10

One word comes to mind when looking to describe my tenth time seeing Bruce Springsteen on Monday: endurance.

After seeing Bruce and the band two weeks ago the itch to go again was back, and thanks to eBay I was able to score my first GA tickets to a show. My friend and bodyguard Chris and I arrived in Albany around 2:45PM, got our tickets at will call, got our GA lottery wristbands, and then got lunch at the Pearl St. Pub ($2 drafts, hell yeah). We left the pub at 4:00 and walked back to the Times Union Center to get ready for instructions. We were soon told to head to specific spots to arrange ourselves in numerical order based on the number on our wristbands. My number was 0303, and Chris was 0305.

Once in line, we found ourselves standing behind three young European guys with higher wristband numbers than us who sarcastically blew me off when I tried to explain to them that everyone needs to be in numerical order. A little while later a woman in line explained to them the same thing and they finally relented and moved back to their spot. Leave it to a woman. We also met a couple from Canada (the husband had seen Bruce more than 60 times and they've met the man a couple times), a middle-aged asshole who wished Bruce would stop doing his whole "common man" thing (if you don't like what he does then why are you here?), and a 17-year-old girl named Cindy who had driven from Concord, MA, and was planning to drive back that night. Don't know if she did or not. It was during this time that I developed my dehydration headache.

We didn't make the drawing for the front pit, but were finally let in to the arena around 7:00. We hit the bathroom and made our way to the floor, staking out our spot about five people deep behind the second barricade just to the right of stage center. I could've throw a baseball and hit the stage if I wanted to. It was the closest I had been, and the people around us were great. Very territorial. If you had to go to the bathroom, they would save your spot, and they did not like it when people tried to squeeze in front after we were there. And there we stood until the show started at 8:30.

1. Badlands
2. We Take Care of Our Own
3. Wrecking Ball
4. Out in the Street
5. Death to My Hometown
6. My City of Ruins
7. Darlington County
8. Jack of All Trades
9. Murder Incorporated
10. Downbound Train
11. Shackled & Drawn
12. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
13. The Promised Land
14. The Way You Do The Things You Do/634-5789
15. Janey Don't You Lose Heart (solo/acoustic)
16. Backstreets
17. The Rising
18. Lonesome Day
19. We Are Alive
20. Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
21. Thunder Road
22. Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
23. Born to Run
24. Dancing in the Dark
25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

All in all, seven different songs from when I saw them two weeks ago, and at times during the show I was no more than ten feet from Bruce while he was on a raised platform. During "634-5789," Bruce was on this platform drinking a beer that someone from the crowd gave him. He then flipped the cup in our direction and Chris caught it. I got beer in my hair and almost dropped my iPhone as I was filming at the time, but how awesome is that? Chris wants to never wash it and have it framed. And big shout-out to the Times Union Center security team. In the middle of "Wrecking Ball," these two obviously wasted guys came charging through the crowd and stopped right in front of me. They were there for a few minutes acting wasted, blocking my view, and talking about how they had gotten past security, but pretty soon security arrived and my whole section made sure to point out who should be removed. I love teamwork.

When the show was over, we walked back to the car, then to one pizza place, then another, and we finally sat down in the car to leave at 12:08AM. That means we were on our feet, basically standing in one place, for over 8 hours. We were so exhausted and dehydrated on the drive home, and yesterday, too. It was a great experience, but not a relaxing one, and definitely not one that we would want to do outside in the summer when you have to deal with the heat and sun. Anyway, we like to tailgate before summer shows. Meadowlands in September? We shall see.

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?

Don't Let The Idiots Get You Down

Friday night In The Pocket played at La Puerta Azul on 44 in Salt Point. If you've never been, they've got great Mexican food...but it can get a little pricey. So, being the poor musician that I am I decided to stop instead at Madison's Pizza Cafe in Pleasant Valley on my way to the gig. I figured I would grab a couple slices on the cheaper side, then make it to set up around 6PM.

Traffic was bad. I made it to the bank, hit the ATM, then brought my car to a stop where the bank parking lot meets the road. I look to the left, I look to the right - no cars. I start to pull out when all of a sudden there's a guy crossing in the middle of road right in from of me! I stop my car - he looks at me, I look at him, both of us, I imagine, in disbelief. I pulled the car around him, and as I did I looked at him and said, "They're called crosswalks," in my best condescending tone. And then as I pulled away, he threw something at my car! I'm not sure what it was, though I think it was wallet because he picked it up after he threw it at me. I stopped my car in the middle of the road and looked at him through my mirrors in disbelief. I was dumbfounded. This guy was pissed at me because he was too lazy to follow the law and use a crosswalk and almost got hit by a car as a result. I mean, those are the facts. Angry and hungry, I [redacted redacted redacted] and pulled into the Madison's parking lot only to find that he decided to walk through that parking lot, too. Well, I wasn't going to waste any more time on this guy and I didn't want to get into it with him in the parking lot, so I frustratingly dropped numerous expletives and drove off, not having gotten my pizza.

But I made it to the gig, ate some food at the bar, and we played a great show. Don't let the idiots get you down.

And by the way, if you've never been to Mohonk Mountain House, you've gotta go! We played there on Saturday night and the food is amazing. Way more expensive than La Puerta Azul, sure, but it was slammin'. And grounds are like a damn Disney World resort.

Sick Day

This past weekend had so much promise. I got my hands on a set of orchestra bells to record for three songs on the new album, I got myself a meatball pizza Saturday night, and I was planning on spending all day Sunday at the studio editing percussion. But it wasn't to be. Instead, I spent Sunday on the couch.

I guess I can't be 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure that it was the meatball pizza that did me in. A few years ago I got a meatball calzone from the same unnamed pizza place and had a similar reaction. I swear that I had weird dreams about getting sick Saturday night, and when I woke up Sunday morning I knew things weren't right. You know the feeling. I don't think I need to get any more specific. And the worst part is, try as you might there isn't anything that you can do except wait it out. Wait it out. So I did.

And you'll be happy to know that while I was waiting I watched 5 episodes from the most recent season of Dexter (though I still have 6 to go so no spoilers, please). I ended up getting back into bed around 7:30PM, got up at 5AM, and watched a movie called The Perfect Host. Wow, David Hyde Pierce knows how to play creepy. If you've never seen it - and you probably haven't - check it out. Like the illness itself, I don't want to go into too much detail, but suffice to say that the movie keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen or what character you want to come out on top. Thanks to Tony for recommending it.

Then I watched Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part I. I guess it was OK. I mean, I was still feeling kinda sick so how close attention was I really paying? Plus I only read that book once so it's hard to really compare it, but it may be best that way. If you can't remember the source material all that well then you can't be as disappointed, right? I remember feeling so disappointed with the fifth film, specifically the moment when Dumbledore snaps at the students in anger. That never would've happened in the book, and it was that moment that I refused to spend any more money on those movies. But I digress.

I got myself together, ate a small amount of bland food, and went to the studio. Why? Because I needed to get the orchestra bells back whether I was in recovery mode or not. So, I recorded a little more, edited some percussion, and then gave up when I was too tired and hungry to continue. But I was able to get them back to their rightful owner without issue, and I even made it through In The Pocket rehearsal.

But I'm still not right.

So Beautiful Or So What

Based on my last blog entry, it's obvious to see that I recently bought Bruce Springsteen's new album, Wrecking Ball. But what isn't obvious to see is that at the same time I also bought Paul Simon's most recent album, So Beautiful Or So What. I was at Darkside Records on Main St. in Poughkeepsie for (believe it or not) the first time, and I stumbled across a used copy. And since I've had numerous people tell me how great it is, I decided to give it a shot.

I'm a big Paul Simon fan. I grew up listening to his music thanks to my dad, and it seems like every time I go into the city I need to listen to him. Unlike any other artist - to me, anyway - his music and voice just feel like New York City. I remember being in the city for a wedding back in January 2010, and on my commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan I listened to Paul Simon's Concert In The Park, and it was damn near magical. But I digress.

So Beatutiful Or So What can almost be described as simply classic Paul Simon, in that it's really good and often times unpredictable. For someone who has been such an influential and important presence in American music for almost 50 years, Simon has never really dominated the charts with hits. Sure, there's "Kodachrome," "Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "You Can Call Me Al," and the like, but the songs of his that I love the most do not follow the beaten path. Songs like "Duncan," "Something So Right," "Train In The Distance," "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes," "The Boy In The Bubble," and "The Obvious Child" are really what make me love Paul Simon. It's always familiar, yet different.

And that's how I hear So Beautiful Or So What. It's familiar, yet different, with nothing on it that you would expect to hear on the radio. And even at his age, the lyrics that Paul Simon produces are just gorgeous. That's really the only way to describe them. I always consider a well-written lyric to be one in which you can't even imagine any of the words being changed. "I've got a nephew in Iraq - it's his third time back, but it's ending up the way it began/With the luck of a beginner he'll be eatin' turkey dinner on a mountain top in Pakistan." Boom. "I'm going to tell my kids a bedtime story/A play without a plot/Will it have a happy ending?/Maybe yeah, maybe not/I tell them life is what you make of it/So beautiful or so what." Boom. He sets the bar over and over again.

My current favorite cuts are "Getting Ready For Christmas Day," "The Afterlife," and "So Beautiful Or So What." Have you heard the album? What do you think?

Thoughts On Bruce Springsteen's New Album

I always feel like Bruce Springsteen does his best work when his finger is on the pulse of the country. From Born to Run through Born in the USA, the albums and songs that turned him into a superstar spoke of the America that Springsteen lived in. I got into the Boss almost 10 years ago with the release of The Rising, an album that reflected the nation's sentiments following the September 11th attacks. Magic was a collection of songs in the shadow of the war in Iraq and the damage caused by the Bush Administration. Conversely, albums like Lucky Town and Working On A Dream don't have the same social focus that mark his most impressive work. I believe that Wrecking Ball, as a whole, falls into the former category.

It is impossible to listen to Wrecking Ball and separate it from the economic hardships that the country has been through in the past 4 years. But I can't imagine that Springsteen would want you to. Stylistically, it's almost like a cross between old-school Springsteen, the Seeger Sessions, and drum loops. Put those 3 things in a blender, turn it on, and you'll have this album. Everyone seems to be talking about the ironic nature of the open track, "We Take Care of Our Own," and the comparison to "Born in the USA"'s uplifting sound and depressing lyrics. But I want to move past that and touch on some other thoughts that I have.

"Easy Money," is a song from the classic point of view of a Springsteen character, and it's a great song to drive around to with the windows down (trust me - I have tested this theory). But the thing that struck me the most when I first heard it was the violin part. If you listen closely, it sounds strikingly similar to the violin part in "Into the Fire" from The Rising. Check it out.

One of the problems with being a musician and a music fan is that I can pick out certain chord progressions, and I wish I couldn't. Sometimes when I can pick out the progression of a song it takes away some of the enjoyment - probably because it loses some of the mystique - and that's how I felt the first time I heard "Jack of All Trades." I'm as big a Springsteen fan as the next person, but I sometimes wish he would use some more complicated chord progressions. But that aside, I see "Jack of All Trades" as this album's "Racing in the Street" - a piano-based ballad about a character who seems depressed but doing what he can to keep getting by. Also that outro solo by Tom Morello reminded me of the "Racing in the Steet" outro from Live/1975-85.

"Death to My Hometown" is one of my favorite songs on the album. I love the celtic influence a la Dropkick Murphys, and I think it has Bruce portraying the crux of the album: "The greedy thieves who came around/And ate the flesh of everything they found/Whose crimes have gone unpunished now/Who walk the streets as free men now/They brought death to our hometown, boys." If it weren't for the events that these lines reference, this album would not exist.

I was at the show at Giants Stadium where Springsteen first played "Wrecking Ball," so equating it to the economic crisis of the past few years is a little odd to me. And that's all I'll say about that.

I read a review of the album that said the song, "You've Got It," was far too vague to be effective. And I think its pretty freakin' vague, and honestly, not one of the best songs on the album. BUT the slide electric guitar sounds really awesome.

I'm not entirely comfortable with the rap section of "Rocky Ground." It feels somewhat out of place stylistically for Springsteen, but that's what someone else once said to me about "Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin)" from The Rising. So, I guess I just have to open my mind, and the song as a whole is growing on me.

I was very skeptical about the new studio version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" the first few times I heard it. I am so attached to the Live in New York City version that I felt that anything else just wouldn't measure up. The first couple times I listened to it I thought about what made the original live recording so great - the fact that it was this band of friends being joined but thousands of followers, and they were all in the moment together expressing the sentiments of the song. But then I tried to open myself up to the new version and stop comparing it to the original, and you know what? It's actually pretty good. I don't know that it's going to replace the original in my heart, but just give it a chance.

So overall, I like it, though to be honest I'm still getting accustomed to it. And that's one of the problems with most reviews - they're very superficial.

An Effective Ad?

I realize that I can be a bit too negative when it comes to music. Most of the time - especially when it comes to unsigned or lesser-known artists - I can point to something about a performance or a recording or a song that I do not like. Do I often let my displeasure known? Sometimes (just ask my friend Grim Chim). And I know that I shouldn't be so negative. I've been in networking master classes where the speaker talks about how talking negatively about another artist or genre - especially to someone that you've just met - can make you look closed-minded and foolish, so I try not to do it in that situation. However, I cannot help but tell you about my dislike for the new Pizza Hut commercials, and specifically the new theme song. I saw it twice while watching a episode of Seinfeld on TBS, and I must speak out against it. But before we go any further, let us back up a little bit.

For the record, Pizza Hut is not pizza. Now, I'm sure the good people at Pizza Hut spend a lot of time on their product, I'm sure they work hard, I'm sure they give it all they've got. But Pizza Hut is not pizza. More accurately, it's like "pizza product." I was at a party a few years ago on July 4th, and come the evening pizza was requested. And the only place was? You guessed it: Pizza Hut. I could practically see through the bottom of the cardboard there was so much grease, and that was the last time I ate the food offerings of the Hut.

Now they have this Big Dinner Box option. I guess it was launched before Thanksgiving, but I just saw the commercials for it last night. It costs $19.99 - only $8 more than a pie from the pizza place two blocks from my house. And it packs 5,000 calories...in a box. Presumably that's enough to feed 3 or 4 people (I hope, anyway). But I digress.

The song in the commercial is awful! I wish I could find it online to post here, but no luck. I've only heard it twice so I can't go into immense detail, but it makes you want to throw things at your TV. Hard. There's a girl singing about the product in a red room/house, at one point she slides down a fireman's pole, and the main line of the song is something like, "It's in the box, it's in the box, it's in the box." Wow, that's creative. Well, it may be in the box, but it will not be in my mouth, and they will not be in my wallet.

Or as my dad so perfectly put it after seeing the ad, "I would never buy another thing from Pizza Hut just on principle."

But you know what? They did get me talking about it.