From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #109 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Tuesday, November 19 2002 Volume 09 : Number 109 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: Runnin' through the woods of Caroline ["Douglas W. Corkhill"] Bruce Unlimited, Ltd. [OmanIV@aol.com] RE: "limited" editions...yea, right ["rockcat" ] Dwight is right..... [OmanIV@aol.com] Question: What is a SHN vine? ["Stacy Peek" ] RE:Rearview seating impressions [Shellie Walkingshaw Kortan ] Behind the stage inquiry [mpeter@rochester.rr.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 09:06:25 -0500 From: "Douglas W. Corkhill" Subject: Runnin' through the woods of Caroline Where to start? By saying my elbows were resting on the stage between Nils and Clarence? Or that I got to touch ~the~ guitar, pull on one of the strings, during Born To Run? Or that Bruce held the microphone between my friend Diana and me and we got to sing "Meet me at Mary's place!" to the rest of the Greensboro Coliseum? No, those things are personal to me. But let me tell you this brothers and sisters, saints and sinners, the show Saturday night ROCKED! There were no down moments, the pacing moved briskly, the new songs performed to perfection, the older ones placed ideally. Bruce has got this show down. I saw the first two dates of the tour back in August, and this is not the same show. The addition of a few choice older songs throughout the set really works. In Greensboro Bruce interspersed Cadillac Ranch and She's the One at moments where the show lagged before. The dead space that was Counting On a Miracle and Into the Fire was juiced by adding the solo piano performance of Incident on 57th Street in between. (Thank you, Bruce.) And instead of ending the evening with an abbreviated LOHAD he goofed his way through a rocking Ramrod that sent us home drained, smiling and happy. The new numbers continue to shine. World's Apart, which seems to come and go, was back and a marvel. The Fuse left my legs limp, Nils' solo at the end a miracle to behold. Empty Sky simply enthralls me. When all is said and done, Bruce is the man. His presence fills the arena, dominates the stage. He takes care of all corners of the building, and down front pays special attention to the children there with their parents. He slipped off the rear riser early on, cutting his left wrist and blood trickled down his arm the rest of the show, but he never missed a beat. He's the Boss. Special thanks to the guys running the list. You guys have my vote for Time's Men of the Year. Doug ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 23:28:53 -0700 From: "Nancy Legge DiSanza" Subject: The Wallflowers and Bruce As some of you may know, The Wallflowers just released a new album, Red Letter Days. It's a really great album. With the release of an album comes the interviews and Jakob Dylan has been doing quite a few lately. In the most recent ones, journalists ask if some of the songs can they be understood in the context of 9/11, etc. One of his answers that will, no doubt, be most interesting to people here pertains to Bruce. I'll just cut & paste the relevant excerpt from one interview here: VH1: The album touches on 9-11 on apocalyptic songs like "Everybody Out of the Water" ... Dylan: It's influenced by what's been in the air for the last year, but it's not that specific. It's not just literally "streets cracked open." Morally and ethically everything seems to be going to hell in a bucket! VH1: Have you noticed the effects of that climate on anyone else's writing? Dylan: I like Bruce Springsteen's record. He's the only one who could do that. He's such an incredibly genuine artist. He means it. I'm glad that a lot of other artists haven't felt required to make that record. Artists tend to feel a responsibility to react to important things. The problem is that most of them are not educated or sincere about it. But you can't argue with Bruce Springsteen's sincerity. Jaffee: A lot of people who died in the World Trade Center were from his home town. He was definitely more connected to that than other artists. You can read the whole article here http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1458715/11152002/wallflowers.jhtml And, there are other interviews where he says similar things and praises The Rising. [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 20:31:59 EST From: LFringe@aol.com Subject: 11/16/02 -- Greensboro, NC It's been 14 years since I was nearly this close, but 24 years since there was no one between me and the stage. I wish each of you such an experience at least once, but beware! It's addictive. I want more. I see now how easily one can become a Pit Junkie ;-) A lot of folks have said it before, but I'll reiterate: This band is having fun and everyone looks great! The stage in Greensboro seemed smaller than the one in DC (my only other show of this tour so far), so the band were in closer proximity to one another, more intimate. An adjusted size may account for Bruce's misstep descending from elevated rear stage on his first vist there. He fell behind Max's riser and cut his left forearm on the way down, but it did not slow him down in the least. I don't even think he noticed the blood dripping until a few songs later. I love the material from The Rising. The (reworked) Fuse adjusted my spine, a much needed adjustment after spending a cold, rainy day outdoors. This whole show was a much needed adjustment! A deep infusion of dedication and passion! The stuff life is made of! More often than not in the past 20 years "Cadillac Ranch" is played at the NC/SC shows ("Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline") and sure 'nuf they romped all over it. Crowd pleaser. It wasn't until afterward when I saw the setlist and saw "No Surrender" had been scheduled in this spot that I had any regrets about the show. "Waiting on a Sunny Day" got a special cheer from the pit. The rain started around 10:00 pm Friday. Many thanks to Ted, Todd, and Bill for your calm clarity in overseeing the GA process here, there, and everywhere. Coliseum staff were kind enough to move the GA line to a sheltered area just outside the lower-level entrance around 3:00 pm Saturday. Concessions folks set up a table selling coffee and soft drinks and a portalet was provided. Wrist banding was only slightly chaotic. "Worlds Apart" is my favorite cut from the album. Live, it totally wiped me out in DC, but up close and personal it was almost too personal. Glancing around at the band, they all had their eyes closed. Soozie's violin and Patty's vocals soared. Looking felt intrusive, so I watched the blistering guitar work offered by Nils, Stevie, and Bruce. Thank you, gentlemen. Throughout the evening it was a thrill to make eye contact with Nils and Clarence. My throughts have been with the Big Man since hearing about his detached retina. A close friend of mine has had both of his retinas detach spontaneously. Pretty scary. I'm amazed and grateful that Clarence's recovery has been so speedy. Solid looks from Bruce and Steve when they ventured stage right. I'll confess I haven't really appreciated "Mary's Place", but the new intro really makes up for its awkward begining. Bruce held the microphone down to Douglas and I for a "meet me at Mary's Place." It was a joy to watch Bruce and Clarence connect with the kids down front. A cute little guy about 5 years old got a harmonica from Bruce and a shaker from Clarence. It was his first concert and he rode his mom's shoulders. What a mom! A girl of about 10 years was right there with us at the stage and got handshakes, the microphone, and The Guitar. I got to touch The Guitar! I cut my finger on a string end sticking out of one of the tuning machines. Sacrificed on the altar of rock and roll. Pretty heady stuff for this pagan girl. The solo "Incident" brought the second round of tears to my eyes ("Empty Sky" kicked my ass first). I *love* this song! Thank you, Bruce. Thank you again and again for all these years of joy. Thanks also for bringing "She's the One" back. It's been special for me ever since 1975 and has gotten me through some tough patches. The new Dancing in the Dark rocks! This is another song that I've never fully appreciated, but last night I loved it. The encores rock solidly now - -- no tired feeling at all. I was rejuvenated. The back of my shirt was almost as wet as Bruce's when it was all over. A good thing. The week-old tattoo on my back finally finished peeling last night. An old skin shed from over my heart chakra. A new begining. A baptism. I feel clean. Faith was rewarded. Diana #46 in line, wearing a black beret [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 12:51:14 -0800 From: Rona Hampton Subject: Bruce Writes Song for Harry Potter I Don't know if this is old news or not but CNN reported that Bruce had written a song for "Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets" but JK Rowlings (the creator of Harry for those not in the know) nixed it because she was afraid that it would be a hit & make Harry even more populat (if this is possible). But anyhow hope Bruce starts playing the song on the Summer tour. CNN didn't report on what the title of the song is. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 13:18:24 EST From: OmanIV@aol.com Subject: Bruce Unlimited, Ltd. In a message dated 11/18/02 12:48:15 AM, Dan Schock writes: << what a load of crap! "limited time only"...isn't that what the original intent was of the "limited edition" is in the first place? Hey, it's not the money-grubbing that bugs me.... >> Ahh, the eternal myth of the limited edition. Perhaps the hardest marketing ploy to pull off successfully. Do too many, you wind up dumping them in the 25¢ bin (hey!! remember 25¢ bins?? back in the days of wine and vinyl at the Goodwill??) Do too few, and you sour the faithfull. I remember my friend joined the Hallmark Ornament collector's Club, and the first year, Club members got two special ornaments (It helped justify the atrociously overpriced membership.) She sent in her special card a couple of weeks after she got it in September, and was told, "Tough Luck, they're gone." After that, certain ornaments, like the Starship Enterprise, sold out fast and were selling for double and triple retail even before Christmas. She didn't collect very long. Ok, big mizteak in my thinking here. Hallmark, despite its very thin veneer of folksy elves and Santas, never really presented itself as anything but a commercial enterprise; Bruce has tried to walk the thin line of "real human bean who happens to play incredible world class guitar, and write incredible world class for the ages songs; still wears jeans and motorcycle boots (or whatever) and even manages to have a great family, including his mom, and even make peace with his late father, and lives on a wonderfull farm, not falling into all the Elvis traps of huge fame and great wealth." I'm not being cynical (altho it might sound that way.....), I think perhaps he has found "the key to the Universe, and came out with his soul untouched" much. It's marketing. Hell, when the same "Bruce Springsteen" or whoever sent you your notice about the current "limited edition" first announced it would be selling the original "limited edition", it also announced it was SOLD OUT, as I mentioned here way back when. Here in the real world, you have to see that putting out the fancier "Rising" is an expense for the record company, and the goal, if you want (I wouldn't) to give the platter palace at Black Rock some allowance for higher aspiration, is to provide all the people who like Bruce with an opportunity to get this, and apparently enuff people didn't get it to justify doing some more. Everything in life (including life itself) is, in some sense, a limited edition, it's a question of degree. When the Bozo-brains at Coke decided we all wanted New Coke back in the 80's, Real Coke was suddenly a limited edition, and it sold like crazy to people like me who stashed away a couple of cases in my nice cool basement, right next to the Chateau Laffite '31 - :º). If the real original limited edition cd was snatched up by all the people who hoarded "Howard the Duck comics #1", and there were a lot of fans who didn't get, and were disappointed, I'm sure Bruce would have wanted to "make arrangements for them." Hey, look at all the people who never got one of those beautiful, wonderful, incredibly limited Script Covers, he said smiling like the Cheshire cat. You bought the limited edition. I'm sure you got an extra measure of enjoyment. You want to invest in something, try houses in NJ. People are flipping houses here like flapjacks, and there's gonna be a buncha rich pancakes (and a lot of people looking for an affordable place to live) before it busts. It defies any logic I can figger out. Johnno in NJ. PS It probably wasn't even Bruce's decision. He's on tour, remember??? "Excuse me, Mr. Springstein, Smedley here in marketing, I know you're going before 30,000 people in 20 minutes, but mebbe we could go over the demographics of 20-40 who would want to buy a copy of the Limited Edition, now that they know the songs, and........... What's that ?? No, I don't have an extra humbucker pick-up for the Strat, and you can't......... Mr. S?? Mr. S????..........." "Pardonnez-moi, il faut ajouter un autre 567 Francs pour les prochain cinq minutes..." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 21:20:21 -0500 From: "rockcat" Subject: RE: "limited" editions...yea, right Dan, I don't know what area of the country you are from, but in the Philly area I could not get the "limited edition" anywhere. Immediately after attending the Today Show event at Convention Hall (on the day of the disc's release), I rushed from store to store, but ALL were sold out. It was only 11:00AM. I checked several stores in NJ, and 1-1/2 hours later, I checked several in PA. At every store, I was told that the Limited Editions sold out at 9:00 AM. Having seen in excess of 150 Bruce shows spanning 24 years, I think I qualify as one of his most loyal and longtime fans. It seems to me that this limited edition was far too limited and Sony completely under-estimated the audience demand. Ultimately, I was able to buy a copy on the internet, and it turned out to be the Canadian import. I get the impression that this 2nd release is also fairly limited in scope, so I think it's safe to say that the value of your disc has not diminished even a little bit. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 09:28:24 EST From: OmanIV@aol.com Subject: Dwight is right..... Got lost in the possum holler, and found myself at Dwight Yoakum's website: http://www.yoakamholler.com/dwightyoakam/newscash.html Dwight was commenting on the Johnny Cash Tribute cd, and there was only one track he felt was really good enuff to comment on. Sony Nashville has created a site for the Johnny Cash tribute, "Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash." SONY NASHVILLE-"Kindred Spirits" They have three of the album's tracks by Travis Tritt, Keb Mo, and Bruce Springsteen. (The Springsteen track is awesome!) 'Nuff said, Johnno (found my way back to Jersey, thanks..... ) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 08:44:37 -0600 From: "Stacy Peek" Subject: Question: What is a SHN vine? What is a SHN vine? Can someone please explain to a novice? Thanks, Stacy ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 09:52:31 -0700 From: Shellie Walkingshaw Kortan Subject: RE:Rearview seating impressions Jason, Take the seats behind the stage. We sat behind the stage during the 2000 tour at MSG and for The Rising tour in Denver. I highly recommend it! Enjoy! Shellie [text/html attachment deleted] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 09:19:45 -0800 (PST) From: "Eric Douglas" Subject: too much order in the setlist? During every review I read of Bruce shows by Bruce fans, I read a mention of the "slot" a particular song (or type of song, e.g. solo piano) takes in the setlist. I think the format Bruce has used for years in the live shows is getting old, tired and predictable. The shows themselves are as incredible as ever, but I'd love to see Bruce really shake things up. You know, just PLAY. Don't feel like closing the set with Into the Fire tonight? Fine - play Light of Day, or Mary's Place to close out the set for a change. Feel like sticking Sunny Day in the encores? Go for it! I can think of three times in the past two tours where he opened a show with something entirely unexpected and unlike other shows: Backstreets twice on the last tour, and American Skin once this tour. I see a lot of reviews and show comments from long-time fans who attend multiple shows per tour, and they focus on the rarities and one-offs. I think this is due in part to the rest of the concert being the same, and fairly predictable. Why not shake it up? You'd get a lot more electricity from those first 5-6 rows of people, I think. Not that it's missing now, but take away the element of predictability, and there would a buzz throughout the whole pit. Another band I see often is the great Arizona band Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. A terrific show every time, and the setlist is never the same twice. It keeps us guessing, and keeps every show fresh for those of us that attend multiple shows. I have only seen Bruce once this tour - the two primary reasons being cost and location, but the predictability of the show has become a factor. I don't want to go to a show and know exactly what 2/3 of the set will be. By no means do I attempt or intend to speak for anyone but myself, so for anyone that is inclined to respond with, "If you don't like the setlist, don't go to the shows", I think I've done exactly that. I would like to hear from those of you multiple show-goers about what you like or dislike about the setlist format Bruce has used over the years. Eric Phoenix, AZ ________________________________________________ PeoplePC: It's for people. And it's just smart. http://www.peoplepc.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 09:36:00 -0500 From: mpeter@rochester.rr.com Subject: Behind the stage inquiry Regarding the inquiry about seating behind the stage... I am a huge proponet of sitting behind the stage. I have seen several Springsteen shows from behind the stage. With Bruce, it's never a gamble because of his open stage arrangement. I've always found the sound to be excellent, and have never been much bothered by the fact that the band is playing away from you. Given the chance, would I be in front of them? Probably, but I'd have to be really close. I'd take close behind stage over most seats out past center ice. It can be a gamble for other artists. Just because they sell around the arena doesn't guarantee the clean and open stage set that Bruce has. The Rolling Stones paid off in this regard a few of years ago, but just the other night I was stymied with a poor view in Albany for The Other Ones. But I have behind stage in Albany for Bruce, I checked my seat while I was there, and it will be great. Hope that helps. Michael Peter ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #109 ******************************* ********************************************************************* ** 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.