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Bruce Springsteen Tells Fans To Support Al Franken
Boston Herald.com ^ | September 11, 2003 | Matt Drudge

Posted on 09/11/2003 5:55:13 AM PDT by O.C. - Old Cracker

Talk about a home run.

Last night, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off a historic two-night stand at Fenway Park and Red Sox nation gave as good as they got during an ecstatic three-hour performance that found the Boss sprinting around like a wild man and pulling out some terrific setlist surprises just for Boston.

The fact that we trounced the Yankees earlier in the day only helped to heighten the jubilant mood.

After a raucous sing-along of ``Take Me Out to the Ballgame'' with Springsteen conducting, the local love began with the next number as the band lit into Barry and the Remains' '60s garage rock gem ``Diddy Wah Diddy'' with giddy energy.

The familiar willowy synth line of ``The Rising'' followed and the night's community mood was cemented in the first of many shouted choruses.

Springsteen continues to feature tunes from ``The Rising'' but many of them have transformed from their elegiac roots into more optimistic paeans to hope, including the buoyant ``Lonesome Day'' and the gentle ``Empty Sky.'' (No doubt Springsteen and the fans were wishing for an empty sky during this quiet song as two news helicopters hovered overhead like buzzing mosquitoes.)

Crowd-pleasing uptempo rockers came in the form of ``The Ties That Bind,'' a fun romp through ``Out in the Street,'' ``Badlands'' and ``No Surrender.''

Surprises included a forceful ``Because the Night'' and a chugging ``Be True.''

The New Jersey bard performed a rock and roll exorcism during the raucous ``Mary's Place,'' playfully teasing the audience about our pinstriped nemesis to the south and introducing the band with a zany litany that included calling them Viagra-taking sexifiers!

The night's loveliest quiet musical moment came in the lilt and sway of the Tex-Mex overtones of ``Across The Border,'' featuring a slow and wistful accordion solo that sounded like the perfect accompaniment to a dusty afternoon siesta.

He prefaced ``Born in the U.S.A.'' with a public service announcement about holding our political leaders accountable and closed by plugging Al Franken's new book.

Deadline obligations meant this reviewer missed the last of the encores but a source inside said they included a joyous ``Rosalita,'' ``Dancing in the Dark,'' featuring a mysterious guitarist who may have been Springsteen manager and former Bostonian Jon Landau, and a roof-raising ``Dirty Water'' with an assist from Peter Wolf.

Springsteen thanked the city and the neighborhood, to whom he had the crowd give a shout out for the privilege of playing at the grand old ballpark. But it was undoubtedly the fans inside Fenway Park who felt like the privilege was all theirs.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: activistactors; alfranken; boston; boycott; boycotthollywood; brucespringsteen; bruuuce; doofus; entertainment; looser; lyingliar; massachusettes; music; notbreakingnews
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
Same here. I used to love the jerk until he sold his soul to the Hollyweird leftists.

Bruce is a leftist moron.

41 posted on 09/11/2003 6:28:15 AM PDT by Walkin Man
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
Ok. Dilemma here: have tickest to see BS Staurday night at Fed Ex field. Stay home or go? Springsteen comes across fantatsic live - there is no comparison with his recorded work (having seen him a half dozen times already but not in over ten years). Yeah, just play Thunder Road and leave the endorsement of idiots like Franken off the play list.

And here's another song about a car!
42 posted on 09/11/2003 6:28:17 AM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: Lunatic Fringe
" How about trying to make this forum better by correctly posting news where it should be posted?"

How about becoming a moderator and just pull the threads you don't like.

How about not being so boring .

How about.............ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

43 posted on 09/11/2003 6:28:21 AM PDT by G.Mason (Lessons of life need not be fatal)
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To: sarasota
That song nearly drove me to insanity in the 80's.
44 posted on 09/11/2003 6:28:21 AM PDT by At _War_With_Liberals (Honk!! ...if you are being followed by leftists too.)
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
LOL! Did you write this? Very funny!

It's vaguely plagiarized from a comedian I heard years ago (he had Bruuuuce doing some long shtick about growing up then saying "Here's a song about a car").

I like a lot of Bruce's music, but it's really fun to tweak the people who worship him (I knew a lot of them in college). We always loved to blast out his albums at 45 rpm, that would drive the Bruce-a-philes nuts.

45 posted on 09/11/2003 6:31:09 AM PDT by Numbers Guy
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To: RightOnline
"I find his music pedestrian"

That is too funny. was your pinky finger extended when you typed that?

I have seen the Boss since '78 (not this tour) Have spent one night drinking with him, meet Little Steven and other E-Streeters and must say they are great guys. I do not agree with their politics but that is not important to Me.

Springsteen is one of the best. If you do not like him that is fine. I do not like jazz but I know it is still good music. Darkness on the Edge of Town is one of my favorite records ever.

The Rising is the best work produced with regards to 9/11. It is definitive and moving.

46 posted on 09/11/2003 6:32:01 AM PDT by Afronaut
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
Springsteen? I always thought he was overhyped.
47 posted on 09/11/2003 6:32:13 AM PDT by csvset
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To: RightOnline
"I've been a rock 'n' roll fan........as well as a rock guitarist........for decades. I never "got" Springsteen. The guy just does nothing for me whatsoever. I find his music pedestrian, cliche', and...................well, boring."

Ain't that the truth!

48 posted on 09/11/2003 6:32:23 AM PDT by G.Mason (Lessons of life need not be fatal)
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To: Stew Padasso
I have never understood the fascination with these clowns.

The fascination with Bon Jovi is obvious to those of us who grew up? in the '80s. The girls liked him because he was "hot" and the guys went to the concerts and "liked" the music 'cause we'd do/say anything if we thought it might get us in good with the girls.

Springsteen, on the other hand, put out some damn fine rock and roll in the late '70s and early '80s. (How many of us CANNOT immediately identify Born to Run after hearing the first two bars when the song comes on the radio) His biggest problem is coming to grips with the fact that nobody gives one rat turd about his politics and we only listen to his ranting so we can move on to Thunder Road and some serious sax solos.

49 posted on 09/11/2003 6:32:36 AM PDT by WestPacSailor (Sorry folks, this tagline's closed. The moose out front should of told you.)
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To: WestPacSailor; cincinnati65
Born to Run is anything but pedestrian. Today, pedestrian seems to be anything that doesn't feature a synthesized bass line, performers dressed like homeless people wearing costume jewelry, and screaming about "bitches", "'ho's", and violence.

Pedestrian-Shmestrian! I realize that this is between the two of you, but I was just pointing out that Springsteen is a commie, nothing more. Concentrate on his communist leanings and let that thought color your opinion of his music. If you are a true patriot, you will turn your back on him and his "pedestrian/non-pedestrian" gutter tunes.

50 posted on 09/11/2003 6:33:10 AM PDT by O.C. - Old Cracker (When the cracker gets old, you wind up with Old Cracker. - O.C.)
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To: csvset
Springsteen? I always thought he was overhyped.

Have you ever seen him live? Have you ever seen him live at the Meadowlands? Nowhere in the entertainment industry will you get more for your money than at a Springsteen concert.

Despite his obvious leftist leanings the man can still blow the roof off of a concert venue and puts on one of the finest live shows anywhere.

51 posted on 09/11/2003 6:36:29 AM PDT by WestPacSailor (Sorry folks, this tagline's closed. The moose out front should of told you.)
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
This is sad and unfortunate. Still, I must lsten to Bruces's music :-(
52 posted on 09/11/2003 6:36:48 AM PDT by Moleman
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To: O.C. - Old Cracker
but I was just pointing out that Springsteen is a commie, nothing more.

I'm not privy to Mr. Springsteen's party affiliation but I can't imagine he'd vote pinko anytime soon. He IS an American voicing his opinions (many, if not most, of which I do not agree with) just as you and I would if we could corral 80,000 people into paying upwards of $50 a head to listen to us.

However, since I've already bought the records, and the radio signal is free, I see no point in giving up listening to songs I like just because he and I have different political opinions.

53 posted on 09/11/2003 6:40:16 AM PDT by WestPacSailor (Sorry folks, this tagline's closed. The moose out front should of told you.)
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To: Afronaut
"That is too funny. was your pinky finger extended when you typed that?"

Hardly.........

I like bare-knuckles rock......and I also appreciate melodic players. Springsteen and his crew may be good showmen; can't take that away from them. However, musically?? I can name you literally dozens of bands that mop the floor with 'em. Not even close. Glad you enjoyed some brewskis with 'em.........but that doesn't make any difference.

54 posted on 09/11/2003 6:41:08 AM PDT by RightOnline
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To: WestPacSailor
Springsteen, on the other hand, put out some damn fine rock and roll in the late '70s and early '80s. (How many of us CANNOT immediately identify Born to Run after hearing the first two bars when the song comes on the radio)

I can also immediately identify the putrid song, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by its first few bars, but just like Commie Springsteen's tunes it causes a wave of nausea to rush over me.

55 posted on 09/11/2003 6:41:40 AM PDT by O.C. - Old Cracker (When the cracker gets old, you wind up with Old Cracker. - O.C.)
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To: Moleman
Still, I must lsten to Bruces's music

Me too. Of course I have an excuse...I was born in New Jersey so it's either genetically imprinted, or it's in the water.

Hell, it's New Jersey, what ISN'T in the water!?!?

56 posted on 09/11/2003 6:41:59 AM PDT by WestPacSailor (Sorry folks, this tagline's closed. The moose out front should of told you.)
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To: WestPacSailor
"At the risk of receiving counter-battery fire for saying so, I like Springsteen's music. Not all of it, but most of it."

Heck, no "counter-battery fire" from me. :) Obviously a lot of people like 'em............I'm just saying I don't "get it". I also never "got" the Grateful Dead, Phish, or a few dozen other over-hyped groups. Just a matter of taste, I suppose. Give me a Gary Moore or Frank Marino any day.................

57 posted on 09/11/2003 6:44:35 AM PDT by RightOnline
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To: WestPacSailor

58 posted on 09/11/2003 6:48:24 AM PDT by bmwcyle (Here's to Hillary's book sinking like the Clinton 2000 economy)
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To: meg70
I confess that in college and for 10-15 years after, I was a huge Springsteen fan. Saw him six or seven times in concert (first time from the fourth row at Laker Hall, Oswego State in '75). His songs resonated with me as far as the urban/suburban struggles of family, love, work, and life.

But then he grew increasingly political, and he went the wrong way. First it was No Nukes, then the Reagan/"Born in the USA" thing (a song NOBODY in "establishment" got - I was working as a stockbroker when it came out, and they tried to use it in an ad campaign, because they only listened to the title and the patriotic-sounding hook, without understanding what a song of disaffection it was), and it just got worse and worse. At first I forgave him, 'cause Bruce was a hero of mine.

Then, my faith grew, and I realized how tired his music and his attitudes had become. Contemporary Christian music was in its infancy, and I struggled between liking the secular music of my early years (Springsteen, Dead, Stones, Santana), and being drawn by Christ to a higher calling. I actually found myself praying for Bruce because I felt he could become such a force for Christ. Bruce hasn't come around just yet, but God answered my prayers in the form of Steven Curtis Chapman, and Mac Powell of Third Day, and a host of others who have filled the void, at least in my heart, for some hard-hitting, meaningful music and lyrics.

Bruce, in Christ's Holy Name, stop pandering to the World, and take up a Higher Calling.

Gonna get some **** about this one...
59 posted on 09/11/2003 6:49:03 AM PDT by Eccl 10:2
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To: RightOnline
"The guy just does nothing for me whatsoever. I find his music pedestrian, cliche', and...................well, boring."

well at least it's not just me.

60 posted on 09/11/2003 6:49:03 AM PDT by sweet_diane (Philippians 4:12-13)
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