Your Post-Game Bruce Medley
If good looks was a minute/ You know that you could've been an hour- Smokey Robinson, 'The Way You Do The Things You Do'
The Boss takes the stage in Tampa tonight at halftime of the Super Bowl. He will have twelve minutes and will do a medley of hits. I expect it to be pretty strong, pretty tight. Will it be as good as Prince a couple years ago? No. But he won’t embarrass himself, either. Bruce is not getting any younger, and it’s just not in him to perform at the same high intensity with which he earned his following. But we at Shambollocks! want to remind you of how high energy Bruce can be when he is on his game. Herewith, a few fantastic samples of the man and his mastery.
First, ‘Thunder Road’ from the mid-’70s. If this song was a philosophy, it would be one by which I’ve lived my life.
Born To Run Through The Years (UPDATED)
NPR has an old appreciation of ‘Born To Run’ up. ‘Born To Run’ is not my favorite Boss song, but it is undoubtedly the song and sound which defines him. He needs to play it every show. How do you not get sick of something that’s become as big as you are? Here’s how the Boss has done it:
The first is the Boss in London, 1975. My favorite performance of the song because if there is any song that reflects youth, this is the one.
Now here he is, biggest rock star in the world.
Born To Run 1982 by Bruce Springsteen
This time, slowed down and acoustic in 1987. Even stripped down, this song wants to bust out.
Without the E Street Band in 1993. And it shows. Who IS that chick playing sax?
Finally, with REM in 2004. This is pretty much the sound and set you get when you see him right now. No word if Michael Mills asked Little Stephen afterwards how to get away from your frontman.
A 1 2 3 4!
- Yesterday’s Guardian contains an interview with the Boss and an exclusive download of a track, ‘Life Itself’, from his upcoming album Working On A Dream, out January 26th.
Snap Lead Single Judgement- Umm, Bruce. Pick a new first single. That one is lame. And not getting played at the Super Bowl, I imagine. 
The Boss and Alejandro Escovedo
A few weeks ago, Alejandro Escovedo (a Shambollocks favorite) found himself playing in his home state in front of the largest audience he ever entertained. All courtesy of the Boss, natch.
Alejandro told the Tribune’s Greg Kot:
“I shook his hand for the first time ever a few hours before the show,” says Escovedo of Springsteen, the hook-up brokered by their mutual manager, Jon Landau. “We sat in his dressing room and ran down the song acoustically with the band. Later, before I went on stage, I was scared to death. But about halfway though [the song], the fear started to melt away and I just had the time of my life. I told everyone it’s like dropping into a 30-foot wave: You’ve got to go for it, and I did not want to die in front of 18,000 people.”
Escovedo will play the Taste with Old 97s this Friday at Grant Park. K and I won’t be there (boo!) because of a previous engagement.
O'Hare Arpt., IL
