I like the way it makes me feel
112OK, so here’s the deal. My flight is scheduled to land in Kansas City at 6:10 p.m. on Sunday. If it does actually land on time, no given, I will land after about 23 hours of flying and layovers. That will be after three unsteady weeks of the Olympics — the insane schedules, the constant writing, the short nights on a hard bed, the sporadic dizzy spells, the constant fog of smog, the fatherly despair of missing my daughter’s first day of first grade and the general letdown that inevitably follows an Olympic Games.
Bruce Springsteen plays at the Sprint Center in Kansas City that same Sunday night at 8 p.m.
So, the question is: Do I try to find tickets and go?
I don’t think this question is quite as easy as it first appears. On the one hand: Yeah, it’s Bruce. How can I miss Bruce Springsteen in my own hometown? On the other hand, should I really find tickets (assuming I even CAN find tickets) when I might not even make it back in time? And if I do make it back, would I even enjoy the show in the state of utter exhaustion I would be in? Plus, I mean, the first thing I’m going to want to do when I get home is see my family, be with my kids, I mean I love Springsteen and all but here’s a picture of my daughter Elizabeth on her first day of first grade while I’m running around China. You don’t think this breaks my heart?
Of course, the girls will have to go to sleep about the time the concert starts …
This Springsteen question is especially poignant to me because once again, I’m in Asia and Bruce Springsteen helped me through a lonely and pained moment. You might remember how “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” saved my life when I had some sort of crazy back spasms in the middle of the night in Japan. Well, here in China, I went dizzy, the room was spinning, spinning, spinning, into the future, and when I finally could not take it anymore, I pulled out my iPod and listened to my “Slow Springsteen” playlist — a collection of 11 slow-to-medium Springsteen songs that I I love. They are, in order:
1. Leah.
2. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
3. Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
4. Walk Like a Man
5. You’re Missing
6. The River
7. New York City Serenade
8. Youngstown
9. Land of Hope and Dreams
10. Terry’s Song
11. The Promise
I love this playlist because, even though there are no rocking songs on the list, you have a wide variety of Bruce there, you have happy Bruce, you have melancholy Bruce, you have angry Bruce, and the whole thing finishes with probably my current favorite Springsteen song, The Promise, which is like the bittersweet second half of “Thunder Road.” I listened to that song five or six times during my dizzy spell, something about it brought me home. The Promise has two of my absolute favorite Springsteen lyrics:
“Well now I built that Challenger by myself
But I needed money and so I sold it
I lived a secret I should’a kept to myself
But I got drunk one night and I told it.”
And …
“When the promise is broken you go on living
But it steals something from down in your soul
Like when the truth is spoken and it don’t make no difference
Something in your heart goes cold.“
There is something in those two lyrics that, for me, get to the heart of the American experience. People keep on living even after their dreams have died, even after realizing they are not going to pull out of their town full of losers, even when they understand they will not get to the place where they really wanted to go, will not walk in the sun. I mean that’s most of us, right? In some ways, it’s all of us. Does anyone really get to live the life they wanted to live at 18, when the screen door slams and Mary’s dress waves? And even if you’re one of the lucky ones that gets to live the promise for a short while, well, sooner or later you get older, and the promise still gets broken, and you still go on living.
I listened to that song again and again, and then I started feeling better. It’s strange, it’s obviously a not a happy song, not really an uplifting song, and yet it never fails to lift me up. I guess it’s because I think, in the end, Springsteen marvels at the human capacity to keep going, and I believe in that too.
Not long after I listened to The Promise and got over my dizziness, I heard the big news: Apparently Springsteen will be playing halftime of the Super Bowl in Tampa. How amazing is that? You know, they always have a press conference with the Super Bowl halftime artists a couple of days before the Super Bowl … I will have to get you all to send in your questions and we’ll see if I can get any of them asked.
Anyway, I saw an interview he did with the New York Post where he explained why will not retire and stop touring. He said it was because he had a big ego and that his son called him an ”attention whore.“ But here was my favorite quote:
“When it comes down to it, I like the way it makes me feel. And the way that I can make you feel when I do it … It thrills me, it excites me, it gives me meaning, it gives me purpose.”
See, that’s how Springsteen goes on living. He stays on tour. He performs. He likes the way he makes us feel.
I can’t miss Springsteen in Kansas City, can I?
Well Im going to say this and risk getting banned from this site for all time, but I dont really get Springsteen, maybe Im just too young, but I never liked him or U2. But on that note, if you really love him Id go, oh and hey if you miss it at least he will be playing the Superbowl
Go. Despite what Bruce has said about staying on tour, how many more shots are you really going to get to see the E Street Band? And in your hometown?
Yeah. You go. Even if you end up missing the first couple songs, two of the first three are almost guaranteed to be ‘Radio Nowhere’ and ‘Lonesome Day,’ so it’s not the end of the world.
The alternative: take your daughter. I saw plenty of kids as young as four at the first night of the Giants Stadium stand last month.
Joe,
As someone who moved from KC to a non-Springsteen tour stop (Tuscaloosa, AL), all I can say is that I’d go in a heartbeat.
As someone who traveled for weeks at a time, all I can say is that I’d spend that time with my 3.5 y/o son.
Good luck with that decision.
By the way, have you downloaded the new live version of “Sandy” from iTunes? It’s Danny Federici’s last performance with the band - a fact that makes the song a bit sadder and more melancholoy than it already was.
I don’t think exhaustion will be an obstacle. Usually after such an exhausting airplane ride, your sleep schedule will be so messed up, you won’t be able to actually sleep anyway.
Going to the concert may be a nice way to make sure you start setting your body clock correctly fromt he get go. It took me 3 weeks when i came back from Beijing to get a proper sleeping schedule.
I suspect, tickets and the possibility of family time will likely be the obstacle between you and Bruce. Personally, I hate concerts at all. I like listening to music at home, or in the car.
This Sunday? But you’re going to miss the exciting Redeem Team gold-medal effort.
You best be going. Take your kids. They’ll be much happier in the long run for having gone. Especially with their dad. Be irresponsible.
I’d lean towards going. I mean, you’ll want to see your wife, right?
And I love that quote by Springsteen. I love people that love what they do. That goes double for ballplayers who play long past their greatness just because they love playing. I mean, it’s easy (relatively) to play when you’re the best in the world. But to have been the best and to keep playing when you’re average, or worse, betrays a deep love of what you’re doing. Which I like.
And Craig, Springsteen and U2 are two different beasts. The former is good; the latter is not. U2 is just a bloated (musically) version of their former selves and have largely lost touch with any shred of what made them respectable in the early 80’s. Springsteen has successfully grown into a mature artist who still receives critical acclaim upon almost any release. U2 think “Uno, Dos, Tres, Catorce!” is an acceptable lyric. I know advocacy groups are going to come down on me, but that’s retarded.
Joe, anyone who actually has a “Slow Springsteen” list on their iPod is someone who should not miss Bruce when he comes to your hometown. You’ll make it work, and you’ll crash into bed that night totally fulfilled.
Can’t believe I’m saying this but skip the show, see the wife and kids. I’ve passed up many responsibilities in the name of rock and roll but years from now all of the shows will blend together. You’ll remember getting home and checking on the kids as they sleep longer than you’ll remember the set list.
Personally, I don’t “get” Springsteen either. But I get that you do, and that’s what counts. If I were you, I’d make the effort, and, if it doesn’t work out (tickets not available, travel fubared, or whatever), well, then, it wasn’t meant to be. But, if you don’t try, you’ll regret it.
As the first person to chime in that has seen Springsteen on this current tour (in Omaha) and someone who seems to like pretty much the exact same Springsteen songs as you do*, I would suggest going.
This will most likely be the last time that you will be able to see the E Street Band in all their glory, with Clarence, Max and Little Steven. In Omaha, they rocked it. It was nothing short of life-altering. Let’s just say it got dusty during She’s the One.
This is an emphatic vote for go. This really could be your last chance.
By the way, since I’m bored, my Springsteen Top 5, in order:
1. Born to Run
2. Prove it All Night
3. Girls in Their Summer Clothes
4. The River
5. Atlantic City
Screw it, Top 10:
6. She’s The One
7. Brilliant Disguise
8. Badlands
9. Racing in the Street
10. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I have no kids and I love springsteen but I think if i did have kids, I would want to see them. What do you think Bruce would want you to do?
When Bruce played Kemper Arena in April 2000, the show was on a Sunday night, and I had to give a presentation at a conference in Pittsburgh Saturday at 5:30pm. Gave the presentation, drove all night only stopping for gas, got home to Columbia at 5am, slept 2 hours, drove to KC, helped wife do a fundraiser all day, went to hotel, took nap, got up and went to concert. The second Bruce launched into Take ‘Em As They Come (from the Tracks box set) I never felt tired the rest of the night.
Of course, now I have a daughter and seem to cut short all of my trips to get home early to see her, so I’m not sure what I would do. I can’t tolerate one week away from her, 3 would be brutal. I agree with the other commenters, take the whole family. It is a school night, but Bruce usually starts his shows on time.
The exhaustion could be fun, but I vote no, You might be delayed, and if not, you’ll be missing the girls.
“You’ll remember getting home and checking on the kids as they sleep longer than you’ll remember the set list.”
You will? Don’t you come home and check on the kids every night of your life?
This is a ridiculous debate. When your favorite band is coming to your town for possibly the last time you suck it up and go. No excuses.
I want to believe this whole post and poll is just an elaborate way to convince your wife that you struggled with this obvious, no-brainer, slam-dunk decision.
I love the idea of being out of the country for three weeks, coming home, getting off the plane, and going straight to a Bruce Springsteen show. What a way to come back to the States!
My view is clearly biased because I just saw Bruce at Giants Stadium (also right after a business trip, but only cross-country and half as long as Joe’s). All I can tell you was that seeing Blinded By The Light, Incident on 57th Street and Jersey Girl live was worth ten times what I paid to get in. Ten times. Easy.
Go to the show and do something special with your kids later in the week. Give yourself a treat. It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.
“I dont really get Springsteen, maybe Im just too young, but I never liked him or U2″
I get the feeling Craig is not Catholic.
Seriously, I don’t fault anybody under 30 who has never seen Bruce live who thinks he kinda sucks.
I mean, you’re wrong….but I can see how you got that impression.
Of course Joe wants to go, he just doesn’t know if he should chance buying tickets that he won’t be able to use if his plane gets in late.
WWBD?
Perhaps the most important question is: have you ever survived 23 hours of layovers and flying without a single delay? No weather problems, no lost baggage, no long lines at the airport Quiznos? If you make it home by 6:10, it will be a small miracle.
Come home. See your family. Get some sleep. And if you really feel the urge, take a trip up to Milwaukee on the 30th.
I’d vote for time with the wife and kids over any singer after a long trip like you’ve taken. In fact, I think you should go eat at Panda Express (American Chinese) and then take a nap.
Having also just recently seen Bruce at Giants Stadium - go to the concert, Joe. You won’t regret it. Those guys have been rocking together for longer than I’ve been alive and they STILL put on an awesome show, but Pete is right that you won’t have all THAT many more chances to see it. Max is (if I’m not mistaken) moving to LA with Conan, Little Steven is keeping himself busy with his radio show, and the Big Man isn’t getting any younger (nor are the rest of them, I guess).
My top five (but it’s so hard to choose just five):
1. Jungleland (whch I’m still ofer on seeing in concert)
2. Badlands
3. Rosalita
4. Mary’s Place
5. New York City Serenade
You must be delirious to even consider Springsteen on the same night you return to the 21st century. The only people who can really sleep on a plane are the pilots, probably cuz they still get free booze while you’re shelling out $10.00 for a eye-dropper full of seltzer & Nutra-sweet. Go home, hit the Wendy’s drive-thru for some real food, enjoy your family!
I just saw Springsteen’s last show at Giants stadium, too, in Jersey (they did jungleland when i saw him, Josh, sorry). Incredible show. Started nearly 2 hrs late, still did over three and a half hours. Started with “Summertime Blues” ended the show with “Badlands”…did a 9-song encore, ending with Thunder Road. Did a two-song ‘after-encore’ consisting of ‘Jersey Girl’ and ‘Rosalita.’ ‘Cadillac Ranch’ was amazing, ‘10th ave Freeze-out’-unbelievable, and ‘Brilliant Disguise’ was perfect. Best Bruce show I’ve seen.
Go. Saw him at Giants. Seeing him in Hershey. You need to go. Hopefully, he does Spirit in the Night the way he did on the 31st: raw, dirty, and perfect.
Joe, how about you find the tickets and then pawn them to me if you can’t make it?
I saw Springsteen his last time in KC and it’s a great show. I enjoyed seeing Bruce play piano which he did for “My City of Ruin” and then they did about a 10 minute rendition of “Going to Kansas City.” The latter song is incredibly overdone by visiting artists, but his was fun and the best I have seen live.
I saw the night 1 show in Anaheim this tour, and Joe, I think you have to go. One thing that’s not been mentioned is that KC looks like the final show if the tour proper (the Milwaukee show, from what I can see, is part of the Harley celebration), and Bruce almost always pulls out something special on those nights. Hell, I’m considering flying from Vegas to KC just to see that show.
For those who don;t get springsteen, I can only say one thing: go see the show. Until you see him live, you really don;t know if you like Bruce or not. I’ve taken several folks, including my wife, to their first Bruce show, and never had anything other than a great response, even from those who were not fans. One of my favorite memories, back in 2000, I was working in an Internet startup in LA. I had tickets to see both shows in Anaheim, and on night 2, my friend had to bail day of the show for work. we had a 19 year old prodigy working for us who had graudated high school at 16 and gone to work full time for Qualcomm. He was free and lived in OC, so decided to come to the show, despite the fact that he wasn’t a Bruec fan, and at his age, pre “The Rising”, probably knew little of his music. By halfway through the show, he was shouting “Bruuuuuce” at every opportunity.
Go, Joe, you never know, he might break out “The Promise”. seeing it live in LA on teh reunion tour almost brought me to tears…
I also agree that while Bruce will continue to tour, the opporutnities to see the band may be limited. Danny is gone, Clarence looks really old, and none of them are young anymore.
A slightly different list:
Top 10 Bruce songs I want to but have not seen in concert (12 shows lifetime)
1. The Fever
2. Meeting Across the River –> Jungleland (seen Jungleland by itself)
3. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
4. Lost in the Flood
5. New York City Serenade
6. Kitty’s Back
7. Night
8. Does this Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
9. It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City
10. Candy’s Room
First off, the fatigue thing is an empty excuse. Given your views on Springsteen, I sincerely doubt it will factor into your enjoyment of the show in any way. Second, the potential travel problems are what they are, but ultimately they’re also an empty excuse because while you may not be able to use the tickets you get, you can easily sell them off with no problem. I know for a fact there’s not direct Beijing-to-KC flight (it’s Kansas City International Airport in name only folks), so you’ll know well in advance of your final leg taking off whether or not you’ll be on time for the concert. Barring an in-flight problem on the last leg or falling into a cell-less parallel dimension, you’ll have ample opportunity to call your wife and tell her to dump the tickets (or take a friend instead of you).
So that really leaves Springsteen vs. family time as your only real decision. Personally, I’m in the “Don’t get Springsteen” camp. Some of his stuff is good, and I listen. Some of it isn’t, and I don’t. Some of it, like with most artists of his magnitude, is over-hyped beyond all reason. Hey, that’s just the way it is. So obviously I’d spend the time with my wife and kids. Slam dunk, no brainer. But I’m not you, and have no real Springsteen-like figure in my life so I can’t even pretend to be in your shoes. If I was in your shoes, I suspect I’d go. Maybe your kids don’t yet know how much meaning Springsteen clearly holds for you, but once they figure that out, they’ll understand the choice you made. You’re not going to scar them for life or anything.
I saw the same show that Mikey did — the last night at Giants Stadium — the last night in Jersey. In addition to Blinded By The Light and Incident on 57th Street, the band played a lot of great old stuff (which to me means pre “The River”), like Tenth Avenue Freeze-out, Prove It All Night, The Promised Land, Spirit in the Night, Candy’s Room, Night, Because the Night, She’s the One, Badlands and Jungleland (along with the obvious Born to Run and Rosalita). I have been seeing Bruce since the 70s and had given up on him and his music for a while but the show far exceeded my expectations.
So go. In college, I didn’t study for my Econ midterm because I drove to see Bruce in Buffalo. Worst grade I got in college — don’t remember the grade . . . but I still remember the show.
And take your kid. I took my son. He was awed by the peformance. Like Paul said — it was something about watching someone give it his all because he is doing something he loves.
Just to be sure, Springsteen isn’t playing KC THIS Sunday–it’s next Sunday, the 24th. And he invariably doesn’t go on until 8:25, so you’ve got a little lead time coming from the airport.
And as somebody who will see him for the 47th time on Monday night in Richmond, all I can say is: Don’t miss it.
Go. Or at least don’t rule it out. Go home. See the kids. If they’re old enough and into it enough, take them with you. (Wife too…same rules.) Go to the arena. See what tix you can find on the outside. (Rule of thumb his show starts ~8:15 - 8:30.) If you’re close enough to show time or even a little late, they’ll get cheaper too!
Throw it all to fate…that way if you score, great, if not, no biggie. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
-BFG
Oh…and I’m seeing Shows #30 and #31 for me this week (Jax) and next week (St. L.)
I thought Cleveland was your hometown.
The person saying Bruce usually starts his shows on time hasn’t seen a show since he broke up E Street. Ticket will say 7:30. He NEVER goes on before 8:15. 8:30 usually. There were some shows on the West Coast where it was the inexcusible 8:40. If I have seats, I plan on getting to my seat by 8, not before. If it’s GA, another story entirely of course.
Go to the show.
Joe, it will probably be the last time you see Bruce with E Street. Clarence is old, Max is moving to the west coast (and a contract that will not have a clause allowing him to take time off to tour with Bruce), and there is another member of the band in ill health and requiring surgery.
I wasn’t going to go to Boston last year. I did, and I got to I see that last show with Danny. I would have been gutted if I’d missed it. I don’t want to think this is the last E Street outing, but I’d rather not take the chance.
Don’t think Milwaukee is going to be any kind of substitute. We had the whole Milwaukee trip planned until, thank god, he announced the STL and KC shows. The shows sold out because what seems like the entire East Coast Bruce contingent is coming to the Midwest. I am going to know as many people in STL and KC as I would know in Boston or Philly.
We decided to go (combining Bruce with baseball and BBQ) because we knew that we didn’t want what could potentially be our last E Street show to be a suboptimal experience. If you go to Milwaukee, you will have the scorecard mark as having seen The Last Show Of The Tour but you will get a festival setlist. Not a stadium setlist, but a festival setlist. You will be in a crowd of people who are there for the event, and not for the artist. Bruce is guaranteed to play nothing you really want to hear, but instead a greatest-hits heavy set, which is what the people there are coming to hear.
Joe, if you need a ticket, and can’t get one from Shore Fire, then email me. My boyfriend and I have never ever been shut out of a Springsteen show (including BOTH Harry’s Roadhouse shows and Storytellers) and we’ll get you in on a ticket drop. We already have our tickets and we’re happy where we are so we’re not trying for an upgrade, but we know how to work the system.
**This offer does not apply to anyone except Joe**
And if you go, we’d love to buy you a beer. We’ll be in section 120, Clarence’s side. With the big sign reading SWEET SOUL MUSIC.
(We all have our impossible requests.)
Skip the concert, Joe. The timing’s wrong. Besides, Bruce hasn’t done anything since his first two albums.
My top 15:
1. Thunder Road
2. Racing In The Street
3. The River
4. No Surrender
5. My Hometown
6. Badlands
7. Magic
8. Prove It All Night
9. Backstreets
10. Growin’ Up
11. Atlantic City
12. One Step Up
13. Born To Run
14. Highway Patrolman
15. Incident on 57th Street
Oh, shoot, how could I leave off Jungleland? And Dancing In the Dark? And Streets of Philadelphia? And I’m Going Down? And Lonesome Day? Oh, and Mary’s Place! I love that song! Wait, I left out Terry! Terry’s Song is a classic! Damn, Rosalita probably feels slighted now …
It’s no use. There’s just too many great Bruce songs to make a “Top” anything.
It’s all about Wild Billy’s Circus Story. The Boss meets Tom Waits.
Joe, I’m just glad you listened to that playlist. Had you accidentally set off Springsteen’s Nebraska, you might not have made it!
Rationally, you should skip the concert; however, if the Boss has “saved” you in China, he could probably do it again [in person this time] after what will be, without a shadow of a doubt, a miserable flight. Buy the tickets, then play it by ear, if you choose not to go, I’m sure you could sell the tickets or give them to friends.
I travel a lot and have a lot of experience with delays and layovers and long flights. In fact, I just spent 26 hours last week getting from Richmond, Va to Seattle. That was bad.
But, I’ve also done those long flights from Asia back to the east coast, and really, they’re not bad in terms of exhaustion. You’ve got to get some sleep on a 17 hour flight - and even if I don’t, just zoning out with movies or books is like sleep for me.
I also have little kids at home whom I miss greatly when I’m gone. You know what? They’ll wake up the next morning… and you’ll get to tell them about this great concert you saw, in addition to all the China stories.
Go to the show. You’ll love it.
Yes, you should go to Springsteen.
You should get a sitter and take Margo.
I saw Bruce at Kemper in 2000 and took my wife to see him in Omaha last April (you can find my review of that concert at http://thedailyrecord.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/bruce-is-bigger-than-big-12-tourney/). I’m not sure that I agree that “Land of Hope and Dreams” is a slow song (what about “The Hitter”? It’s a baseball song, no less.) but I do believe that one should take the opportunity to see Bruce whenever possible. I regret not seeing him on the Seeger Session tour in Des Moines and the solo Devils and Dust show at the Fox Theater in St. Louis.
Bruce may have too many great songs for a definitive “best of” list, but can we all agree that “Reno” is the rare failed Boss effort? What a horrible song.
News flash: I am an idiot. “The Hitter” is about a boxer. Yeesh. There goes my Web cred.
i love when the “if you didn’t see bruce in 1975 you might as well give up. he’s worthless now” curmudgeons come into a discussion. because those guys usually end up trying to cut in front of me in the pit later.
Your daughter started school already? Sheesh. That strikes me as insanely early. I wonder when it stops for the summer?
How is this even a question? Go to the show, Joe. Springsteen concerts are the most energizing, life-giving thing out there.
What version of The Promise do you have?
Go to the concert Joe. Bruce has only played in KC a total of 6 times. Good chance it may be awhile before he gets back to us. It’s been 6 years since his last visit.
Ask Finn if he has an extra ticket.
I was asking him to get your book autographed so we could add it to the list of things we have already for the pre party raffle. All proceeds going to Harvesters. But with you out of the country we will have to make do without it.
If you make the show I will have the sign for The Price You Pay on one side and The Promise on the other.
If you think you can explain to your kids why you’d rather spend your first night back at a rock concert than with them, then by all means, go to the show.
I am not a hardcore fan Springstein, of any performer for that matter, so after 3 weeks away, there’s no question, I’d stay home with the family.
SBG,
That’s below the belt, no? Like Joe said, the kids will already be in bed. It’s a couple of hours … no big deal.
Something else to keep in mind, when you get home, and your little girls give you that great welcome home hug, you’re not gonna want to leave them.
There is no greater feeling for me, than when my son gives me a hug when I get home from work. It brightens my worst day and brings me immesurable joy. Multiply that by being away for 3 weeks and I can’t imagine it being close to any concert.
See, SBG, I see it just the other way.
Knowing what you know about Joe Po, do you think his kids will be the sort to look back years from now and say “my dad went to see Springsteen right after he got back from the Olympics; what a selfish pr*ck”
Or will they be the kind to look back and say “my dad went to see Springsteen right after he got back from the Olympics; that’s pretty cool”
I gotta go with pretty cool.
Mikey,
The kids probably won’t remember that night. I’d wager they won’t care one way or the other about Joe going to Springstein. But Joe will remember. This clearly is a tough choice for him, not for his kids.
So all that matters is how Joe will view it. Whether he goes or not, it all depends if he regrets his choice. If he goes and then looks back and says, “you know I could have spent that night with my girls.” Then he shouldn’t go. If he doesn’t go and then looks back and says, “you know, my girls didn’t care if daddy was home, I gave it up for nothing,” then he should go.
If I was in his shoes, I’d be coming home to tuck the kids in bed, read them a bedtime story, and tell them how much I missed them. Being a father of a young child myself, I know in my heart that that’s what I would do.
I love “Walk Like a Man” too. Glad to see it get some love from Joe here.
Joe,
Springsteen shows are okay. I’ve always thought he was a bit pretentious live (saw him around 1980, and then ONLY because he was Bruce…but mainly because Nils Lofgren was playing lead guitar. Nils rocks.) because he talks for like 20 minutes before each song. Yeah, it’s kind of cool getting some insight to his tunes, but I viewed it as an egomaniacal way to rob me of additional Springsteen joy.
I was an early fan, bought Born to Run in ‘75 or so. Hot stuff, back then.
At the end of the day though, he is a legend. Kind of like passing up a chance to see Ted Williams….except that Bruce will never retire. (See ego.) So there will be other opportunities. I could have done something else way back on 1980, rather than drive to Greensboro and hear Bruce talk.
It really depends on how many times one chooses the concert/World Series Game/work or whatever over ones’ kids that the kids remember. One time, they probably won’t (OTOH, he has been gone for 3 weeks) Several times and you are ensuring many trips to the psychiatrist in their future.
I am pretty sure Bruce S. won’t be visiting you in the Old Folks’ Home (or paying for it either) in 40 years. So, you might want to consider that when choosing “events” over your children. Fathers who made their kids lonely as children often find the OFH lonely later.
This all seems to me a moot debate. Go, don’t go. It doesn’t matter because it won’t be up to you. If your flight is scheduled to land at 6:10pm, there is virtually no chance you will actually be on the ground before the concert starts. There just isn’t. If you want to have the philosophical debate over what you would do if could see the show, then have it. But in reality you can’t choose to see the concert because you’re still going to be on the plane when it starts.
In fact, the best-case scenario is that you’ll still be on the plane. It’s entirely possible you’ll still be at the airport in whatever city you’re connecting to your KC flight.
‘People keep on living even after their dreams have died, even after realizing they are not going to pull out of their town full of losers, even when they understand they will not get to the place where they really wanted to go, will not walk in the sun. I mean that’s most of us, right? In some ways, it’s all of us.’
What!? What are your dreams? The above seems so dark for you, Joe. I know I am not the QB for the Dallas Cowboys like I wanted to be when I was 8, but I work a good job, married to a great woman, have two fantastic kids, and when the weather is nice on the weekends, I drive around in a used Mustang convertible. Tell me that is not living the dream. I could not go without seeing my kids for three weeks for ANYTHING voluntary. So, go home and see your family, take care of yourself. You will always have your ipod and memories of seeing Bruce live elsewhere.
Go to the show!
You’ve been gone for three weeks…what’s three more hours?
(Then again, I’ve seen Springsteen live in concert 80 times over the past 30 years, so I don’t have much credibility on this subject.)
But if there’s no chance of making it to the concert on time, then there’s no chance of making it home in time to tuck the kids in either. They’re simultaneous events. At least you can join the show in progress. With the kids, once they’re asleep it’s over.
I can’t believe I have posted four times to a blog about whether someone I’ve never met should go to a concert or not. This is a new low for me.
But I will ask one final question on this matter:
Is this rickreilly.com or joeposnanski.com?
Joe, some might say “follow your heart” but let me give you some better advice: follow my heart. Go see Bruce.
In the words of Buck O’Neil from your own book, “you don’t ever walk by a red dress.” Dude- Springsteen is a red dress. Go to the freakin’ show. If you’re an hour late, that’s still 2 hours of the Boss.
Take you kid out of school the nest day and spend some time with her. She’ll get caught up and she’ll be better off for the day with Dad.
Um Joe? The Olympics don’t end until next week Sunday. That Beijing air is really getting to you, huh?
As for going to springsteen… meh.
Joe, I’m a teacher, and last year Bruce came to Hartford for the official “opening night” of the tour. It was Parents Night at school, which is the one night of the year we have to work. It usually ends around 9:15pm, so I had no shot at seeing the show.
But I Stubhubbed a ticket, ran to the car the second I was done with the parents (”busted out of class….”), drove too fast, and walked into the show in the middle of “The Promised Land.” Indeed it was.
Totally worth it, no regrets.
You’ll be tired for weeks after the flight no matter what. But if you go to the show, you won’t be tired for the time that you’re there, while he’s playing.
Go. And write about it please.
Loved the Buck Book, love the blog. Can’t wait for “The Machine.”
I say it depends on your family’s schedule. Can you make time to see them in the next couple of days? Then go. If you can’t, don’t.
This is not NEARLY the same thing, but I once saw Radiohead in Philly on practically no sleep (just one of those weird things) after a day of sightseeing. The show was still awesome, though I had to drive back on NY (about an hour and a half) immediately afterwards, and by the time I got out of Jersey I had the sneaking feeling I probably shouldn’t have been operating an automobile. I think that was the only time I ever felt like I was really too tired to drive (and my back hurt, too). Anyway, I don’t think the fatigue will be a big factor, unless you’re facing a long drive home after the show.
Gotta admit, though, I’m in the “don’t get Bruce” camp. I’m in my mid-20s, but I like plenty of music that was “before my time.” Never really saw the big deal with Springsteen, however, and I suspect I never will.
Oh, and U2 is a total mediocrity now, but they were really good back in the 80s. It’s an embarrassment that they went from “Sunday Bloody Sunday” to “Stuck in a Moment.” I do have a soft spot for “Beautiful Day,” though.
Hey Kyle. It’s Springsteen. And I gotta hope that your continued insistence on calling him “Springstein” isn’t some kind of veiled anti-semitism.
It’s Springsteen just go. He won’t ever stop touring until he dies but the rest of the band…
Glad to see Walk Like a Man on your list. I can’t listen to that song without thinking of my dad, my wedding and my childhood. Land of Hope and Dreams is incredible as well.
Springsteen’s ‘05 solo tour in support of Devils and Dust was phenomenal. I’ve seen him twice with the band and once solo and the solo show was so intimate and seeing the reworking of so many classic songs in solo form… He closed the first night at the Pantages in Hollywood with Promised Land and it was AMAZING.
My top 10:
Valentine’s Day
1) Walk Like a Man
2) The Promise
3) Point Blank
4) Book of Dreams
5) Loose Change
6) Lost in the Flood
7) Thunder Road (Live version off the ‘75-’85 set)
9) Racing in the Streets
10) Nothing Man
That was hard to do…
Tough call Joe. I last saw Bruce at the Pepsi Center in 2002. I had just met my future wife. Driving a couple hours to Denver for the show and staying the night at a hotel would have been our 1st real date and it seemed like a bit too much for a first date. Didn’t take her, and 6 years later I still regret it. It’s a shared experience that we missed out on. (To this day, she’s never answered the question, “what would you have said if I would have asked?”)
We have a 9 month old son now and it kills me to work late and miss out on the hour or so I normally get to spend with him before he goes to bed.
It’s completely irresponsible, but take the family to the show. You’ll have a fabulous shared experience even if the girls think the show is “like, completely lame.” Years from now, they’ll feel differently.
So, it’s 4 times as expensive, totally irresponsible, and you have to wait like 20 years for the payoff, but it’ll still be worth it. Good luck man!
Tough one Joe… I love Springsteen and I’m going to the concert, but I also love my kids.
First question - did you see Springsteen on this tour already? If so, then I’d say skip it and get home to the girls.
If you haven’t seen him yet on this tour, then… I don’t know… I was going to say you should try to go see him, but as a father who travels quite a bit myself, I may lean toward getting home and hugging your family.
I’m fairly new to the Bruce party. I only started really enjoying him about a year ago. But I’m the same age as you, Joe, so I see those extra things in the lyrics that less experienced folks probably don’t.
But thinking of my personal favorite artists ever, I still tend to lean toward the family in this situation. You’ve been away too long.
I have a hunch the travel gods will conspire to keep you away from KC until after the show anyway.
BTW: I don’t think getting tickets will be a problem. It’s still not sold out. Oh, and showtime is listed as 7:30.
It’s a school night for the eight year old, so bringing the kids along is not an option. So I would ask your wife to arrange a baby sitter to start with. Even if you can’t get Bruce tix, you and the wife could enjoy a late dinner after tucking the kids in. Wives appreciate that kind of thing after weeks of single parenting.
Then I would consider these possible outcomes:
You get tickets. Your plane is late. Somebody else misses out on seeing Bruce because of factors outside of your control.
You get tickets so good that you know your guardian angel is making up for the dizzy room in China. Your plane is on early. Days if disease, altitude changes, and fatigue catch up to you. During a poignant pause, your snores are heard on the onstage mics, and amplified all over the venue. A thousand camera phones go off. Bruce learns you could have been with your kids instead of sleeping at his concert and labels you everything that is wrong with Americans. You become to Springsteen fans what Bart is to Cubs fans.
So if it were me, and if it were my favorite performer of all time (not Bruce for me, but I’m not bothered by it) I’d take my chances on getting tickets for me and the wife *after* I had landed and knew that I’d caught some sleep on the Pacific crossing and wasn’t going to embarrass myself to the world. And getting to have quiet family time instead *is* a good second best.
Dammit, NOW the pressure is on to find tickets. Aren’t there any Ticketmaster outlets in China?
I can’t believe that a Daddy who would take home a frozen treat from the Cheesecake Factory (on a hot late June day) for his little girls would even consider not staying home with the girls on his first night home after being gone for three whole weeks.
Judging by the photo, you’ll be staying home. And mowing the lawns sometime soon.
Joe,
Some people mark stations in life by birthdays. They are mostly disappointing because they are without true American tradition. Singing “Happy Birthday” is boring and not too dangerous, unlike celebrating Thanksgiving, 4th of July, and the other unique American cultural beauty: sports. The song is all sentiment and no substance.
Without getting too political, after coming home from the Games what better way to celebrate your own homecoming by living in your tradition? To feel what you know is limited and good about American togetherness and art?
And you, Joe, mark life by music, baseball, family, home, etc since these things can be shared with others. It’s the whole point of why I started to read the blog. We’re both Cleveland guys who can’t find anything better than feeling goosebumps during the breakdown of “Badlands” or “Night” (or wanting to show Eric Wedge the value of slugging percentage).
Do it. Stay young. Get off the plane, head to the arena, blow out you throat, then rest.
Most under-rated Bruce song: “Downbound Train”
Best Bruce cover: Johnny Cash’s “I’m on Fire”
A close second: Suzy Quatro’s “Born to Run”
A close 2A: Son Volt’s “Open All Night”
If you decide not to go or it does not work out logistically, you can fall back on Ben Folds, who has a new CD coming out in September and who will be playing in Kansas City on October 22.
Go. Otherwise you’ll be saying ‘what if’ for the rest of your life. And your girls would love the show, even if it’s not for the same reason as you.
What the hell?!! GO!
Sheesh, I live in Hawaii and the only time Springsteen ever came here was for R&R. The Stones have played here. The Who, Dylan… and some chap named Elvis. But Bruce? Naaaah.
If you’re into his new stuff, go for it. Your gal will still be at home, however groggy you may be. I haven’t been in to Springsteen music since the mid-90s so it wouldn’t be the same for me…
If I was away from my 5 year old son for more than 2 days, Springsteen could be playing in my next door neighbor’s yard, and I would still be spending that time catching up with my Him and Wife.
And to the guy who says U2 isn’t good, that’s just as silly a statement as Steinbrenner Jr. saying the Yankees had more crippling injuries than any team in history, and that Joba Chamberlain was establishing himself as the most dominant pitcher in the game—pure hogwash on both ends. Then again, if you love Springsteen and think U2 is crap, you’re probably a Yankees fan anyway, so reality isn’t your cup of tea. Enjoy season #8 in a row, I know I will,
Oh, and BG,
The best Bruce cover ever (say what you will) was “Born to Run” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood…
Check it out (preferably with an open mind) sometime, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Could there possibly be a more overrated musician? Not that he’s totally without talent. Maybe, as a song writer. Seriously, drop the romanticism and actually listen. Really? Springsteen? Music’s version of the “east coast bias.” Unless you’re from New Jersey… What a joke. Oh yeah, Billy Joel, too.
No band ever is worth spending time with your family after being away from them for 3 weeks. None. The entire band could get in a plane wreck the next day, and it still would have been worth it to see your family.
You add in the exhaustion and the 0.000042% chance you’ll actually make it home on time, and it’s a no brainer. If you gotta see him, make a quick trip to a different city, but be with your family that night.
I just don’t believe the plane will be on time.
It’ll be late. They’ll piddle around ’til they put your bag on the carousel, it a lot farther from KCI to downtown than you ever expect. And Springsteen isn’t doing those marathon concerts anymore.
We were in New York back in the 80s. Had tickets to “Cats,” the Yankees, a hand-drawn map on the back of a Pizza Hut menu of Mom and Pop places to eat and drink from an NYC native who sent to to eat pork lo mein in Chinatown where I was the only one in the place who didn’t speak Mandarin, and fifth row of Springsteen at the Meadowlands.
They guy played every song he knew. Not just every song he’d recorded. Not just every song he’d written. Not just every song you’d ever heard on the radio. Not just every song you’d ever heard of. Springsteen played every song ever written. (Okay, I may have missed “Itsy Bitsy Spider” when I was on a bathroom break. But it was that kind of night).
He played old time rock-n-roll, he sang a couple of semi-acoustic poems, he showed off like a bar band that knows its stuff can do. I mean, this was the 80s. And he never left the stage.
Springsteen was just likin’ “the way it makes me feel.”
We walked out around 1:30 am with all the others. We were as exhausted as the musicians must have been. But just as cranked up on adrenaline or the weed or, y’know, “the way it makes me feel.”
Anyway, we ended up in a hotel room off-Broadway and someone called up the radio station and told the DJs that the Springsteen concert was still goin’ on a 7 in the morning. “What happened at 1 am? That was intermission! They came back on stage and they’re still playin’!.
I think the DJs knew better, but they ran with the gag. And the next couple of hours were classic examples. Eventually, some 7,000 people showed up at the Meadowlands Arena with their ticket stubs, wanting to get back in for the “second act” of Springsteen’s performance.
Some guy called up and said he was with the Guinness record book and that Springsteen had claimed he was going to perform the world’s longest concert. People called up with Springsteen recordings in the background claiming they were at the concert and it was still going on a eight in the morning.
We had sort of a reunion a couple of years ago, most of us who were in NYC that weekend. The stories get refined, depending on who’s talking.
But it’s all true.
Even the lies.
Mike Says
“What do you think Bruce would want you to do?”
Go and watch him obviously. I’d just like to say I voted see Pringsteen before even finding out why the vote was there. I think I stand by that too (maybe take the kids though Joe)
Yesterday, I interviewed an 80-year old man who has no kids and whose wife died three years ago. Go home, and if your girls are asleep when you get there, stroke their hair as they sleep.
And I like Springsteen.
No way you can miss the show Joe. I saw his last show in KC when he played “going to Kansas City….Kansas City here we come” It was awesome, Roy beat on the keyboards by himself for it must have been over 10 minutes by himself in the encore and Bruce and the rest of the band came back out - great moment on the Rising Tour back in (i think) 2002….Will be my 4 the show of his and they have all been great….
Margo to the girls: ‘Girls, it is three in the afternoon, if you take a nap now, you can stay up late and see Daddy when he gets home tonight or if you don’t take a nap now, Daddy will go the Bruce Springsteen concert because you’re second best and Daddy is not using his imagination so that he can see you’
Sorry to be so mean, but I am extremely disappointed that this is really even a quandary.
I’m in the “I just don’t get Springsteen” camp, and I’m a huge fan of rock music, especially live shows. Hey, people like what they like, and that’s why there are so many bands. Hell, I’m still bitter about not going to see the Violent Femmes in college and instead studied for my final the next day. I don’t remember how I did on the final, but I do remember I didn’t see the Violent Femmes. I saw them next year, so no big deal in the end.
I love going to live shows, but I also don’t have a daughter. And I haven’t been gone for three weeks. If it were me, I’d probably go to the show of my favorite band, but then again, there’s probably a reason I don’t have a daughter.
The righteousness in some of these posts is off the chart. How’s the view from that high horse, Man In Black?
Having a life outside of your kids doesn’t make you a poor parent or indicate that your kids are second-best
I hadn’t heard NYC Serenade until recently and I very surprised - by how good it was and how much it is endebted to Madame George by Van Morrison. I know Van criticized Springsteen, among others, of ripping him off in the Sevenites but I had never heard any song where the debt was really patent. I thought Spirits in the Night always sounded extremely Van-ish, but NYC Serenade is even crazier.
I was just wondering what Bruce fans thought about all that.
load up on coffee, Stay w/ the kids til they sleep, get a babysitter or someone to watch sleeping kids, then go to the concert with the wife. You won’t really be tired until the next day when you should be waking up at 6am when your body thinks you stayed up all night and feels like it’s 6pm.
the boss is awesome. kids are awesome. put em to bed early, miss a few songs, good times all around, wake up next week.
Joe,
You should go. In the end, what do you benefit by not going? Sleep…there’s plenty of time for that when you’re dead…or at least that’s what some of my friends would say. I had an experience in college on spring break similar to this one and your last post made me think of it and now this one did too, so I had to write it down. We were in Acapulco and it was insanity, non-stop drinking, beach going, girls, the whole thing…if you’ve ever seen that stuff on MTV, it’s actually much tamer than the real thing if you can believe it. Anyway, I was sick and I found myself so sick that I walked up to a Mexican pharmacy…also known as a store on the street where you buy meds through a caged window asking a woman…in Spanish, what she recommended for the insane sinus pressure I had. What she gave me made me insanely dizzy, but I hung on. Anyway, the end of the week came and I had one more day left on my passes to the clubs, our flight was the next day at 9:30am and our bus would come to pick us up at 6:30am. So my friend and I hit the clubs danced all night, had a great time, and basically died on the flight home…you have that same opportunity, except your hellish flight is before…after that, it’s all gravy my man…enjoy the Boss.
Mikey-
I know having a life outside your kids doesn’t make you a poor parent and you know that having a life outside your kids doesn’t make you a poor parent, but little kids don’t know. They don’t understand. They may understand in the future, or they may be heroin addicts- anything is possible.
There are 25 points that I could make here, but I will only make a couple so as not to drone on too long. I imagine that Joe really is a little heartbroken that he missed his daughters first day of first grade, so that tells me there is a great chance that Margo and the girls (in sun dresses, with some home made art that they drew just for Daddy coming home from China, I see an Olympic theme to the art) will be at the airport at 6:10. If you have ever been met by your children at the airport, it is a FANTASTIC experience. Hugs that last five minutes, ofter times tears. Then the Posnanski family hangs around and waits for Joe’s bags. Then they hop in the family truckster and head downtown to drop off Joe at the concert? And you don’t think that will make the girls feel second best?
Now if Joe goes home, puts the girls to bed, and then goes to the concert- fine. If all Joe is going to miss out on is sleeply time, by all means go. But skipping out on family time Sunday evening, in this case is, IMHO, does not look like you have your priorities straight. My kids are still up at 6:10, 7:10 and 8:10 how about yours? My kids would be able to stay up extra late on the night I got home if I were out of town for three weeks, I can tell you that.
Joe also needs to take care of Joe. He is already exhausted, dizzy and out of sorts. Then he is going to travel for at least 23 hours will sleep will be scant- then go to a Springsteen concert? I wouldn’t recommend that for someone who is 21 years old, ten feet tall and bulletproof, let alone a middleaged(same as me), chubby(same as me), bald(same as me), father of two (same as me).
What America needs is for more parents to error on the side of their kids and less concerts and weed (which someone mentioned earlier). In the last twelve months I have been to Billy Joel and Elton John concerts (separetly), so I like concerts and understand some of the importance of why Joe wants to go so badly, just not the Sunday in question.
Mikey - on a normal Sunday evening, even one where there might be something going on, I’d say go. But the guy has been gone from his family for 3 weeks, which is a long time to be away from two young children, not to mention his wife. I think the point Man in Black is making is that people too often put their family down on the priority list because they’re always going to be there. It’s damaging to your relationships with the people who matter the most. Whereas Bruce Springsteen will probably not even know the difference if Joe is there or not.
I know that I personally could not be at a concert on that night and feel anything but guilt for not spending quality time with my wife and kids.
WTSherman, I can see where one might think NYC Serenade rips off Van, and perhaps it does to some extent. I tend to think it is more a matter of reflecting the personnel. Van obviously has significant jazz influences in his music, with Astral Weeks a prime example. David Sancious, the piano player on teh album, left the band within a year or two in order to pursue jazz fusion. His influence is everywhere on teh album, but most obviously on NYC Serenade. The opening solo, frankly, owes more to Gershwin than Van Morrison in my opinion. One of my favorite Bruce songs ever…
MIB -
You obviously care a lot about your family and I respect your view.
I still feel that your posts have been a bit judgmental. As a regular reader of this blog, don’t you think that on balance Joe Po is a guy whose priorities are just fine? Don’t you suspect that it’s unlikely that his kids feel truly neglected?
Neither of us knows what goes on in someone else’s home (other than our ex-girlfriends that we pay guys to spy on), but knowing what we know about the author of this blog I think he’s earned the benefit of the doubt.
I would respectfully suggest that what America also needs is fewer kids who are raised to believe that the world revolves around them and what they want. I think kids are more capable of understanding the give-and-take of relationships than they’re given credit for. If they don’t understand that Dad is allowed to do things on his own sometimes, it’s only because so many parents encourage their self-centered view.
For those questioning Joe’s dedication to his family, I suspect that he’ll have some time off after returning home, and that the next nine days will be a carnival of ice cream, unicorns and Libby Lu makeovers (Joe will look great in the hot pink hair extensions). There’s no one right way to be a good dad.
For those saying see Bruce some other time or other place, it’s the last regular show of the tour (there’s one more show scheduled in Milwaukee as part of the Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary festival). E Street tours happen every five or six years. Bruce is 59. Danny Federici just died. There might not be more shows.
I’ll be there. A few weeks ago, a friend in New Jersey had an extra for the first Giants Stadium show, so we made plans. I left KC at 7:00 a.m., connected on time through Minneapolis, and was scheduled to touch down at LaGuardia five and half hours before show time. A couple of hours into the flight, somewhere over Pennsylvania, the captain came on and said that there were storms up and down the east coast, and that we had been told to turn around and go back to Minneapolis.
Whatever happens, Joe, I hope the flight doesn’t go back to Beijing.
Hey Caryn, way to read way too much into my ingorance of how to spell. Jeebus.
Go! It’s just for a day… heck, not even! It’s only a few additional hours… by the time you get back it’ll be late anyway. Your kids won’t mind.
Joe,
It’s a no brainer. Take a Lunesta, sleep on the plane and get to the concert. It worked for me when I saw him in Europe. His last show in KC was great. Even with no sleep, I don’t see how a fan could miss it.
On the other hand Mikey, maybe what America needs is more kids whose parents both have a very active role in their development and growth. Note that this is VERY different than children who are spoiled. In fact, I would say that the kids who are spoiled are very often the kids whose parents put other things higher on the priority list and “love” their kids by giving them whatever they want (materially) rather than spending quality time with them.
Look, I’m not accusing Joe of any of these things - it sounds like he’s a wonderful father. There’s no band that would make this decision difficult for me, but let me put it this way: if I had a chance to go to game 7 of the World Series where my favorite team was playing or see my kids for the first time in 3 weeks, I’d see the kids.
Joe,
Just voted on the poll. Crystal clear answer, NO. Bruce may be great, but you can’t replace family. You know this, especially when you’re stuck at the end of the hole you started digging as a kid. Don’t you think your daughter has thought about digging that hole these last two weeks so she could see her dad.
I didn’t read any of the comments, but I just read what Daniel wrote and agree with him. Kind of like Good Will Hunting, had to see about a girl. Same kind of thing here.
Craig —
It’s ok to not like U2. It’s ok to not like Bruce Springsteen. But to group them together like that reveals a deep misunderstanding of both!
But that’s cool. I didn’t like Prince — Prince!! — until about two months ago.
You know, there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanastan and hundreds of places all over the world who would love to have this kind of situation thrust upon them.
I’ll bet I know what they’re decision would be.
Go. He started the last night with “Double Shot of My Baby’s Love,” a song he probably hasn’t played since the Ford administration. Sleep when you’re dead.
Poz, go to the show. Your family will understand. Besides, the Big Man doesn’t look like he’s long for this earth.
For what it’s worth, the concert never starts till 8:15-8:20. Assuming the plane gets in on time (big if), that might give you time for both kids and Bruce. Even if you miss the first few songs, it’ll be worth it.