Bruce Springsteen Tells Fans To Support Al Franken

Boston Herald.com ^ | September 11, 2003 | Matt Drudge

[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.

[WestPacSailor]

Also, occasional proofreading should not be considered a sign of weakness.

Are yu making fun uf my tiping skilz ?.

[WestPacSailor]

I'm one of those unsophisticated types who refuses to support the enemy even if they're selling something I desire.

I would never support an enemy. I just don't think that someone expressing their opinion on a particular topic is a threat to my opinions.

As distasteful as it may be we have to grant everyone the right to free speech, even if they are wrong.

[bmwcyle]

STS2/SS, yes I do.

[WestPacSailor]

STS2/SS, yes I do.

I was almost an STS back in '85...had some "difficulties" (self imposed, of course)in BE&E school and ended up in the fleet undesignated. What a long, strange trip it's been. 4 WestPacs, 2 MedCruises....the Med can't hold a candle to the WestPac of old. Stuck in Norfolk now, but not forever.

[Question_Assumptions]

I'm from New Jersey. Monmouth County even, and I've never really liked much of his music. Some of it is OK but I can live without it.

[Mudboy Slim]

I still love the Boss's music, but I'll haveta readily admit that he's a confused Lib'ral DOLT vis a vis his politics. I can't help but think it is his misdirected attempt to stay in tune with the blue-collar upbringin' he writes about so often, but pluggin' the buck-toothed MORON Al Franken is beyond the pale!!

The Boss still rocks, but his politics suck...MUD

[Stone Mountain]

Concentrate on his communist leanings and let that thought color your opinion of his music.

You don't listen to any music produced by people you disagree with politically? You must have an awfully small music collection...

[jays911]

excellent. their first album, "I don't want to go home", is a bona fide classic. good rock band, augmented by a great horn section. they are currently touring again.

[GSWarrior]

For what it's worth, I recommend an artist called Walt Wilkins. His music is easy to like.

[jsbankston]

Between Fox News and Bruce Springsteen promoting his book that little creep Franken will sell millions.

[mikemc282002]

I attended the following night's show at Fenway. His comments were extremely minor and I think this is a case on of those articles Drudge just throws up there next to Frank-holes weekly book sales.

What is left out is that he prefaced the remark by saying he welcomes all politcal views, understood and agreed that we are truly fighting for our freedom. The Frank-hole comment was a quick plug for the book. Then he launched into Born in the USA quickly before the crowd could react.

I frowned when he said it, but in my opinion, you can't expect to go to a Springsteen show and not hear about politics or current events. While I wouldn't use that book as toilet paper, I take the comment for what it is: someone who has a different opinion than me. It's not the same as the Dixie Chicks mouthing off in some foreign country in front of an America hating crowd. There's a big difference.

By the way, it was THE best concert I've seen. I've seen Bruce three times now and this was the best.

[miloklancy]

"What about that future of Rock N'Roll Music? Bruce Springsteen is f**k'n it all up."-Paul Reubens, Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams

[Washington at Morristown]

Allow me to leave 'lurker' status and take it one step further, for those who wish to know. I saw the last 5 Giants Stadium shows, as well as night 2 in Gillette Stadium.

Bruce made the "We welcome all political views, hold your leaders...Dem, Repub, etc. accountable" PSA every night of the tour. It wasn't until Night 9 of the Giants run that he started to pitch for his monkey-boy Franken. I bit my tongue while I heard him pitch the book...

So, to make a long story short, he became the hypocrite after welcoming all views, then pitching for the left. But, as was said previously on this thread...we all know where he stands politically.

And I will add...these shows were some of the finest shows I have seen from any artist. And Norah Jones sucks; she'll never have a 'Born To Run'.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

You must have an awfully small music collection...

It is very small. Almost microscopic.

On the other hand, my collection of books is probably more extensive than most and includes a very broad and eclectic range. Not being a musician myself, I have little appreciation for the finer points of the art and am very critical of the shallowness in most lyrics.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Are yu making fun uf my tiping skilz ?.

No. I was just trying to be insulting.

[SuziQ]

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.

Well, I've never been a big fan of Bruce; never owned any of his music. I remember when he was touted as 'the new Bob Dylan', when he came on the scene, and I was skeptical of his talent then, cause he was pushed by the mainstream media as the 'next new thing'. He's done nothing since that would change that opinion.

[SuziQ]

have you ever seen any of the Wallace and Grommet movies.

Nick Park is a genius!!

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

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

I'm privy, and Springsteen's a Dirty Red Commie. He voted for Klinton twice and that makes you a commie in my book. We have lots of commies who were born in the USA, but that doesn't make them Americans. They're still stinkin' pinko commies fags and they always will be until they change their tune.

[MississippiMan]

I never got the Springsteen mania at all. I always found him and his music to be run-of-the-mill light rock. A couple of songs were okay, but great? Not to me. Then I was completely done with him when he got upset over Reagan using BORN IN THE USA for something. (Pretty much anyone can use a song for what they like, provided the pay the requisite royalties, as Reagan no doubt did. Springsteen was upset because it was REAGAN.)

MM

[weegee]

Sounds like he pads his shows with a number of covers too. I've seen Barry & The Remains (who wrote Don't Look Back, Diddy Wah Diddy was just a song they convered that was written by Bo Diddly/Willie Dixon) and more importantly, Los Angeles band The Standells (who sang Dirty Water among other Ed Cobb songs).

I'd take any of those acts any day.