Interesting Events

One wintry Saturday in 1973, my sister Deirdre and I were at the Harvard Coop.  We often met in Cambridge in those days to have a burger at Bartley’s Burger Cottage and to buy a couple of records.

Back then, it was the premier record store in Boston.

Younger readers: this was before CDs.  Before Tower Records.  Never mind amazon.com.

In an end cap we were both surprised to see a new record with a reproduction postcard image across the front.

OK.  My family grew up on the Asbury Park boardwalk and beaches; but Dee had friends at a special place called “The Sunshine In.”  It had once been known as “Hullabaloo,” for those among us who are truly aged and yet still with firm recall.

One of those was this band leader and guitar player named Bruce Springsteen.  When my sister saw him hanging around these funny boardwalk clubs, it was with bands called “Steel Mill,” and “Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom.”

We bought two copies of his first record.

Thus began our family’s journey with the Boss and the Band.

I’ve seen the band play warm-up for Chicago in 1973 at Madison Square Garden.  Saw the Boss stand in with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony.  The big reunion tour, and most of the album tours in between.  My brother David organized tickets for the Meadowlands for all five us (Claire, Dee, me, Kate).  Saw the Devils and Dust solo show with my sister Claire and it was one of my favorites.

But last night I got to go to the Boston show with my 18-year old son Sam.  I got “General Admission” tickets, and we got to the Garden in time for the lottery for a spot in “the pit.”  350 are chosen to be in an area close to the stage and the band.  As luck would have it, our numbers were part of that group and we got spots dead center.  Sam was right on the rail, I was just behind him.

After all of these years listening the the music, never fully understanding why it touched me the way it did, I was never organized enough to get tickets up close.  I thought I knew what I was talking about when I encouraged everyone who asked, whether or not they liked the music, to get to at least one live Springsteen show.  I did not know what I was talking about, because last night’s experience simply blew all the rest of the shows away.

Sam does like the music.  I didn’t beat him over the head with it, he just started to enjoy listening on his own about the time the 30th anniversary re-master of Born to Run came out back in 2005.  So I took him to a couple of shows — both pretty far from the action.  No matter — the first time you hear the band sing “tramps like us, baby,” it’s hard to deny it is a special experience.

When we found out we’d probably be pretty close last night, Sam was so excited he nearly jumped out of his skin.  When we realized we hadn’t brought any “stump the band” posters, he negotiated with another fan for her Sharpie pen and crafted a double request on his T-shirt: “Thundercrack” (on the back, of course), with a fabulous storm drawing, and “Trapped,” complete with prison bars, and ball and chain, on the front.

Bruce did take Sam’s shirt, but unfortunately chose a  nearby suggestion, ZZ-Top’s “I’m Bad, Baby and I’m Nationwide,” which was fantastic even if it was chosen from the wrong fan.

The band ended the main set with “Born to Run,” and during that long sustain (you know, just before “the highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive”) Bruce made about his tenth trip to the small thrust right in front of us.  From this day forward, my son Sam can truthfully say that he got to play Bruce Springsteen’s guitar during a live performance of his most famous song ever.  To say he was delighted would not come close to describing the look upon his face.

Some things change.  Growing up, my father was not around much.  Among other choices, he decided to put extremely high priority on the education of his six children.  For a guy from Rahway whose dad was a bricklayer, that was fairly ambitious, to say the least.  He worked alot, and I’m sad that we didn’t get to do more together.

But he lives on through my music collection. For him, I listen to Bossa Nova — Gilberto, Jobim, Getz, Byrd.

I’m pretty sure Sam will have some vivid memories for a long long time when he hears the band crank out “Born to Run.” At least I hope so.

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