From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #36 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Saturday, July 13 2002 Volume 09 : Number 036 NOTE: Sale/trade posts should be emailed to luckytown-ads, *NOT* to luckytown. That includes tix wanted/tix grovels, post them to luckytown-ads, please. Contents: Chicago Release Events and Listening Party ["Elise M. Fleischaker" ] GA floor ["David" ] Congrats! [Frank Schulz ] No Repeat of '84 [Bob Handlin ] Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #34 [TicCR@aol.com] Re: GA [DOHO10@aol.com] Floor Seating ["rbr821" ] RE: Floor ["Mock, Cynthia" ] General Admission Seating - Not in Cincinnati [Steve Ziegelmeyer ] Geographic restrictions? ["Douglas W. Corkhill"] Steve and Clarence in NYC next Wednesday? ["John Fix 3rd" Subject: Chicago Release Events and Listening Party I attended the Chicago listening party last night (thanks, Jeff, for dinner and the ticket!!) and have been reflecting on the eight songs we heard. Before I get into my recap of the evening (which you should skip if you've "had it up to here" with other recaps), I want to make sure Chicagoans are aware of a few release-related events that were promoted at last night's listening party: July 26: Schuba's listening party w/giveaways, 5-7:30pm, 3159 N. Southport July 29: aliveOne listening party and midnight sale w/giveaways, 9pm-?, 2683 N. Halsted July 30: Crabby Kim's release party w/giveaways, 7pm-? 3655 N. Western July 30: Midnight sale at Borders (does not specify locations) As for last night: The theater at the Gene Siskel Film Center was only about half full (about 150 people). I noticed a stack of passes sitting behind the box office window, as if ticket agents had been handing them out to audiences who were coming for other events. Could it be that they could not fill the house, or did Sony intend to keep the crowd small? We had the same lineup as the Detroit crowd: "Lonesome Day" has been growing on me since I downloaded it earlier this week. It is so unlike Bruce's previous work, very orchestral/choral in nature. This song seems to be about a man who was betrayed by his lover. He didn't see the betrayal coming. He is suffering...angry...seeking revenge. It's like, "How could you do this to me, you snake? I want to kill you!" But unlike the emotion of the lyrics, the music is upbeat, almost joyous in nature. An interesting mix. I can't remember much about "Into the Fire" except for thinking that it just had to be inspired by 9/11. I need to hear this one again to form an opinion. "Nothing Man" could be 9/11 inspired, but probably (like much of Bruce's music) was intended to have much broader meaning. It starts off with the narrator saying that he never thought he'd read about himself in his hometown paper. He thinks he's just like every other man, but clearly he's done something (Saved a life?) that merits recognition. This needs another listen, too. I found "You're Missing" to be a horribly depressing yet captivating song. It seems to be about living, losing and living still. The first verse begins with a line about clothes hanging in the closet -- a picture of everyday life -- and ends with "you're missing." It can speak to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. "World's Apart" is WOW. UNBELIEVABLE. The crowd was really into this one. It begins with a long intro that seems to have a very Middle Eastern/Arabic influence. There are underlying vocals here before the first verse begins -- almost a hum or a chant -- and they seem to be in another language. The voices and instruments are rich, deep, varied and complex and make me feel like I'm in another world -- Marrakech? India? Baghdad? Cairo? I cannot believe this is Bruce, even though I know that it is. I was so busy straining to hear the musical composition and instrumentation that I all but ignored the words. I'll take a stab in the dark and ask, Is this a call for Arabs and Americans to come together despite the fact that we seem to be 'worlds apart'? There's so much to listen to here! I am going to program my CD player to play this song over and over and over and over...it is huge. "Mary's Place" is exactly what others are saying...this is a fun, feel-good, get-up-and-party song. It's a throwback to what some would call the "classic E Street Band days," reminiscent of Rosalita, Kitty's Back, Sherry Darling, Out in the Street, etc. I noticed a woman in front of us who was waving her arms overhead and bouncing in her seat like an epileptic. She looked a little crazy, but she was just feeling the music. That's what this song is about -- you can't sit still! My friend Jeff says "The Fuse" is a grown-up version of "I'm on Fire" ("I'm on Fire" on viagra, perhaps?). The heat builds and builds and builds. You are trembling from your core. The passion is raging through every wire, through every vein. You feel it about to explode. I think Bruce had to take a cold shower after he recorded this one...whew! Ah, "The Rising." The music and meaning(s) delight me anew with each listening. When I first heard the song a few weeks ago, I admit I was a little disappointed by the simple construction. But Bruce, like all great poets, has disguised complexity here beneath a tune that doesn't take much to listen to. (This is not a criticism -- just an observation that the melody is simple and repetitive, unlike some previous works, like Jungleland, which are so layered and varied that you feel as if ten songs are packed into one.) This seemingly simple song is rich with meaning and symbolism. I'm not going to get into what I think it means; that's been done over and over in the Digest. Rather, I believe the answer is for each listener to decide...and that is part of the beauty of Bruce. He speaks to all of us, but what we hear depends on our life experiences and our vantage point. We celebrate Bruce as individuals...and that is what brings us together as a community. I'm looking forward to reuniting with this special community beginning in a few weeks. See you on the train. Elise ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 10:52:40 -0700 From: "Jon Greer" Subject: Listening party and the tour I attended the listening party in San Francisco last night. I don't have a lot to add to the musical reviews that have already been posted on LTD and elsewhere, but I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts. The first is that all Bruce fans should rest assured that the album The Rising is absolutely a new and fresh sound for Bruce and the band. In the context of the other seven songs we heard in SF ("Lonesome Day, "Into the Fire," "Nothing Man," "Mary's Place," "The Fuse," "Waiting on a Sunny Day" and "Further On Up the Road"), the more familiar structure of the song "The Rising" was actually a comfortable reminder of the classic Bruce sound. Also, if you look back over the history of Bruce's music, especially since BTR, every album has been a musical departure from the past. This one is no exception. It was nice to hear the music loud and on good speakers, as opposed to via the net, as a richness of texture and the sheer power of the music came through much more clearly. Now, regarding the tour: the initial announcement made me very upset. Not about the GA floor, but about the decision of one-night, one-city across the country. For fans in smaller markets that have been skipped in past tours, it's a blessing, but for those of us in major metro areas, it's a disaster. The ticket scramble in NJ, LA and even here in the SF area is going to be insane, and scalper prices are going to be astronomical. I could understand a limited tour in which he only played 3-4 nights in NJ, 2 in LA, etc., but I don't understand this decision. Thank goodness he announced the plans for next summer, when he will do those multi-night stands again, or he would have not only set off a scramble but a near-panic. I expect we are going to hear a lot of stories in the coming months about Springsteen fans from NJ trekking to places like Greensboro, NC to see Bruce. Jon Greer [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 10:01:06 -0700 From: "David" Subject: GA floor as a veteran of several GA experiences from the most recent U2 tour, i can tell you that if Bruce et al. do it anything like they did, everyone will be thrilled about the experience. there were folks of all ages, very little pushing & shoving except a bit of a squeeze immediately in front of Bono, and everybody was respectful of others' ability levels. none of my female friends - - and i'm part of a large community of U2 fans - complained of being made uncomfortable or molested in any way. this can be done very well, so please reserve your visions of Altamont, at least until further notice. & if you're still not interested in the GA experience, but you get your hands on floor tickets, don't hesitate to give me a holler, we'll work something out... David www.thesatchelpages.com [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 20:15:31 +0200 (MEST) From: Frank Schulz Subject: Congrats! GA floor! Bah, finally after a quarter century! Congrats to you Americans; don't complain you 'old farts': standing and dancing and jumping and singing in a real crowd for 3 hours -- THAT'S A BRUCE SHOW!!! I had just threw in a comment in a discussion at Stone Pony London about differences between European and American audiences and shows. I said that it had always puzzled me that Americans have to sit (or are supposed to) during a rock concert. No way they'd do that in Europe. Of course, the GoTJ-tour was something different, seats were very appropriate here. So, "get off the couch and put the pop corn down"! Frank, from Germany. P.S. Thanks Tom Bernardo for raising my hopes about the new album. I was getting more and more afraid about it's lyrical and musical quality ... - -- Potsdam, Germany July 12, 2002 http://www.frank-paco-schulz.de ************************************************ "An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi Heaven on Earth / We need it now / I'm sick of all of this / Hanging around Sick of sorrow / Sick of pain / Sick of hearing again and again / That there's gonna be / Peace on Earth U2 - "Peace on Earth" ************************************************ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:43:46 -0400 From: Bob Handlin Subject: No Repeat of '84 Even if Bruce does strike a chord with the new record, it will NOT be a repeat of 84. *The Rising* won't fit well enough into any of the nationally programmed airplay formats. It's too rough for adult contemporary. Too new for classic rock. Artist too old for all of the others. Top 40 in 2002 is a beauty contest. With a few rare exceptions, people over 30 need not apply. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 15:58:40 EDT From: TicCR@aol.com Subject: Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #34 In a message dated 7/12/02 9:22:21 AM, owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org writes: << This is a move to pack more people on the floor and make more money at the expense of the fans - period. like it or not " ITS A DOG EAT DOG FIGHT TO THE FRONT " that's what makes it dangerous, Now its a different game for tickets...Im curious how long we will all have to stand in line to get a good place on the floor??... 2-3 days...mabe a week....?? at the very least all day, thats the really tough part. >> I think we have to wait and see how this pans out. GA worked fine in Convention Hall for the holiday shows especially if you didn't mind being halfway back where there was much more room and a more relaxed feeling. Personally, this time around, I won't wait on a line for several hours hoping that I'll be upfront. I'll take these shows for what they are and be happy to be in the building. Also, you DO have the option of a seat. I'm not saying I love the idea of GA. (I'd be more concerned with how fast they're gonna sell out) but providing they don't oversell the event, it doesn't have to spell disaster. Phyllis ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 18:43:14 EDT From: DOHO10@aol.com Subject: Re: GA In a message dated 7/12/02 11:21:57 AM Central Daylight Time, owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org writes: > < uncomfortable. what are they thinking ?? > This is a move to pack more people on the floor and make more money at > the > expense of the fans - period.>> I have to take issue with this comment. I agree completely with your comment about the GA policy. I also think it sucks. Being at the stage during the rush last tour was not a fun experience, getting shoved around and squished in the crowd. I wouldn't go for GA tix, even if I could physically stand in a crowd for that long. I think it will be a very uncomfortable situation for a lot of people and not a way I want to spend the show. But the idea that it's being done to make more money at the expense of fans is ridiculous. Bruce is charging the same price for tix as he did last tour, and I think we've all seen some of the outrageous prices being charged by other bands. Who here thinks Bruce couldn't easily double or triple his prices and still sell out. I don't believe for a minute that money is his motivation. - -Dorothy [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 18:57:09 -0500 From: "rbr821" Subject: Floor Seating I am wondering if removing the chairs on the main floor means more people? Hmmm, seems to me there is no other reason for this except for increased revenue. It also means when you need to sit down on the floor you risk sitting in someones spilled beer or soft drink!! $75.00 and no chairs.....Sucks! Bob ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:59:41 -0700 From: "Mock, Cynthia" Subject: RE: Floor >Just wondering what everyone thinks about the fact that apperently all >floor tickets will be general admission. Hi, As a short female, I'm less than thrilled. I loved the two-tickets-for-the-first-16-rows system from last tour. We were able to get great seats for several cities - truly the best seats I've ever had at any concert. I understand how a general admission area might add to the energy, but I'm somewhat afraid of getting trampled. On the logistics side, I imagine not having to set up all those floor seats enabled the aggressive schedule and one-night stands in several cities. If I do end up with general admission seats, I plan to buy and wear the highest wedge platform shoes I can find. At least that will give me a fighting chance at seeing the stage!! - -Cynthia ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 16:09:21 -0400 From: Steve Ziegelmeyer Subject: General Admission Seating - Not in Cincinnati The show in Cincinnati will not have general admission seating. Festival seating was banned in Cincinnati after The Who tragedy ( it wasn't in Cleveland as someone mentioned in an earlier post). I confirmed this with a representative from the US Bank Arena who said acts must have fixed seating on the floor. - -Steve Ziegelmeyer- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 18:43:22 EDT From: OmanIV@aol.com Subject: Lost In Ohio In a message dated 7/12/02 11:23:07 AM, Oman IV writes: << Gosharootie, isn't that what they did with Who in Cleveland???? >> I like to think I'm pretty good with geography, but Cleveland and Cincinnati tend to melt together in my befuddled brain. Cleveland is on the Great Lake, and has Drew Carey, the Rock n' Roll Museum, the Agora, and the Torso Murders in Kingsbury Run. Cincinnati is all the way at the bottom kinda southwest, and that's where the Who disaster happened. Apologies to RockandRoller and anyone else. (As long as we're doing geography, Youngstown is middle eastern edge, towards Pa. just a little ways from Hell's Corners....) Johnno in the great state of Confusion. Just head down Route 9, and when you see a fork in the road, pick it up. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 20:03:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Bruce Elbeblawy Subject: "North American" Tour...if it's meant to be a joke, it aint funny!! Hello there, I never really post here, mainly cause I dont really have all that much to add to what you guys talk about (I enjoy reading it though), the only time I usually post is when something pisses me off, which really is not all that often, right now though is one of those times... I dont think I'm gonna be alone here in saying, that just about every Canadian Springsteen fan (Allmighty Great Torontonians excluded of course)is a bit more than pissed off at the moment at bruce or whoever the hell makes his tour decisions. It has been 10 years, (yes that is TEN years) since Bruce has lowered his lofty standards enough to play here (in 92, Vancouver, Edmonton & Calgary were the most successful-ticket sale wise- shows of that tour outside of the usual places) These 3 shows + Vancouver 84 & 78 is all the shows western canada has ever gotten. That's 5 shows in a 30 year career...FIVE shows!!! What the hell??? What, is it really that stressful to cross the border?? does bruce think that he has no fans here? Is he so arrogant to assume that we'll just jump in our cars & pay $150 CDN & drive for 3 hours - & stay at customs for god knows how long now- to go see him in the worst venue for music in the history of mankind, that shithole called the Tacoma Dome?? Does he give a shit really wether we see him or not? Probably not, but he should not call it a "North American" Tour, it's not a north american tour, it's a US tour with an extra show that's located an hour drive outside of Detroit!!come on!! I'm sorry but that is total bullshit. U2 have as much a dedicated following as Bruce does, but they dont just stop in Seattle & say "well, our - -not-so-important Vancouver fans should just come here & see us..." if he got the General Admission idea from the U2 tour, perhaps he should've also asked Bono what the definition of a "North American" tour is. & one last thing, this tour is going to 39 cities, are you trying to tell me that there is 39 bigger markets than Vanoucer?? Bullshit... I know some of you will say Bruce doesnt owe me anything, & he should do whatever the hell he wants to do & blah blah blah, but i would like to hear from you if every single tour skips your city, hell skips your whole state & the 2 states next to it!! Anyway, I am not happy about this whole thing to say the least, & I really hope someone would let Bruce ("he only does it for the fans...yeah, whatever!!!!") read this post, & hey I'm not the only pissed off Canadian out there, trust me. Bruce "If you had everything you wished for, what would you live for & what would you lose?" - Matthew Ryan __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:06:04 -0700 From: "John C. LaFountain" Subject: Tower imagery First, I want to apologize if this issue has been raised already; if it has, I must have missed it. I *did* see the thread inspired by the Ozzie who thought it was presumptuous to suggest that The Rising is "about" 9/11 (I think there's no question that it is), but my question is about the cover art. It seems obvious to me the THE RISING intersected by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is a graphic representation of the flames bursting from one of the towers. And I have to assume that, since it's obvious to at least one fan, it was probably intentional. (I recall hearing somewhere that symbolism in the writings of Joyce, Twain, and even Hemingway was actually intentional.) So, what's the verdict? Is it: a) "Duh. Any third grade English student would have caught that. You probably think the symbolism in 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro' was accidental." b) "Wacko. You probably still think you'll hear Satanists chanting if you play 'Sgt. Pepper' backward." c) "Hello? This horse has already been beat to death on this forum. Where have you been?" d) "Get a job. You have too much free time on your hands." I already know about "d," but was wondering about the other three. Tanks, - -john ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:34:50 -0400 From: "Douglas W. Corkhill" Subject: Geographic restrictions? I haven't been able to find anything out about this issue for Bruce. During the sale of tickets for some of the shows for the upcoming Rolling Stones tour there were geographic restrictions placed on delivery of tickets. This was not announced in advance and resulted in some very distressed ticket buyers. This is how it played out: if you were ordering tickets on line (once you were able to access the initial page) you would select the number of seats and delivery method, move to the next screen, choose to buy the tickets, move to the next screen, fill in your name, address and credit card information, then click on the 'confirm order' button. At this point you received a message indicating the order could not be placed due to geographic restrictions. There is some information somewhere in the Ticketmaster FAQ that says all shows are subject to geographic restrictions. This was used here in North Carolina to keep folks from Canada and Detroit (ie, the opponents' fans) from buying Hurricanes hockey playoff tickets, although that information was clearly indicated on the first Ticketmaster page for each game. I had never heard of it being used for a concert before and don't know if someone from California to Carolina will be able to buy Bruce tickets in NY or NJ. Doug, thinking it's hard to type all that credit card info in less than five minutes with crossed fingers ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2002 11:52:57 -0400 From: "John Fix 3rd" Subject: Steve and Clarence in NYC next Wednesday? Picked up from the Nancy Atlas (www.nancyatlas.com) mailing list: "Then on Wednesday, JULY 17th, RALLY THE TROOPS IN NYC!!! That's right all you NYC folks that have to sweat the week out in the big ol' apple... COME DOWN to the PARKSIDE LOUNGE (located at 317 East Houston... or three blocks before Katz deli!). There is NO COVER for this gig and the place is run by one of the coolest women around. Plus we may have Stevie Van Zandt and Clerence Clemens dropping in, people checking us out from Sony and EMI and did I mention free belly dancing from El Paso triplets. Ok... that last one may not happen but the other two are lookin good." Nancy was featured on the ABC "Hamptons" documentary, but I have no idea what the Steve and Clarence connection might be. Anyway, she puts on a good country/rock show so it might be worth a trip if you're in the neighborhood. Her website says the show starts at 9PM. John www.cornells.com/bruce.htm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 20:38:30 -0700 From: "Linda Segall-Anable" Subject: RE: LuckyTown Digest V9 #35 Taking a break from my dialing finger power exercises to comment on one song that was played at the LA listening party that hasn't been discussed. "Empty Sky" sounds like a song that John Lennon left in his will for Bruce. And that's about as high praise as it's possible to get. I loved it big time. Also heard that in other cities there was soda pop and popcorn for the listeners. Not in LA--bottled water, of course. Good luck with the ticket rush everyone. Linda ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #36 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** LuckyTown WWW URL ** The LuckyTown FAQ, back issues, web-based subscription/unsubscription, and many other things can be found on the LuckyTown WWW Page: http://www.luckytown.org ** LuckyTown mailing list addresses ** You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown Digest to: luckytown@luckytown.org You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown-Ads Digest to: luckytown-ads@luckytown.org Any questions for the list admin should be emailed to: owner-luckytown@luckytown.org To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: unsubscribe luckytown-digest To get further information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe/change your subscription address, as well as the other available commands, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: help ********************************************************************* The contents of this digest are not necessarily approved by the list admin.