Bruce Springsteen is an American icon. His presence in the music world for over 40 years goes to show that true talent prevails.
I had the pleasure of seeing Bruce live Friday night and I have to say it was an awe-inspiring evening. The stamina and talent he has at 66 years young is something I hope to have half of at his age. He played for 33 songs straight on Friday night, around 3 and a half hours total of stage time. What struck me as most amazing was that only two days earlier he broke his own record of playing an over four-hour show. Mind you, this was not the typical concert you would see today, full of fanfare, crazy dance routines, and enough costume changes to qualify as a musical. Bruce and his band played real instruments and sang from the heart. He was accompanied by the members of the E Street Band, all of whom have a camaraderie you only get after years of playing together.
What I think keeps Bruce Springsteen relevant and other musical acts of his caliber, is the fact that they transcend decades. His genre of music relates to many different age groups and doesn't pigeonhole itself into a specific kind of person. The music that he plays tells stories and represents more then just a passing fad.
To prove this point further, Bruce noticed the sign of a fan in the crowd that read "Would the Boss play 'No Surrender' with a college kid?" He welcomed the college kid on stage and handed him a guitar. The two played 'No Surrender' and the crowd loved it. Here was Bruce and a fan who could easily be his grandkid jamming out. The juxtaposition of the two guitar players seemed to me a perfect representation of the kind of fans Bruce creates and the longevity his music has in the entertainment industry, where it seems acts come and go with the seasons.
My parents attended Adele's concert the following evening and had similar takeaways. They talked about how Adele was on stage with a few back up singers and members of her band. At some points during the show, she was accompanied only by a single guitar player. These two artists, though vastly different in their genres, both embody the idea that you do not need to put on a crazy show to please your fans, nor do you need to veer away from the traditional aspects of music.
I was making conversation with the woman next to us at the concert. She was seated beside us on the floor and chatted with us about Bruce and how many concerts she had been to. It was just the three of us in the row at the time and she said, “This is the first time I’ve come to one of his concerts alone, but it’s worth it every time.”
There will always be one-hit-wonders and there will always be a singer or band of the moment, but at a time when true musicians are few and far between, it is nice to be reminded of what genuine musicianship looks like. There are so many artists nowadays that use pyrotechnics and elaborate dance routines to their full advantage and absolutely deliver; yet it is refreshing to attend a concert where the true star is the singer and the music.
