Bruce Springsteen and Driving Down the Jersey Shore

I have been a huge “Boss” fan since I was in eighth grade.  While everyone was listening to Aerosmith and Styx, I was listening to “Mary Queen of Arkansas” wondering what the hell he was talking about:

Mary Queen of Arkansas, it’s not too early for dreamin’
The sky is grown with cloud seed sown and a bastard’s love can be redeeming
Mary, my queen, your soft hulk is reviving
No, you’re not too late to desecrate, the servants are just rising
Well I’m just a lonely acrobat, the live wire is my trade
I’ve been a shine boy for your acid brat and a wharf rat of your state
Mary, my queen, your blows for freedom are missing
You’re not man enough for me to hate or woman enough for kissing

When I finally figured it out I was 25.

I have seen him in concert more times that I can remember.  Two of my favorite concert tours were his “Born in the USA” and 1999 Tour…I got to see him with my girlfriend at the time Cindy Ketchum (probably the sweetest girl I have ever known) down in Greenboro, NC and I couldn’t believe someone else besides Mick Jagger could have that much energy and stamina.  Four hours later I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to find out where else he was going to be.  I saw him 3 other times that year.  The 1999 Tour really wasn’t a tour to promote a CD it was just him bringing the old E-Street Band and merging it with the New …it couldn’t have sounded any better if it were a dream.

It was a great 18 months I saw him in Chicago (bought a cool sweatshirt…I’m wearing it as I write this.  How friggin’ gay!), Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, East Rutherford, NJ and Madison Square Garden, NYC and every concert rocked better then the next.

My favorite memories of “Bruce” are of the Saturday mornings in the Summers of my youth loading up the car to go “down the shore” and cranking “Born to Run” “Hungry Heart” “The River” “Thunder Road” and singing so loud and out of tune in the graveliest voice I could muster.  By the time we got down the shore we had lost our voice and our hearing for most of the day.

After cruising the Boardwalk for “chicks” we’d kiss the ones we picked up, said good bye and “blasted” Bruce all the way back home.  Ahhh…the Summer’s at the Jersey Shore.

One of my favorite stories of “Bruce” was when I went to see Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony.  I was under age but was bigger than most of the bouncers that worked there so they didn’t really question me.  If you’ve ever been to the Stone Pony you would know that it is the most intimate place to see a band.  Southside was rockin’ the house and all of a sudden who walks in the door, with a gutar slung over his shoulder…I don’t think you needed a hint…but “The Boss”.  He waved at Southside and the band as he stepped up to the bar, stood there talking small talk with the bartender.

“Southside” decides to take a break, walks to the bar shakes Bruce’s hand as “The Boss” whispers in his ear, they both shake their heads in acknowledgment and Springsteen walks up on stage and literally apologizes for the inconvenience but he wanted to “try out” a couple of songs for us…to kinda get “our” opinion.  I was thinking to myself…are you fuckin’ kidding me?…no get off the stage you freeloader… everyone was looking around in the same “awestruck” way that I felt I was looking…we let him play…it was the least we could do.  After he played “My Hometown” and a version of “Downbound Train”, he thanked us, went to the bar welcomed us to give some feedback.  Of course I did.

Ever since… I have been a huge fan of his graciousness and humanity.

If you have a favorite “Bruce” song or favorite story, please feel free to leave it as a comment.