I was a strange kid. I liked harder music. I played Kiss Alive 2 and Van Halen 1 loud. I bothered my family spinning those records. I was angry at my parents for divorcing, and I hated my weekend visits to my Dad's place, where he'd yell about how poorly my mother took care of me. We'd do various things when we'd visit him. Libraries, museums. I have a distinct memory of my father's car getting towed from the science museum near the sports arena. I felt sorry for him. At home, my mom played the Beatles. We had rock n roll. She had this record, this guy and his friend on the cover. Something in his eyes got to me. This was part of an invitation. I heard Born to Run, and in 1978 it spoke to me. I kept listening to Aerosmith and Kiss. I played out Double Platinum. I shoplifted. I jaywalked. I was angry. I watched the Lakers lose to the Trailblazers. I watched the Super bowl. I was mad. Then one day in 1980, my Mom threw her boyfriend out. She had tickets to that Springsteen guy. I got in the old Datsun B-210 and we rode downtown to the Sports Arena. Past the big buildings, down the Harbor Freeway to the dump that jumps....I had an old polo T on and my jew fro. My husky corduroy pants. I had no idea. We took our seats in the 3rd row between Bruce's mic and Clarence. The music played over the PA and even before the first note, I felt something come over me. The Rock n' Baptism was about to begin. I was transfixed by the little guy with the sideburns and that butterscotch guitar. Prove it All Night, Darkness on the Edge of Town. That song moved me like nothing before. That man and that band. The glorious noise changed me at that moment. They are still racing out on the trestles...they are there, and you are not. She is with them or maybe not. She's gone and you are alone with this thing in you, this thing that makes you feel alive. It is yours. This music is yours. Needless to say, the night went on. The Promised Land with that longer intro. This land is yours, they want to take it, but this land is ours and your dreams are valid. Live your life. The Thunder Road, the invitation to your life. Be you, he sang to me. You are you and you are not alone. We are here for you. Hope has arrived. Then the soul kiss and intermission. I was reeling. My wonderful mother, with all her problems, held my hand. I never let that go. The rest is history. 40 years on this train...
What these 40 years have taught me is this. This music is the single greatest reminder in life. Your life is yours and you can live it. As this musician has aged I have aged with him to confront my reality and this music has aged with me. You are here with me, and we are sharing it. I cannot imagine this life without all of you. I look forward to sharing more.
Turn on Janey Needs a Shooter right now. Let it play and sway you...Thank you for reading.
It is always a privilege to hear the stories of fellow fans about when the bug hit you and the realization came that something had changed in your life. This is the power of music, or, as Bruce might say, this is the power of prayer (if you use the term loosely).
I saw Bruce for my first time just a month after you, Dec 4, 1980. In Buffalo. ❤️
Happy 40th anniversary!
Its incredible how many hard times this man and his music have gotten us through. That was amazing.
Beautiful. Thank you for your post. Hopefully one day I'll catch a concert with you.
Thrilled you got on board mate. As always, thank you for sharing.
"My wonderful mother, with all her problems, held my hand. I never let that go."
I don't exactly know how this happens, or how it travels thru the internet, but your posts, together with JF's, make me a better mother. There are so many opportunities where a parent can slip off track, and regardless of all the bad things that happened, I only feel this enormous amount of love. And this gives me hope.
That was a great read, thanks.