Bruce Springsteen-Giants Stadium 07/27/08

Going to a Bruce Springsteen concert is a big event for any Bruce Head. We tend to discuss, ad naseum, the most insignificant minutia of of his songs, his performances, his music. I am no different and can be pretty annoying in the process.

Bruce and the E Street Band played their first of 3 shows at Giants Stadium last night, and it was a great concert. I originally was not going to go to any of the shows, but managed to get a really great floor seat a couple days before the show. It had been a while since I was on the floor at a stadium show, so I was really looking forward to it.

Bruce is my favorite artist and I have been fortunate to see him in almost every setting a fan could hope for: Arenas, Theatres, Stadiums, Clubs, Concert Halls. If I could just get him to play my living room I'd be set. Any time he tours we tend to get very excited and discuss what we think the tour will be like, and what songs he will do. I was lucky to see one of the rehearsal shows for the Magic Tour in Asbury Park and the one at the arena formerly known as Continental Airlines Arena. The Asbury Park show was fun, but still very rough around the edges. The show at the Continental Airlines Arena later that week was pretty great. It was not to far from being tour quality. It also included his new arrangement of Reason to Believe which borrowed heavily from Spirit in the Sky & La Grange. It was one of the best things I've ever seen him do.

For the "homecoming" shows at Giants Stadium, I expected a pretty standard setlist, as much as there is that sort of thing at this point on the tour. As with his previous tours, the initial shows have a pretty set structure and little variation. As the tours progress, he mixes songs up and constantly includes many songs from his extensive catalog. Chances are you will see as many as 8 or 10 different songs at back to back shows. This tour has seen a new twist. Fans are now writing song requests on signs, and Bruce usually performs a couple of these songs during the course of the performance. Usually they are songs they are pretty familiar with, but occasionally you'll get a real rarity( Held Up Without a Gun, Summertime Blues).
Well, the setlist was pretty standard, relatively speaking, but it was a good setlist. Tenth Avenue Freezeout opened the show. At first I was a little disappointed. I've seen the song live many times and was a little burnt out on it. But it turned out to be a great opener and really set the tone of the concert. Bruce got right into the crowd and looked like he was having more fun that I can recall.
Many factors play a part into what makes a concert memorable for the person attending. Frame of mind, the mood your in, your expectations. For me, the location I was in, the great crowd around me, the fact I hadn't seen the band in about 9 months, all made for a show. But the topper was that Bruce and the band were great. They play better than practically every other band that tours nowadays. Bruce could easily do a 2+ hour show and most people would be satisfied, ever the die hards. The average length of the shows in the early leg of the tour was about 2 hours. No one complained. The shows were suppose to be great, and who can blame a group of musicians in their 50's(the youngest members) for only playing for 2 hours.
Last night Bruce and the band played for 3 hours and 15 minutes, with no break, and rarely let up. There weren't really any ballads in the setlist. Bruce and the E Streeters time and time again deliver and never rest on their laurels.
People who have never seen him might see a show that could be considered subpar by his usual standards, and say how it was one of the best concerts they have ever seen. I've heard people say this, which says a lot about the quality of the E Street Band, and also other bands.
Bruce shows can run the gamut from intense to inspirational to plain fun. Last nights show ranks among the most fun I have ever seen, if not the most fun. As usual , I walked out remembering every reason I love Bruce and his music and the fact he has stayed a credible and topical artist.
Bruce gave me some of my older favorites(Growin Up', Jungleland, Tunnel of Love, Brilliant Disguise) and a few of my new favorites(Girls in Their Summer Clothes, I'll Work for Your Love). Nothing that made my jaw drop, but something I'll remember for a while.
I don't know when I'll see Bruce and the band again. Organist Danny Federici passed away this year, and it made all Bruce fans really be grateful for what this band has given and continues to give night after night and tour after tour. In an industry and a culture where bands come and go and what is popular changes day to day, it's nice to know that there are still artists out there like Bruce. He does what he wants to do, writes about topics which may not be the "safe' thing to write about and believes that music can still bring people together and also enlighten us or make you think. And he can do this in front of 50,000 people.
It's nice to know there's still a little magic in the night.

Here's the setlist.



Tenth Avenue Freeeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
No Surrender
Adam Raised a Cain
Spirit in the Night
Summertime Blues
Brilliant Disguise
Atlantic City
Growin' Up
Janey, Don't You Lose Heart
I'll Work for Your Love
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
The Promised Land
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Working on the Highway
Tunnel of Love
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Jungleland
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Rosalita

Expedition Everest

My poor wife. On more than one occasion we have gone to Disney World and she has had to suffer through me not being able to get the nerve to go on a thrill ride. I am not a big fan of roller coasters and was never on one growing up. O.K. I 'm scared of them. The first time we went to Disney World I would not go on Space Mountain. Too scared. The next time we went, I managed to go on it, but only after 5 days of preparation. The sad part is, I loved it so much, we went on it again right after we got off it. The look on my wife's face was priceless as was her middle finger.
The next time we went, Expedition Everest was still in the building stages. I couldn't get a feel for what it was going to look like yet. We went a year later and it was all finished. I promised my wife that I would go on it the first day we were in the Animal Kingdom. We rode it and fell in love with the ride. Everything was amazing. The details in the line (the "pre show") itself were worth whatever wait we would have. Luckily, since we went during one of the slower times, our wait was only 15 minutes.
I am sure that as roller coasters go, this one is pretty tame. But it really is a great ride. It has a few good drops and the typical amazing details and storyline you find on rides at Disney World.
Later that week we went back to the Animal Kingdom and rode it 4 times in a row. Altogether it took only about 45 minutes to wait in line and take the ride the 4 times. Each time I loved looking at all the details and the atmosphere created.
Next time we go I might try the Rock N Roller Coaster, if I feel brave enough.

N.J. Red Bulls & L.A. Galaxy Giants Stadium 07/19/08

This post will not be so much about this game itself, but more about David Beckham's impact on Major League Soccer and Soccer in the United States.
The game it self was pretty good. Not as exciting as last years meeting at Giants Stadium between these two clubs, but it was a good game. It took about 20 minutes for the game and the teams to find their groove, but once they did, it was pretty exciting. L.A. dominated the first half, while New Jersey, err... New York dominated the second.
Carlos Ruiz and Landon Donovan scored for L.A., while Dave van den Bergh and Juan Pablo Angel scored for New Jersey. Out of the 4 goals, 3 were pretty memorable. Van den Bergh's was a solid blast from about 30 yards out. Angel's was a thing of beauty. A nice chip over the goalies head. Donovan's was another amazing shot that looked like it was not going in, but did. Donovan almost won the game for L.A. a minute later with a powerful shot that hit the upright post. That being said, it's pretty frustrating when your team loses the lead in the final minutes of stoppage time. My advice, defend for those last 3 minutes.
The game and the atmosphere were a little less intense compared to last years game, probably because that was Beckham's first game in the NJ/NY area last year after joining the Galaxy. There were also about 20,000 less people than last year. However, 46,754, people for a U.S. soccer game is pretty impressive.
A lot of people criticize Beckham for coming here, and label him as past his prime. I totally disagree. Time and time again, Beckham has come back from injuries and slumps and shown that he is still a solid player. Do I think he is the best player in the world? Of course not. He'd probably tell you the same thing himself. He is a great team player though. He is great at whet he specializes in, finding that 1 inch of space his teammates may have and getting the ball to them. He is a terrific midfielder and does not try to score goals when there's the slightest chance one of his teammates has a better shot. He does what a good captain should do, keep the team organized. Does he take practically every free kick or corner kick? Yes, but he is the most likely player to put the ball where it needs to be.
Another thing, I truly believe Beckham is sincere when he talks about his love of the game and the people he plays with. I really think he wants the game of soccer to succeed in this country, but he knows it will not happen overnight.
Despite what some people may say, he has raised the profile of soccer in this country, and a few more people are turning out to see games, and maybe watching on t.v.
I would love it if someone great like Luis Figo would play in MLS. The fact is , I could probably get better seats to the games he would play in. Don't get me wrong, Figo would help sell more tickets than are normally sold, but not as many as Beckham. Few players could help sell as many tickets as he does.
When Pele came to play for the Cosmos in the U.S., he raised interest and curiosity for the sport of soccer in this country. Now it's Beckham's turn.
There are many great players, many better than Mr. Beckham, but the fact is this. For soccer to get more notice in this country, it needs a rock star, and Beckham is the biggest rock star soccer has.

Denise Richards:It's Complicated......If you're an idiot

Denise Richards has now added her name to the long list of celebrities who want to have their lives filmed daily and show how they go through all the same trials & tribulations as everyone else.
I must say, that I am one of the people who believe that celebrities are dogged by photographer's and paparazzi more than they should be. I know they are celebrities and in being such, have given up part of their private lives. I agree that is part of the price you pay. If you show up at an public event(Movie Premiere,Play Premiere,Charity Event,Etc.) you should expect photographer's and fans to film you, take your picture, ask for an autograph. This should be expected and part of the job.
However, if you're famous and going to the doctor's office, or at a funeral , or maybe out with your family, the paparazzi should have some minute sense of decency and allow you to have some sort of "normal" life. But decency is not really something to expect from these sort of vultures. It is not the same as it was years and years ago. There are more and more photographers stalking these celebrities and it certainly has gotten out of hand. It would be nice if a couple having a baby was given the peace to have some alone time, unless they're selling the pictures for a huge sum of money which seems to be the trend nowadays.
Having said this, I am amazed that Denise Richard's will have her daily life, along with her children, filmed and then is shocked when photographers start taking pictures. Here's an idea, if you don't want to be photographed doing private things, like sunbathing or going to the tattoo parlor, try not hiring a film crew to draw attention to yourself. The reality is, the producers of this show probably hired the 2 photographers who were photographing her and her friends in Hawaii to follow them and make it seem like anyone cares about her vacation. As my wife said, "I'd love to know where you could see these pictures, I've never seen pictures of her anywhere".
Luckily I've seen only 1 or 2 episodes of this show, and I keep watching out of frustration. But watching the exciting episode where Denise and her friends got to get away from the oh so mundane life of spending time with their children and got to cut loose like they were "in high school", was just enough to make me never watch again. However, never say never.
As I said, it's hard to have any sympathy for someone who is so bothered that their daily activities are being filmed by someone other than the people she is working with to film her daily activities.
As the title says, it's complicated. Actually it's not.

Live Earth - Giants Stadium 07/07/07

Today marks the one year anniversary of Live Earth, the global concert to raise awareness about Global Warming. I won't go into details about the expansiveness of this concert since probably everyone already knows, unless you live under a rock.
It had been some time since I was at a BIG concert, let alone one that had multiple acts and was all day long. My wife and I had never been to a concert of this size together, and I was very excited when word was announced about this show. Bon Jovi were one of the performers so I knew she would want to go. There were several band that I wanted to see so I needed no coaxing.
We managed to get great seats, and we were blessed with a perfect day. It never got too warm and the crowd around us was great. I was a little leery at first since New Jersey audiences tend to be some of the most obnoxious and loud. I could never understand the idea of paying money to talk through a show. Having said that, the audiences when I went to see U2 at the Continental Airlines Arena and Coldplay at the same venue, different dates, were two of the best audiences I can remember. What I thought was great about the crowd at Live Earth, was that if they weren't into a particular artist, they would either head out and take a walk, or watch and give them a shot. Since the concert included a pretty diverse group of acts, everyone around us seemed to be there for a different artist. My Wife was there for Bon Jovi, I was there for the Dave Matthews Band, the couple in front of us for Kanye West, the family behind us for Roger Waters. Everyone was willing to listen to each others band and have a good time.
The big critique of the concerts was that so much energy was wasted putting on these huge concerts, and that we cannot save the planet by changing a light bulb. Those critics are partially correct. You can't save the planet by changing a light bulb, and you can't expect people to go on living and give up everything they are use to. However, if more people did change the type of light bulbs they use and recycled and carpooled and used a little less water and didn't have every light in their house on, it might start to make a difference. And the main point of all the speeches given that day was that nothing will change unless governments(local and national) lead the way.
My life may not have changed that much since that day, but I do try to do a little everyday. A year and a half ago no one was talking about practical ways to save energy, but today it's in our vocabulary. Generally as a country, we expect changes overnight. Real change usually happens a little at a time.
So we went away from Giants Stadium that night with a little hope and of course the memory of some great performances. I'll list a few of the highlights ,for me, that day.
After the concert, my Wife and I headed to the Tick Tock Diner for some food, along with many other concert goers. When we walked in, NBC was showing the highlights from the concert. There were the Police performing Message in a Bottle with Kanye West & John Mayer. The phrase "sending out an S.O.S." was still in my mind, and Kanye managed to salvage his part after adding some pretty lame rhymes earlier in the song by ending with "we can save the world". The reality is maybe we can't, but it's nice to have that hope sometimes and to believe, if only for a day, that you can save the world.

Highlights

K. T. Tunstall - Suddenly I See
Keith Urban & Alicia Keys-Gimme Shelter
Keith Urban-Stupid Boy
A.F.I.-Ziggy Stardust
Fall Out Boy- This Ain't a Scene It's an Arms Race
John Mayer-Waiting On the World
Dave Matthews Band-Whole set: One Sweet World
Don't Drink the Water
Too Much
Kelly Clarkson-Since You've Been Gone
Kanye West-Stronger
Bon Jovi-Whole set: Lost Highway
It's My Life
Wanted Dead or Alive
Who Says You Can't Go Home
Livin' on a Prayer
Smashing Pumpkins-Bullet with Butterfly Wings
Today
Roger Waters-Whole set:In the Flesh-intro
Money
Us & Them
Eclipse/Brain Damage
Happiest Days Of Our Lives
Another Brick in the Wall Part II
Police-Can't Stand Losing You/Regatta de Blanc