What I learned from "The Boss"

I went to the Springsteen concert on Friday night.  I'm a fan.  I'm not a Springsteen fanatic like two of the guys I went with.  They knew every word of every song.  I faked like I knew all of the lyrics.  "Screen door slams, Mary's dress sways, like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays.  Mumble, mumble, and mumble, mumble, hey that's me and I want you only... Why did I pretend to know the words when I didn't?  Why do I care so much about my Springsteenaoke performance?  Was I just trying to keep up with The Fanatic?  I'll have to think about that one and get back to myself.  But, I can tell you I did learn a lot from Friday night.       

Springsteen is 74.  I'm almost 60.  He played for 3 hours straight with no break.  I went to the bathroom 3 times and sat for about 30 minutes.  He's fit.  He's strong.  He's soulful well into his 70's.  Age is only a number.  Tonight's concert was rescheduled from last December because The Boss got sick and had to cancel his tour.  He actually apologized to the crowd for having to reschedule.   I've been to concerts where I've felt the artist played like they were doing us the favor.  Not Bruce.  Be humble.  Stay humble with success.  It's all about your audience (your customers).

We were in our seats by 7:30pm, relatively early for a concert in Los Angeles.  But Bruce is known for starting on time.  The Fanatic said he will start by 7:40pm.  Actually, being late is a major pet peeve of mine.  It's such an ego play.  "My time is more valuable than your time."  No it isn't.   Our most valuable resource is time.  I love that Springsteen shows up on time.  He hits the stage at 7:50pm (10 minute leeway for LA traffic).  He opened with Boom Boom, a John Lee Hooker song that he had not opened a concert with since 2016.  Everyone tries to guess the first song of show.  No one got this right.  Bruce set the tone early.  A cover.  A classic.  Something fun, that everyone knew and could dance too.  "This is not going to be just another show," he foreshadowed.  A boom, boom, boom... LFG!  Think hard about your opening.  Make it memorable.  Grab their attention.  

In the middle of the set, he brought up his wife, Patti Scialfa, to sing a duet with him.  Patti has been in the E Street band since 1984 and they got married in 1991.  A superstar couple married for 32+ years with 3 kids and seem to still be madly in love.  Yeah they are performing, but a lot of celebrity couples fail.  Actually, a lot of non famous couples fail.  It's fifty-fifty these days.  Roll the dice and see what happens.  Bruce rolled snake eyes. Bruce and Patti as one.  Find somebody to love.  Give it your all, and life's rewards shall follow.  

Some people bring signs to concerts.  I always thought that was so stupid.  Yeah, like Bruce Springsteen in the middle of performing in front of thousands of people is going to stop and read your sign.  And then what?  You want him to tell you how great your sign was?  How much it meant to him for wasting one of your precious bed sheets to write him a message.  Stupid right?  Well... Someone wrote, "Can you please play Jole Blon."  I had to go to Setlist.com to even know what the song was.  Of course The Fanatic had to point out he had not played Jole Blon since The River Tour in the early 80's.   I guess if you use a sheet thread count of over 600, Bruce will play your song.  In fact, it said on Setlist.com that "I'm on Fire" was on the Setlist and wasn't played, and 3 other songs that were played, were not on the original setlist.  Be present.  Stay in the moment.  Know your audience.  Even as you age, you don't have to be so set in your ways.

I really don't think the Jole Blon song was staged.  It didn't feel like that type of show.  But what happened next, gave me the inspiration to write this; the inspiration to document what I learned that night.  Bruce is singing.  Bruce is playing.  He is shaking hands with his fans.  And I'm thinking about COVID, and germs, and even though some fans can afford Row 3, they still probably didn't wash properly.  And all of a sudden, in the middle of a song,  Bruce goes into his back pocket, pulls out the harmonica that he used on the last song, and gives it to some random guy.  This wasn't his son (I think he has all daughters).  This was a random dude.  The guy was blown away.  He could have pulled the guy on stage and made it a big deal, but he didn't.  It happened quickly, without major fan fare.  Night changing.  Could be life changing.  I know it's only a harmonica, but it looked like a really nice one.  Come on?  Who does that?  The Boss does.  Living is giving.  Never under estimate your impact on others.  Go the extra mile.  Make someone's day.  

Last February I saw Springsteen in Austin with the Fanatic, my son, and 3 of my closest friends.  I joke about the Fanatic, but he did treat on Friday night and in Austin. Living is giving (grateful).  It was a special night in so many ways.  Bruce ended the show that night with the song "I'll See You In My Dreams."  I for sure mumbled my way through to the end that night.  I didn't realize how meaningful those lyrics would become.  How could I?  Later that year, Craig Markus passed away.  The Springsteen concert was the last night I saw Markus as Markus.  The way I remember him.  The way I see him in my dreams.  Bruce ended Friday night's show as he did last February.  I was surrounded by The Fanatic, my Forever Friends, and memories of Markus.  I didn't mumble this time:

I'll see you in my dreams
When all our summers have come to an end
I'll see you in my dreams
We'll meet and live and laugh again
I'll see you in my dreams
Yeah, up around the river bend
For death is not the end
And I'll see you in my dreams
(See) you in my
See you in my dreams

  

 Grief is our receipt for love.