Bridghid Parkinson

     There are a few concerts that I have considered exceptionally good even for stadium size venues. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is at the top of the list. Yeah, he was in Houston and it was a rocking two and a half hour show that I wish I could have taken one of my sons to see with me. James is gallivanting in the military and Steve seems to be afraid of Texas . That’s OK…Mom rocked herself silly because I’ve been a fan for thirty years, but I would have had one of them rolling their eyes and telling me to sit down. Not cool, guys. The fellow prancing around on stage is 15 years older than I am. That’s my right to prance around my seat and sing all those songs I know so well.

     I don’t seem like the Springsteen type? Oh, honey…if you’ve caught me at a book signing then (with a few exceptions) I can guarantee I was being a good girl. I’ve enjoyed a few book signings that allowed me to be more colorful. You can see in my writing that there is a little more under the hat than just ‘sweet innocent’ by now. Writing romance is not always feather boas with champagne and chocolate. Although at the 2007 RT Convention in Houston , I came close to thinking it was possible to OD on that. I will settle the argument that, no matter how decadant the dish, chocholate is never better than sex. Sorry.

     Music like Springsteen’s takes “everyday gritty romance” to new heights. Love it. When I think of ‘the streets’, that’s my first image, still—factory workmen and a crappy economy, pool halls, jeans and work boots, old cars worked on by the shade tree to something that could race, old houses with screen doors. It’s not even location specific, because some of those images were hauntingly real in rural Texas . It’s making the best with a little that we have even if what we got wasn’t quite legal. As I got out in the world, I learned that it’s a common image through much of America: Dallas, Little Rock, Austin, Pittsburgh, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia . That was particularly emphasized at the concert, he substituted “Texas” where he would have said “ Jersey ” and it gave the songs new meaning. Rosalita could have been played out in my area, northwest of San Antonio .

     Reviewers would later say that some people complained that the show was “Up and down” with songs like “Long walk home” loosing some of the classic energy he has in his concerts. Um…he’s pushing 60, folks. You try a hot sprint for two and a half hours. For the rest of the world, it’s called pacing. Clarence wasn’t getting around real well, either, but he still sounded great. Clarence was active in most of the set, even if it was from the chair on the sideline. You can see it in all of them—they love the music. Little Steve still tears up the stage, too.

     There were notable absences from the stage, and Bruce gave the explanations that Patti was holding down the fort with teenage boys (EEKK! Sorry about your luck, I just escaped that stage) and Dan was under medical treatment, but I found where he managed to join in a show in Illinois a few weeks ago. The way it sounded to me was that he was recovering from cancer treatment, but the stand-in Sessions keyboardist was good. I personally think all these guys could be in wheelchairs, they’d still sound great. Three days later, Dan Federici passed away. I don’t often cry over the passing of ‘celebrities’ (well, some, like Diana, Lucille Ball, Johnny Cash), but I sure cried Thursday.

Heaven’s music just got a whole lot sweeter. Dan is missed.