February Fandom Fest 22
Feb. 23rd, 2016 12:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amruniel22- Bruce Springsteen
Or maybe the correct headline would be "Bruce Springsteen's Concerts". Thinking about it now I have to say that I hardly ever listen to Bruce on CD - I sometimes catch his songs on the radio, but that's it, really.
But then everybody who has seen him live will confirm this: his concerts are something else.
There is a huge difference between his published works and what that guy does on a stage. I've been to many concerts in my life, and I can say that his are without any shred of doubt second to none.
Sadly, he hardly ever stops by in Austria, so I have been to just three concerts in the last 12 years... but each of them was unique, inspiring and simply wonderful.
He certainly isn't the best singer around, that's for sure, but what that man does on a stage is breath-taking. I have never had the pleasure of watching anybody more in love with what he's doing right at that very moment - and I've never seen any music act so in touch with their audience. And this very special atmosphere is what makes his concerts so wonderful.
I've seen this guy play with the stadium-lights on because he should have ended the show an hour before, and still managing to have the whole audience eating out of his hand. There was no light-show, no special video-effects, just him and 50.000 people on their feet dancing the night away.
And I haven't experienced that feat once, but all three times.
It's a pleasure watching him, it's one of my most favourite ways of taking a break from whatever life has in store for me for three or more hours, and the energy these concerts gave me oftentimes lasted for weeks - even when I was battling my own demons at the same time.
And while this is in and of itself a feat, he also managed to make me cry during his last two concerts - something that I experience very seldom when dealing with music alone.
Yes, there are songs that made me cry, but that's usually because they resonate with something that bothers or occupies me at the time. So the music in these cases is just an extension or outlet of my current emotions. But music that makes my cry for no reason at all, just because it's perfect in this very moment? I hardly ever experience this. And it's even less likely that something like that happens in the middle of a crowd having a great time.
I'm not sure what it was that touched me in those moments, but I cherish them because they are so rare.
Thankfully there are several videos of the concerts on YouTube these days - I can't remember how we survived in the days before video-platforms and phone-cameras ;)
(I still have some highly illegal bootlegs of various concerts somewhere in my attic. *giggles* I can't believe how we smuggled dictaphones into concerts in the 90s... these days I want to see somebody trying to take away my phone because there are no cameras/recorders allowed ... Good old times! :D )
Anyway - here are videos of the three songs that either gave me goose bumps all-over or made me cry outright:
"Jersey Girl"
This one has a story behind it - the concert in Vienna 09 was the first time ever Bruce played "Jersey Girl" in Europe. And why? Because a girl wearing a "Jersey Girl"-shirt pulled it off and gave it to him... so he simply HAD to play the song ;)
I can't thank that girl enough for her sacrifice :D
Oh - here's a video showing the beginning of that story ;)
"Empty Sky"
I love the section of Bruce's shows where he fulfils wishes from the audience. Quite frankly, I didn't know this particular song beforehand, so it was a lucky stroke that somebody's wish got fulfilled.
Add the fact that this song comes with harmonica parts and I'm sold. There's hardly anything more likely to touch me than adding harmonica or violin passages to "pop" songs. I'm a sucker for these instruments in a modern setting :)
"Tougher Than The Rest"
Once more a fulfilled audience request - and what a treat that one was!
I love the beginning where he tries to figure out how to play that song in the first place - and I love the song itself in this piano version even more. So beautiful all around!
I just hope that the Boss will come to Vienna again soon. I can't wait to get another chance of having a wonderful evening... And he isn't getting any younger, right? ;)
Or maybe the correct headline would be "Bruce Springsteen's Concerts". Thinking about it now I have to say that I hardly ever listen to Bruce on CD - I sometimes catch his songs on the radio, but that's it, really.
But then everybody who has seen him live will confirm this: his concerts are something else.
There is a huge difference between his published works and what that guy does on a stage. I've been to many concerts in my life, and I can say that his are without any shred of doubt second to none.
Sadly, he hardly ever stops by in Austria, so I have been to just three concerts in the last 12 years... but each of them was unique, inspiring and simply wonderful.
He certainly isn't the best singer around, that's for sure, but what that man does on a stage is breath-taking. I have never had the pleasure of watching anybody more in love with what he's doing right at that very moment - and I've never seen any music act so in touch with their audience. And this very special atmosphere is what makes his concerts so wonderful.
I've seen this guy play with the stadium-lights on because he should have ended the show an hour before, and still managing to have the whole audience eating out of his hand. There was no light-show, no special video-effects, just him and 50.000 people on their feet dancing the night away.
And I haven't experienced that feat once, but all three times.
It's a pleasure watching him, it's one of my most favourite ways of taking a break from whatever life has in store for me for three or more hours, and the energy these concerts gave me oftentimes lasted for weeks - even when I was battling my own demons at the same time.
And while this is in and of itself a feat, he also managed to make me cry during his last two concerts - something that I experience very seldom when dealing with music alone.
Yes, there are songs that made me cry, but that's usually because they resonate with something that bothers or occupies me at the time. So the music in these cases is just an extension or outlet of my current emotions. But music that makes my cry for no reason at all, just because it's perfect in this very moment? I hardly ever experience this. And it's even less likely that something like that happens in the middle of a crowd having a great time.
I'm not sure what it was that touched me in those moments, but I cherish them because they are so rare.
Thankfully there are several videos of the concerts on YouTube these days - I can't remember how we survived in the days before video-platforms and phone-cameras ;)
(I still have some highly illegal bootlegs of various concerts somewhere in my attic. *giggles* I can't believe how we smuggled dictaphones into concerts in the 90s... these days I want to see somebody trying to take away my phone because there are no cameras/recorders allowed ... Good old times! :D )
Anyway - here are videos of the three songs that either gave me goose bumps all-over or made me cry outright:
"Jersey Girl"
This one has a story behind it - the concert in Vienna 09 was the first time ever Bruce played "Jersey Girl" in Europe. And why? Because a girl wearing a "Jersey Girl"-shirt pulled it off and gave it to him... so he simply HAD to play the song ;)
I can't thank that girl enough for her sacrifice :D
Oh - here's a video showing the beginning of that story ;)
"Empty Sky"
I love the section of Bruce's shows where he fulfils wishes from the audience. Quite frankly, I didn't know this particular song beforehand, so it was a lucky stroke that somebody's wish got fulfilled.
Add the fact that this song comes with harmonica parts and I'm sold. There's hardly anything more likely to touch me than adding harmonica or violin passages to "pop" songs. I'm a sucker for these instruments in a modern setting :)
"Tougher Than The Rest"
Once more a fulfilled audience request - and what a treat that one was!
I love the beginning where he tries to figure out how to play that song in the first place - and I love the song itself in this piano version even more. So beautiful all around!
I just hope that the Boss will come to Vienna again soon. I can't wait to get another chance of having a wonderful evening... And he isn't getting any younger, right? ;)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-02-23 02:12 pm (UTC)Never seen him live but one of our friends has travelled all over Europe to see him.
no subject
Date: 2016-02-24 01:11 am (UTC)But I absolutely adore his "Seeger Sessions"-album. If you haven't heard that one, maybe it's to your liking as well!
If you ever have the chance of catching one of his concerts (and I bet you'll have that chance sooner than I will!) you really should go. It's an experience! A performer like him needs to be seen at least once in a lifetime!