. Easy Money
12. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
13. The Promised Land
14. The Way You Do The Things You Do/634-5789
15. American Skin (41 Shots)
16. Because the Night
17. The Rising
18. We Are Alive
19. Thunder Road
* * *
20. Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
21. Out in the Street
22. Born to Run
23. Dancing in the Dark
24. Land of Hope and Dreams
25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Seeing Bruce and the band is like a lesson from the professionals. It's like they're up there saying, "This is how it's done, everyone. Take notes." I always do. The highlights of the night for me were "Death to My Hometown," which is one of my favorite songs off the new album; "Waitin' On a Sunny Day," with Bruce pulling a young girl out of the crowd to sing the chorus and slide across the stage with him (watching him run for the slide was the only time, to me, that his age was visible, by the way); "American Skin (41 Shots)," which has become a part of the show again in the wake of the Trayvon Martin situation in Florida; "Thunder Road," with Bruce allowing the entire arena to sing the first verse; and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," complete with extended intro and mid-song Clarence tribute. And in additi0n to all that, one of the best parts of the night was the fact that I took a Bruce fan to his first Bruce show. My sax player in In The Pocket, Christian, is a huge Bruce fan, and Tuesday was his first experience seeing him live. Very exciting.

I'm not really sure what to say about seeing the E Street Band without Clarence. I think others were feeling a bit more bitter sweet than I was. The band goes on, and his parts are duplicated but he can never be replaced, just like Danny. I do like how they added an entire 5-piece horn section, though. It's like they need five guys to fill the void left by one. My former college jazz director told me that the trombone player on the tour is a friend of his named Clark.

But as great as last Tuesday's show was, I kinda wish I could have been at the show the next night if for no other reason than the band played "Racing in the Street," which is like the one song that I really want to hear them do that I have not yet. Apparently, they also added a video tribute to Clarence in the middle of "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." I guess this means I have to go back, right? Albany on Monday night, anyone?