Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, LA Sports Arena, 10/30/2007: Scary Good

Setlist: Radio Nowhere/ The Ties That Bind/ Lonesome Day/ Gypsy Biker/ Magic/ Reason To Believe/ Night/ She's The One/ Livin' In The Future/ The Promised Land/ A Town Called Heartbreak/ Tunnel Of  Love/ Devil's Arcade/ The Rising/ Last To Die/ Long Walk Home/ Badlands...ENCORES...Girls In Their Summer Clothes/ Kitty's Back/ Born To Run/ Dancing In The Dark/ American Land

3:45PM: King Dork and I leave Studio City for the Sports Arena. I am in something of a blind panic. We need to be at there by 5PM to get wristbands, so we can have a shot at being one of the lucky 500 to get into the pit. We've gotten off to a late start and, with two major accidents tying up the freeways, there is no way we'll be there by 4:30PM, when Andy is meeting us there.

4:15PM: We make the strategic decision to get off the 101 and take surface streets. We exit at Vermont.

4:40PM: Good move! We're at the Sports Arena! Let's call Andy and find out where he is! He's not answering his phone. Uh-oh.

4:50PM: We get in line. Still no answer from Andy. He's not going to get a wristband. Uh-oh.

4:55PM: We get wristbands! Andy calls! He's stuck in traffic. A lot of traffic. He's not going to be there for an hour and a half. And I have his ticket...I have wristband # 739. King Dork has #740.

5:10PM: We need them to draw #239 or higher. They have a 5 year girl draw a number from a glass jar. She draws #228. I shoot death rays from my eyes at the little girl. We're not getting in the pit.

6:10PM: They start to let the pit people in. Still no Andy.

6:25PM: They line the rest of us up by wristband number. Andy shows up, I give him his ticket. But he can't get in line with us because he doesn't have a wristband. He goes to the regular general admission line. Bummer.

6:30PM: They let us in. Unfortunately,ahead of us, they let in a group of General Admission folks who had NOT BEEN WAITING FOR TWO HOURS!!!! Well played, Sports Arena staff, well played!

6:32PM: We reach the floor. Second to third wave of people back from the barricade despite being tenth in line. That is what is call a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. Drag.

6:33PM: Here's Andy!

8:15PM: A vendor who does business with Andy calls him. Does he need pit passes? Great! He can get a couple....but we need 3.....

8:20-8:30PM: I'll skip the details, but suffice to say there was subterfuge, threats of arrests and ultimately, the additional pit pass is obtained, but I am informed that security will be keeping an eye on me and if I give them one more problem I'LL BE GOING TO JAIL!!! J-A-I-L!!!!!

8:30PM: I spot Jon Landau, Bruce's manager and start chatting him up. Bruce is working up a Halloween bit for the opening, he tells me, but Bruce isn't sure he if wants to do it. Given Bruce's legendary indecisiveness, this struck me kinda funny, seemed kinda funny sir to me. I ask him if there are going to be any B-sides coming out from the "Magic" sessions. He says there are only a couple extra tracks, that it's not like the old days when they would have a bunch of extra songs. Also says they'll be coming back through on the second leg of the tour, and might play the Sports Arena again. "Bruce likes this old barn", he says. Nice guy. Friendly, enjoyed talking to him.

8:40PM: A coffin is carried out. Little Steven sadly shakes his head, as if nothing can be done. He hands a guitar down to the coffin. An arm shoots up takes it, the coffin is tilted up. Out comes Bruce. (watch the video, y'all!)

This was the first time I've ever been lucky enough to be in the pit, and it was spectacular. I have never been so close to the stage for a Springsteen concert. Highlights? "Reason To Believe", with a new "LaGrange"-like bluesy rave-up arrangement. "Gypsy Biker", another blistering Bruce-Little Steven guitar duel. "Night" straight into "She's The One". The entire encore- "Kitty's Back", are you kidding me? And the closer, "American Land" was better than I ever could have imagined, with both Roy Bittan and Danny Federici up front wailing away on their accordions, to the extent that it is possible to wail on an accordion. A tight, flawless performance by a band playing at an extremely high level, and having a great time doing it.

Andy emerges the M.V.P. of the evening, King Dork a close runner-up (he bought all the beer). I ultimately avoided imprisonment.

If you somehow made it through that tale of heartbreak and triumph, here's your reward: Part 2 of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at the Agora Theater, Cleveland, 8/9/1978:

Paradise By The C/ Fire/ Sherry Darling/ Not Fade Away/ Gloria/ She's The One/ Growin' Up/ Backstreets/ Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

DOWNLOAD DISC 2 AS A ZIP FILE-PREPARE TO LOSE YOUR SOCKS!!

 

Comments

[Private Beach]

I got a "not found" on the zip file - what's the problem?

[Brian]

Fixed! Thanks for letting me know.

[Rachel]

Dude, I am so jealous, and so very happy for you. Sounds like a show to remember always. Thanks so much for sharing!

[ed Noonan]

Thanks a lot, show looks great. Is there a disc one?

[Brian]

Ed-

Just go a couple of posts back, you'll find it.

Brian

[Chris]

I was there as well. I am dying to get a copy of that Guitar duel in Gypsy. My first Bruce show and it was everything I heard it would be and more. WOW! WOW! WOW!