From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #91 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Sunday, October 6 2002 Volume 09 : Number 091 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: Bruce in Barcelona on VH1 UK! [PYiannitsa@aol.com] Fleet Center Boston; October 4 [Hanaweih@aol.com] Paradise [Allenspencer1@cs.com] Re: From Rolling Stone: 'Earle Pays, Springsteen Slides' ["John C. LaFoun] Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #90 [Jim Mitchell ] Re: Thunder Road phrase [RAYERW@aol.com] Springsteen On The Big Bridge; Plus Boston Globe, Herald Concert Reviews [Barry Kaplovitz Subject: Re: From Rolling Stone: 'Earle Pays, Springsteen Slides' In LuckyTown Digest V9 #90, Craig Statham waxed: > I reckon there are two or three further distinct reasons for criticism of > Earle, and the lack of it for Springsteen. > > First, the political right have been looking for an excuse to hang Earle for > years. This is mainly in response to his tireless work in denouncing > America's use of the death penalty. 'John Walker's Blues' has given them the > excuse they were looking for. Do you really think the "political right" has been looking for an excuse to hang Earle? For *years*? Is he even on their radar screen? Don't you suppose they have bigger fish to fry? > Secondly, 'Paradise' (as with many songs on the album) is very much > ambiguous. Ambiguous? Even if you didn't know that Springsteen was inspired by the girl who blew herself up last year, it's pretty damn easy to figure out by reading the lyrics. Thing is, most people don't bother to read the lyrics, which is a shame. > Even the line "Plastics, wire ..." isn't put in any distinct > context. Que? Read the whole verse. It reads like a scene from a screenplay. >'John Walker's Blues', on the other hand, is worded in such a way > that it grabs one's attention. Well, that, and he put the guy's name right in the title... > Despite this, you judge which one is the more > radical - 'Paradise' is an insight into the mind of a bomber (who likely > killed hundreds, or even thousands). Hundreds or even thousands? Where did that come from? Think "handful or even dozens." > 'John Walker's Blues' is an insight > into the mind of one American (who likely didn't kill anybody). Two assumptions there: that there is actual insight (I doubt it, unless Earle actually interviewed him before writing the song), and that he didn't kill anybody; if he didn't, it was probably due either to lack of opportunity or ineptitude. > Lastly, and following on from the last point, we should perhaps remember the > Bruce quote (probably paraphrased), "It's not that people aren't taught to > think, it's just that they're not taught to think hard enough". I'll just let that one hang out there. Best, - -john ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002 00:39:00 -0500 From: Jim Mitchell Subject: Re: LuckyTown Digest V9 #90 I was at St. Louis and KC. While St. Louis was great with an especially enthusiastic audience, and certainly special since its my home, KC blew me away- the best of the 10 Springsteen concerts I've seen in my lifetime. The empty seat question really perplexes me too- St. Louis had even more empties than KC. Given that St. Louis is at least as big in population as KC, and that KC was skipped on three major tours, I'm even more surprised that it did better than St. Louis. We've never had a problem selling out, or at least filling, his concerts before. However, from what I've read this is pretty typical for the shows outside of the Northeast and maybe Chicago and LA. Sounds like Denver might actually be the exception. The main reason is simple, I think- $75 a ticket. Some people argue that $75 is a bargain compared to acts like McCartney, The Stones and The Who. That might be true, but my favorite reply to that logic is that a Mercedes might be a bargain compared to a Rolls, but that doesn't mean that I'm driving either one. While those other acts might charge more for the best seats, they also charge less for the worst seats in the house. The very seats in St. Louis that were empty were only $37.50 in 2000. That means that the price has doubled in only two years. I would not pay $75 to see anyone short of Springsteen, no matter how much I love their music. It also reduced my willingness/ability to travel to see other shows quite a bit. I saw five on the reunion show, and will stop with 2 for this tour. For my wife and I to see the show, pay for parking, hire a babysitter and grab a bite to eat, that turns into nearly a $300 evening- we wouldn't even pay that much for an anniversary or a weekend vacation. Ridiculous. The rather lame reply on some of the newsgroups and message boards to complaints about the cost is "don't like it, don't pay it". Well, guess what? Some people aren't paying it and aren't seeing the shows. For the first time in nearly 3 decades, Bruce Springsteen is playing to several thousand empty seats in major cities, some in which he had no trouble selling out just 2 years ago. Why do I waste my time wondering about this? Empty seats didn't impact my enjoyment of either show or the power of the performances. I don't think Bruce is going hungry tonight because a few lousy seats in the Midwest didn't sell out. I certainly don't expect a return visit to St. Louis or KC in 2003 (although Bruce did promise he'll see us next year in both cities- don't make promises you can't keep), but I hope the relatively poor sales (and I question whether a crowd of 12,000-15,000 ecstatic fans is really considered "poor") won't impact future tour stops. Bruce has never skipped St. Louis, and seems to have rediscovered KC. While neither may be NYC or LA, both are major cities with sizable fanbases (yes, hard as it is to believe for some, thousands of people outside of NJ instantly recognized the opening notes of "Incident"). Hopefully future decisions will take into account the poor economy, the underpromotion of the show, and the number of recent concerts in both cities. We'll see... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 21:54:33 EDT From: RAYERW@aol.com Subject: Re: Thunder Road phrase In answer to Greg's question: My take is, Mary's dancing around the porch with the radio playing a Roy Orbison song. Some song which appeals to lonely people one of whom is the character/Bruce is portraying. The man is lonely and wants Mary to come with him and keep him company, keep him from being lonely, maybe be a soulmate?? I'll be real interested in reading other's takes but think this is just a straightforward phrase that means what it says. Betty Anne, FL Bruce Tramp ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002 22:38:49 -0500 From: Barry Kaplovitz Subject: Springsteen On The Big Bridge; Plus Boston Globe, Herald Concert Reviews The Boston Globe October 5, 2002 Thunderous Celebration Zakim-Bunker Hill Bridge is dedicated By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff, 10/5/2002 Beneath the lofty towers of Boston's newest landmark, about 2,000 people gathered yesterday to dedicate the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, proclaiming the sleek span a monument to freedom, equality, and American ingenuity. The often tearful ceremony brought a harmonious end to a decade marked by bitter disputes about the bridge's original design, which area residents at first panned, and its double-barreled name. In the end, the bridge is being heralded for its beauty, and parties that had been at odds over the name sat together on the cable-stayed structure for its dedication. The ceremony, which included a multi-ethnic children's chorus assembled for the event, reached its apex when rock star Bruce Springsteen, whom Zakim had become friends with toward the end of his life, took to the stage and sang his classic, ''Thunder Road.'' Springsteen belted out the song on acoustic guitar and harmonica. It was fitting not only because it speaks to the promise of freedom on America's highways and byways, but because it was played at Zakim's funeral as his casket was taken from the synagogue to the cemetery. Over a long career, Zakim built an impressive resume as a social justice activist. For two decades he was executive director of the New England office of the Anti-Defamation League. In 1985 he founded A World of Difference, the ADL's highly regarded antiprejudice program. He cofounded Team Harmony to teach young people tolerance. And after being diagnosed with cancer, he created the Lenny Fund to support financially needy social programs. Joyce Zakim, widow of the civil rights leader, said she was overwhelmed by the event, especially Springsteen's tribute, saying that her husband ''really did live his words.'' ''I don't think [Zakim] could have wanted anything more,'' she said, noting that Springsteen had chosen the number himself. ... ... Seeing people who once fought over the bridge's original design and its naming sitting side-by-side, the Rev. Charles Stith, former US ambassador to Tanzania, called the gathering a typical ''Lenny Zakim happening,'' adding, ''He is still working amongst us.'' State administrative law judge Charles E. Walker, a close friend of Zakim, said he was amazed that Zakim, even in death, had managed to bring disparate sides together. ''I've never seen a greater match between an edifice and the soul of an individual,'' Walker told a gathering of about 300 people at an interdenominational prayer service yesterday morning at Charlestown's St. Francis De Sales Church, which sits atop Bunker Hill. The service was just the second at the 140-year-old church to involve other faiths. The first occurred last summer, when leaders on both sides came together to begin calming tension arising from the dual name. ... ... Those who did catch a glimpse were rewarded. The rows of seats nearest the stage looked like a ''Who's Who'' of recent Massachusetts political history, with former governor Michael Dukakis, Senate President Thomas Birmingham, House Speaker Thomas Finneran, and others with Zakim relatives. Springsteen, in black jeans, a pin-striped blazer, and cowboy boots, sat three seats from Turnpike Authority board member Jordan Levy. ... If the Big Dig's ever-changing schedule remains stable, motorists will be able to drive on the Zakim Bunker Hill bridge's northbound lanes by mid-December. After that, the word's of Springsteen's ''Thunder Road'' will ring true for Boston drivers, who have waited more than a decade for the nation's most complex construction project to wind down. ''Hey, what else can we do now,'' Springsteen sang, ''except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair.'' For more information about the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, yesterday's dedication, and tomorrow's walk, log on to www.bigdig.com. This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 10/5/2002. Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/278/metro/Thunderous_celebration+.shtml ==============The Boston Globe October 5, 2002 MUSIC REVIEW Springsteen Searches To Reconcile Loss, Faith By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff, 10/5/2002 Two months into his tour in support of ''The Rising,'' Bruce Springsteen is still finding his way: to the complicated heart of his new songs and to a new sort of connection with his audience. And that's precisely how it should be. Not only the set list but the very soul of the show was dominated by material from the new album, a catalog of pain and faith that emerged from the wreckage of Sept. 11. Springsteen can no longer rely on the familiar combustability; archetypal anthems and passionate power chords are no longer the matter of the day. So the artist is searching for that elusive place on the concert stage where the weight of the world and desires of his fans converge. He's making an admirable go of it. With every member of the E Street Band in black, the show opened with the galvanizing title song off ''The Rising,'' followed by the disc's opening track, the rootsy ''Lonesome Day.'' Both are inspired by grief but anchored in hope and the redemptive power of community. Fans seemed at a loss as to what to do with their arms and vocal cords - both of which are generally in constant use during a Springsteen show. But his following is nothing if not devoted, and seemed to appreciate his solemn effort to make sense of the senseless, even if it didn't always translate to the transcendent performance they've come to expect. Powerfully mournful songs like ''The Fuse'' and ''Empty Sky'' - during which the lyric ''I want an eye for an eye'' elicited cheers from the crowd - were peppered with loose, feel-good chestnuts. The youthful muscularity of ''Prove It All Night'' and the joyous revelry of ''The Promised Land'' sometimes felt like jarring shifts on the heels of ''You're Missing'' - a heart- rending portrait of loss sung with eyes closed, open hands raised. But the concert wound up feeling strangely cohesive, with new and old songs like the sides of a coin: terrible trials eased by the salve of human connection. ''Waitin' On a Sunny Day,'' the brightest ray of hope on the new album, was performed a third of the way through last night's set, and it worked like a tonic on Springsteen. He seemed to remember he had a body, and began dancing and smiling, cascading across the stage on his knees, and doing a deep back-bend to accompany Clarence Clemens's churning saxophone solo. But the most potent reminder of just how strong a thread runs through old and new came via the back-to-back punch of ''Badlands'' and ''She's the One,'' when 20,000 spirits lifted en mass. The defiance and release of those songs made a riveting case for the healing power of rock 'n' roll. Springsteen, who participated in ceremonies at the Leonard P. Zakim Bridge yesterday afternoon, dedicated ''My Hometown'' to the Zakim family, describing him as ''a guy who did all the things I sing about.'' Springsteen, too, has become the guy he sings about - articulating our feelings with compassion and grace. This story ran on page F1 of the Boston Globe on 10/5/2002. Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/278/living/Springsteen_searches_to_reconcile_loss_faith+.shtml ==============From The Boston Herald October 5, 2002 Meet The Old Boss: Springsteen Show As Powerful As Ever Music Review By Sarah Rodman Saturday, October 5, 2002 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, at the FleetCenter, last night. Last night at the FleetCenter a sold-out crowd of 18,000 witnessed the many faces of Bruce Springsteen. In an epic three-hour performance that was by turns ferocious, delicate, jubilant, solemn and angry, ``The Boss'' seemed eager to take on the mantle of post-9/11 spokesman and healer and the wildly enthusiastic crowd was happy to let him. The 53-year-old rocker and his stalwart E Street Band touched on every phase of the New Jersey legend's career, from the boardwalk rock and fist pumping anthems of the '70s, to the pop hits of the '80s, to the elegiac material from his latest album, ``The Rising.'' In fact, if you weren't a fan of that new album, chances are some of the show was not as thrilling as it could've been given that Springsteen played 11 songs from it. While some tunes, like the bouncy ``Counting on a Miracle,'' stirred little emotion, others hit the sensitive spot just right. The exotic marriage of Irish, Middle Eastern and country and Western sounds into ``Worlds Apart'' gave the song a haunting quality, thanks in no small part to Steve Van Zandt's ghostly, skewed guitar solo and the pre-recorded wails of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The blood-red lighting of ``The Fuse'' was equally chilling, and even ``Mary's Place,'' a trifle on record, managed to conjure the raucous ``havin' a party'' vibe that is a Springsteen concert. Older tunes were played with equal gusto by the band, who, along with Bruce, appeared to be having a ball. Classic anthems like ``No Surrender,'' ``Born to Run'' and ``Badlands'' featured hearty audience singalongs. A pulsating and impassioned ``My Hometown'' was dedicated to the late Boston civil rights activist Leonard P. Zakim; Springsteen sang ``Thunder Road'' at the dedication of the new bridge named for Zakim earlier in the day. And jaunty encores of ``Dancin' in the Dark'' and a country-tinged ``Workin' on the Highway,'' featuring sax man Clarence Clemons strumming a washboard, were loose and delightful. Springsteen got so into the moment he let a woman in the front row pat his behind. Springsteen did give a few ``public service announcements'' for the AIDS Brigade and the Greater Boston Food Bank, and urged audience members to be vigilant about their political leaders, because ``responsibility comes with the turf when you're born in the U.S.A.'' He then bit into a defiant version of that tune. The night came to a satisfyingly raucous close as Peter Wolf slinked out to join the band for a rollicking run through ``Dirty Water,'' which was kept alive by the crowd as the band filed offstage one by one, leaving Max Weinberg pounding out the beat as the audience sang ``love that dirty water'' for several minutes, prompting Springsteen and the band to come back yet again to the clear delight of the crazed crowd. http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/bruce10052002.htm Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems, Inc. ============= ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #91 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** 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.