Tuesday, March 24, 2009

GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY

I wish I had gotten tickets for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's warmup shows at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park. Seeing them there is pretty intense: I saw a Christmas show there once, and a warmup show with the Seeger Sessions Band there before that tour. I heard there was some ticket controversy about these shows, but when Bruce fits his arena-sized stage into a small venue and does two nights, people are going to be shut out, and that's that. As long as he does a bunch of shows at Giants Stadium this summer so everyone can go, all is forgiven.

You can read all about the rehearsals and see some pictures and video at (where else?) the great Bruce fan site Backstreets. Last night, Jay Weinberg - son of Max - played drums for a few songs, since he will be playing drums on select dates on the tour. Also, the band is being augmented by two singers from the Seeger Sessions Band - Curtis King and Cindy Mizelle. The setlist was cool, and included one of my favorite Springsteen covers: Woody Guthrie's "I Ain't Got No Home" which Bruce recorded for the Folkways tribute album from 1988. I don't know that he's ever performed that. I'm sorry I'm not at the rehearsal tonight, but I can't wait to see the band in May.

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