So Bruce and the band are on a two week break before the tour resumes in Tampa, which coincidentally, was the first show after Danny's death last April. It's been a while since I've heard the opening song, Backstreets, from that show's bootleg. Time always seems to stand still when I listen to that 'organ-less' version.
Anyway, what's with all these setlist posts, you might ask? Have I become too obsessed with the Boss? What's the point of all this, really? The answer is, I don't fucking know. Maybe it's just to remind myself how great the music is, and how much he really mixes up his live shows. Seriously, if all his setlists were as static as U2's, I wouldn't see a point in putting 'em up here. So far on this tour (and the previous one), the band has never played the same show twice. This goes to show the constant, undying level of commitment they put forth to their audience and how much they're willing to challenge themselves night after night after night. I don't say this often, but I'm fucking proud to be a fan of Bruce Springsteen.
And because of his music, I started to branch out and discover many more artists across the vast rock & roll spectrum, and of course, other genres I've rarely touched previously. I've often pondered on this profound question. What does it mean to be a music fan? Sure, we're all fans of music, right? I don't know anyone who doesn't like music. But I know a lot of people who claim to be hardcore music fans. Well, the meaning's very subjective. To quote a line from 'Almost Famous', They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts.
....so much that it hurts. I totally believe in that statement. Simply put, to REALLY love a band or artist, one must go to their live shows. It could be just once, it could be hundreds of times, but it all boils down to one simple fact; the live concert is THE place to experience music in its purest form. That's the reason why I'm flying to Australia this November to see Pearl Jam. And no, I'm not crazy.
