Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Tour 2023

[Seven]

I did a little digging.

In 1979 an orchestra ticket to see Bruce Springsteen was $18.50 or about $78 in today's money, when we factor inflation. Perfectly reasonable, If I say so myself. The closest equivalent to an orchestra seat today, for Bruce Springsteen costs over $3000 factoring in fees. I thought Bruce was supposed to be the champion of the working class? Guess he's become part of the machine that he's long rallied against, as he throws stones while living in his glass house.

And Don't get me wrong, I love his music, and will continue to enjoy it for years to come. It's hard to prescribe to the political gospel he likes to spread though, when he himself is part of the problem. That's the most political I will ever get on here

[jingram058]

When I saw Springsteen in 1981, on The River Tour, the concert was over 3 hours. After Thunder Road, the house lights came on, and he announced they were going to take a break and come back and "rock all night". They did an entire 2nd set, with 3 separate encores ending with the Detroit Medley. My tickets were ground floor of the Mid-South Coliseum about 30 rows back. Not the pit, but could see and hear everything. Those tickets cost $10. I still have one of the stubs, and a program I bought. There were no added singers or horn players. Just the E Street Band. I thought then and still think it was maybe the best concert I ever went to, and I am a guy who went to A LOT of concerts. Stones, The Who, Zeppelin, you name them. If they came to Memphis back then, and back then everyone did, I went. Except Led Zeppelin, I saw them in Chicago and that's another story.

I decided this time around, after 42 years, I wanted to see him with the E Street Band one more time. I saw the weirdness with Ticketmaster first hand when the tickets were announced. First, I had to get through a lottery just to be able to buy tickets. Somehow I got through that. Then purchasing the tickets was crazy; tickets that disappeared, tickets that rose in price right before your eyes, all of that. Finally I got 2 tickets that came to $200 change each after fees and tax. Yes, more than $10 in 1981, but in line with what it costs to see any name act today. Not $2000 in the pit, or any other horror stories, but reasonable, given what it costs to see or do practically anything today.

Then came the show the other night. When I bought the tickets I looked up Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, Hollywood, Florida. It was stated that there are no bad seats in the house, and the acoustics are perfect. It lived up to that. The seats in the 2nd balcony (3rd floor) were perfect, like IMAX seating, very comfortable and yes, because of how Hard Rock Live is built, you can see and hear everything. There were 10 or 12 good looking 20-something girls who all came together in the row in front of us. They were up dancing from the first song, No Surrender, to the final acoustic encore song by Springsteen solo, I'll See You Tonight In My Dreams. I don't know where they got the energy to do that for 3 straight hours, but it in no way bothered us because of the IMAX-like structure. Plus the rows are far enough apart that you can go take a leak without tripping over or bothering anyone to do it. Hard Rock Live also has gigantic (colossal) big screen HD monitors to left and right of the stage, so you can see as if you're in the pit no matter where you are.

I feel the E Street Band is the best band around. I used to feel the same about The Heartbreakers, but now with Tom Petty gone, they are no more. I thought there was no way the E Street Band could go on without Danny Federici, and most especially The Big Man, Clarence Clemons. Jake Clemons, Clarence's nephew, make no mistake, is The New Big Man. He wails on the sax like Clarence, and the banter and interplay between him and Springsteen is now like how it was.

The concert was 3 hours long, 7:45 to 10:45 PM, practically non stop. Bruce was in truly rare form for whatever reason. The whole band was. Everyone seemed totally into it, and the audience was also, on their feet for 3 hours. Bruce's voice was time-warp, sounding like 30 or 40 years ago. I was astounded by that. I also noticed that he gave away his harmonica after every number that included one. They did every single song I could have wanted to hear, even the Sad Eyes in the middle of Backstreets. The thing that has always been the thing about the E Street Band is that they actually sound better live than on record. Very, very few bands or performers can do that.

So that's it. An experience just as memorable as 1981. Quite different, but equally great. I have a bootleg of the 1981 concert, and I listened to it last night. Raw and incredible, start to finish. I will download February 7, 2023 at Hard Rock Live just as soon as it becomes available.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Seven

I did a little digging.

In 1979 an orchestra ticket to see Bruce Springsteen was $18.50 or about $78 in today's money, when we factor inflation. Perfectly reasonable, If I say so myself. The closest equivalent to an orchestra seat today, for Bruce Springsteen costs over $3000 factoring in fees. I thought Bruce was supposed to be the champion of the working class? Guess he's become part of the machine that he's long rallied against, as he throws stones while living in his glass house.

And Don't get me wrong, I love his music, and will continue to enjoy it for years to come. It's hard to prescribe to the political gospel he likes to spread though, when he himself is part of the problem. That's the most political I will ever get on here

No doubt he had humble roots, but it wears thin on me too when someone that wealthy and privileged still tries to come across like a working class hero. No denying his huge talent, showmanship, and influence on music though.

[Cliff Bowman]

[b]

Originally Posted by peter_spaeth

No doubt he had humble roots, but it wears thin on me too when someone that wealthy and privileged still tries to come across like a working class hero. No denying his huge talent, showmanship, and influence on music though.

I'm glad someone finally said it.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

[b]

I'm glad someone finally said it.

Well if you don't like that he charges what everyone else in the music business is charging, then don't go. Don't go to the Super Bowl, or World Series, either. I personally believe he's as stand up as anyone. The big stars tend to make a lot of money, be it music, sports, what have you. Springsteen has his own charity, and gives a lot to that charity, and others. Where's yours? You and Peter have a lot of big money cards. When is the last time you gave one away? The show I went to the other day was a total sellout, standing room only. The one I went to in 1981 was also. As I said earlier on in this thread, there's no middle ground. People either love him, or condescendingly sneer. A lot of people apparently love him. Lots of haters, too.

[mortimer brewster]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Well if you don't like that he charges what everyone else in the music business is charging, then don't go. Don't go to the Super Bowl, or World Series, either. I personally believe he's as stand up as anyone. The big stars tend to make a lot of money, be it music, sports, what have you. Springsteen has his own charity, and gives a lot to that charity, and others. Where's yours? You and Peter have a lot of big money cards. When is the last time you gave one away? The show I went to the other day was a total sellout, standing room only. The one I went to in 1981 was also. As I said earlier on in this thread, there's no middle ground. People either love him, or condescendingly sneer. A lot of people apparently love him. Lots of haters, too.

James,

How can you be a working class hero if you never had a working class job? His image is carefully crafted. His talent was acknowledged. I don't see the hate from those 2 comments. You may need a snickers bar.

What I find concerning is all this talk from politicians about how tough the economy is, yet venues are selling out at inflated prices. Restaurants are full. People are gambling at record rates etc etc etc; yet people can't pay their student loans? credit card debt is at a record high. Default rates on car loans and mortgages are rising.....

[Snapolit1]

Springsteen grew up in a hard scrabble town and his dad and everyone else in his life growing up was blue collar or lower. And he took up music at an early age and did it his whole life. To say he can't sing about the working man because he never held a 9-5 job is silly. How many famous authors and musicians have written about life as lived by others. Honestly that's a ridiculous comment. Would be like saying John Wayne can't play someone in the military because he never served. Or Kevin Cosner can't play a western rancher because he grew up in California. Yes, all these people have an "image" they cultivate. Goes with the nature of what they do.

[Seven]

I'm not denying that Bruce paid his dues, I'm sure he did back in the day. His working class background, and nights spent playing at dives in Asbury Park back in the day are well reflected in his vast catalogue of music.

I have a major issue with how the industry runs itself today. I can't fault Bruce for doing what he does, when it comes to his concerts and his ticket prices. The Ticket Master monopoly is a major problem, and acts as a gateway to get into events. It's something that's well documented. He could choose not to use this service, to sell his tickets but he does so anyway. I can't fault him, it's a smart business decision and people will pay. I would gladly pay for the ticket if I could, I just don't want to have to choose between seeing Bruce Springsteen or making rent for the month.

I'll say this much, I would've gladly seen him back in 1979 If I could. Unfortunately, I wasn't alive in 1979. That show predates my existence by about 15 years. Acts like Bruce, The Eagles, Paul McCartney, etc are relics of a past age, they're a dying breed. They still put on great shows, and I'd love to see them all, while I can, because I really love their music. I understand I'm not the main demographic that these bands are appealing too,Because I'm sure someone in their 60s probably has a lot easier of a time affording a $500 ticket. It just is what it is, unfortunately.