Yesterday I watched a video of Bruce Springsteen at his first concert date on a tour he is starting right now. The man is 75 years old! Really! Watching him I could not believe how he was still out there, doing his thing, singing the amazing songs of poetry he wrote throughout his over 50 year career.
I happened to see the video because he spent some time during the concert talking to the Manchester, England crowd about all the horrible and crazy things happening in our country right now. And I thought… what better man to do it! He was born and raised in New Jersey and even wrote a very successful album called “Born in the USA.” Bruce has always written about life growing up in America. If you have not seen the video from the concert you can YouTube it, and I suggest you do.
It got me thinking last night as I was laying in bed that I first saw Bruce Springsteen my junior year at Towson State University in 1978. His first album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ” came out in 1973, “Born to Run” came out in 1975. He was hitting his stride. He sold out the Towson Center. He was pretty amazing!! His E Street band, consisting of Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, and Big Clarence Clemons on sax, were electric and exciting.
And, as I laid in bed last night, I thought about how fortunate I was to graduate from Towson State, and immediately get a job with WBAL Radio, and then 98 ROCK.
It was the early 80’s and messy hair glam rock was huge. Bands from the 70’s were still rocking. It was a hey day for some metal music, and little ‘ole me had become the Promotions Manager for 98 ROCK. Part of my job was representing the radio station out in public, scheduling announcer appearances, and giving away concert tickets and albums. So, I went to a lot of rock and roll shows!! A lot.
I told myself last night I better write them down because time is getting away from me, and those were some incredible times I experienced.
So, in no particular order (except when it popped into my head), here are bands I met and/or saw perform:
The Rolling Stones
The WHO
Hall & Oates
Billy Squier
Elton John
AC/DC
Triumph
Jackson Browne
Golden Earring
Joan Jett
Boz Scaggs
Asia
Robert Palmer
Foreigner
The Moody Blues
Journey
Styx
Heart
The Police
Def Leppard
Iron Maiden
Rush
Genesis
Lover boy
The Doobie Brothers
I know I am missing some, and the list doesn’t include a few artists I saw that were not work-related. Personally, I was not a heavy metal fan, and I preferred more country rock and folk music. I saw the Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Annie Lennox, Olivia Newton John, Rick Springfield, and a few others because I could – I had connections.
Our radio station was on “Television Hill” in Baltimore where two TV stations had their studios, along with WBAL AM. I remember one day the 4 members of KISS came up – without their face makeup on!! And Ozzy Osbourne came in for a studio interview. His wife Sharon sat in the empty office next to mine while Ozzy talked with the on-air announcer.
My position was exciting but very time consuming. Obviously, it was not a 9 to 5 job, and I really was promoting the radio station all the time. I even drove the 98 ROCK van home after nighttime events. It was a young person’s job. Tiring. But like I said, every single day I never knew who I might meet or see perform.
I loved all the people I worked with too, and some are still my friends today. We don’t see each other often but we ‘lived through’ that 80’s rock and roll together!! It was an exciting moment in time.
So, when I think about “BRUCE” (the Boss) still out there at 75 on the road, touring, singing his songs…. It is very impressive.
Side note…
I have a real love for concerts. I always have. There is something in the air at a live show that you experience with the artists and the crowd. There is a beautiful connection that happens. Music brings people together. You feel like family for a little bit.
I tend to go to country music concerts now to get that feeling. They are generally safe, and warm, and the crowd is made up of people who love to mutually experience it. They sing all the lyrics! I could make a whole other list of the all the live country music concerts I have been lucky to attend. Maybe someday I will do that too. Ha.
Full circle thought: Country artist Eric Church wrote and had a hit with a song called “Springsteen” honoring Bruce Springsteen, and remembering where he was….
When he was 17. “I think about my old Jeep, I think about the stars in the sky. Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.
Like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night,
Springsteen.
Even though you’re a million miles away, when you hear ‘Born in the USA’ you relive those glory days, so long ago.
Springsteen. “.
Marla’s Musings 