"Show a little faith, there's magic in the night ..."

I did not come to know the music of Bruce Springsteen until later in life. Truthfully, his big hits did not really grab me. (Except there were two tunes that Manfred Mann came out with in the ? 70’s that got in my blood and made me move. I didn’t learn till later that Bruce had written them: I Came for You and Blinded by the Light.)

Then one day about ten years ago I heard a song on the radio that I really liked. The DJ said it was off of Bruce Springsteen’s album, Nebraska. The song really caught my attention, and I could not let it go. It had a sound that did not fit into the usual pop genre. It carried a down-home, sort of nostalgic sound that got to me. Different but still bald faced rock n roll. No frills. I liked it enough to buy the CD. 

Listening to that CD changed my mind about Bruce. I could not get enough. And even though I have continued to discover the many moods and messages and sounds of the man, I have not yet been able to fill myself up with enough Bruce.

Seeing Bruce in concert went on my list of “things I want to do in my lifetime.” And when you’re 63, there comes a certain urgency to finding a way to check off some of those things.

This is the story of a little miracle that allows me to check this one off.

A few months ago I heard on the radio that Bruce was coming to Chicago for a concert. My eyes got big, my heartbeat picked up, and I was all ears. That night I went on the computer to get more details. 

Wrigley Field. 

September 7, 2012. 

Cheapest seats ..........$168. !!!!!!OW!!!! Kicked in the gut and outraged and shocked. I do not go to, well, any concerts these days. So I guess I am out of the loop. Didn’t really expensive tickets used to cost around $45? hmmmmm. Things have changed. 

I could not justify spending that much money. Don’t argue with me. I just couldn’t.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it either. I was back and forth about it in my mind. Finally I called the one person that I knew that was also a big Bruce fan. Last time I had seen her, we talked about seeing Bruce the next time blah blah blah. She did not answer her phone when I called, so I left a simple message: “are you going to see Bruce?”

I never heard back from her. sigh. 

As it turned out, the day the tickets went on sale -- sold out in record minutes I heard -- Bob and I were spending the day with Maggie packing up stuff for her move. It seemed everything was against the possibility of going to see Bruce. 

So, I swallowed the disappointment and held onto the consolation that another opportunity would come along. 

A couple weeks later they announced a second concert date had been added. !!!!! Oh my, here we go again. My heart racing. What should I do? And again, as luck would have it, the day the tickets went on sale was the day that Bob and I were taking care of our two-year-old, adorable, delightful granddaughter Katie for the day. We went to the wildlife center instead of trying to buy a ticket.

Through the sadness, I still knew I would not have traded my time with little Katie or going to the aid of Miss Maggie for anything. Not even for Bruce.

A few days later came the little miracle. A message on our answering machine from my friend: “I’ve got a ticket for you to see Bruce. Let me know if you want it.”

You could have knocked me over with a feather. We hadn’t even talked. How did she know I hadn’t already bought a ticket? How did she know that I would buy this outrageously expensive ticket? I could not believe it. Somehow she took a chance and, well, W E   A R E   G O I N G . We are going to see Bruce Springsteen at Wrigley Field on September 7. 

W E   A R E   G O I N G .

W E   A R E   G O I N G .

W E   A R E   G O I N G .

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! I will let you know about that experience, if the words will come, when my feet are back on the ground, probably somewhere around September 18 or 19. I am very happy. I am smiling all the way to my eyebrows.

For now, I’d like to share with you my current favorite Bruce song (it is always changing because I haven’t even heard all of his music yet. I’m sure there will be another and another and another). Hope you like it.

Lift Me Up

(If you know and like his music, let me know your favorite Bruce song. Currently.)


F O L L O W     U P ... a few words about about the night of magic:

Man oh man oh man. Three+ hours of pure bliss. Of pure can't-sit-down, making-a-loud-noise-of-appreciation, lovin-it-all bliss. It was more like going to a really big party than to a concert. And Bruce was the host. The crowd at Wrigley Field (I was in the upper deck, first base side) was already wired, and immediately - I mean with the very first song - he got us all involved. We sang. He encouraged it! I've never seen a performer so connected with his audience. He was as into us as we were into him. I don't know how to explain it. So many times throughout the evening he would jump off the stage and go into the crowd, reaching out to the palms outstretched. No hesitation. He was so genuine and enthusiastic and energetic. He is about six months younger than me - (so that makes us practically school chums - ha!) but he was acting like a kid. And all the physical demands of his music have kept him in excellent condition. And believe me, I was looking.           Yeah.

The talent of his musicians and singers was so impressive, and Bruce was generous in sharing the stage and acknowledging that talent. Everyone there was giving his and her all. They were non-stop music. And we were singing along. And we were hooting and hollering for more and more and more. The music was familiar but still fresh. He did a mind-blowing rendition of The Ghost of Tom Joad. And still there were songs that I had never heard before too (Jack of All Trades for one). I was making out my Christmas list in my head as we were driving home that night.

He did not disappoint. He filled me up quite a bit that night. I know him now in a new way, a view of his on-stage personality. He invited a young girl on the stage and gave her the mic to sing the chorus of Waitin on a Sunny Day. And he was delighted. He danced on stage with a woman because her husband held up a sign that read, "will you dance with my wife?" And he was gallant. He gave us all - even on the rooftops and the upper decks - a vicarious thrill and the feeling that he was there ... for us.

I've loved his music for awhile. Now I also love who he is. Thanks, Bruce.