Best show or bestest show?

Bruce Springsteen is the best of all worlds: substance, politics, rock. The only other things I like are sleep and food, and I usually kill two birds with one stone by using Nyquil as a salad dressing. And then eating the two birds before I pass out.

I teared up a couple times. Once during Lonesome Day, the first song on his first album after 9-11 when Bruce came forward to help with the healing. Unlike those douchebag hack musicians who wrapped themselves in the flag and used the dead as an excuse for xenophobia and indiscriminate hate-filled threats of vengeance, such as putting boots up asses. Those guys have the right as Americans to say that shit. But they are expressing grossly unAmerican sentiments, no matter how in step they are with our government's unAmerican policies.

The other emotional moment, for me, came during Last to Die. As in, who'll be the last to die for a mistake? And through it all, Springsteen's songs and high-energy live show serve to remind us what's great about America and why this country is worth putting in the time to make it better. I forget that sometimes.

In a much more alarming moment during the show, a young no-goodnik somehow got on stage, and before security could get him off, he'd sung most of Glory Days with Bruce. I didn't quite catch his name. Jove Bon Jonny. Bonnie Ju Joe-Jack. Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo. I don't know. Some kid from Jersey anyway. But to be fair, before the show I wished for Bruce to play Glory Days. And like all wishes on a monkey's paw, it came with a curse.

The End.

Here's a video.




Here's a live cut from back in the headband days. I always dug this song, but now I'm at the age when the song actually resonates with me. And freaks me out. Did I ever have any glory days? (P.S. I can't explain or justify the cameo by Father Time.)