At age 66, Bruce Springsteen still seems to have the same performing energy he did in the 1970s and 1980s. I was lucky enough to see him live on April 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and it was by far one of the liveliest, most entertaining concerts I have ever seen. At age 19, was I one of the youngest people there? Yes, but I also discovered that his fans are loyal, dedicated and exceptionally loud (even at age 45).
I was in the general admission area of the concert, and my friend and I got there almost two hours before the show actually started. We befriended people standing near us, and I was shocked to find out many people actually traveled to Dallas to see Springsteen. There were people from Arkansas, Houston and even people from New Jersey in the audience. Many people had seen him at least two or three times prior to this concert, and I can now understand why they want to see him multiple times. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band bring a contagious energy to every single show they perform at, and it is captivating to watch.
The crowd roared with excitement when Springsteen came out on stage. He started the show opening with the upbeat song “Meet Me in the City,” and continued to play the entire River album. He had raw, passionate moments while singing the ballads “Drive All Night” and “Wreck on the Highway,” but revealed his youthful, enthusiastic nature during “Hungry Heart” when he crowd surfed from the second stage back to the main stage. I do not even see young, current musicians do this. The whole audience can clearly recognize that he truly loves his fans and what he does. Springsteen has a passion for performing, and after 40 years he has never grown tired of it.
After he performed the River album, he played many hits from his "Born in the USA" and "Born to Run" albums. The whole audience sang every word of “Thunder Road” and “Dancing in the Dark,” and danced along to “Rosalita” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.” Bruce eventually ended the show at 11:30 p.m. He had played for three- and-a-half hours, which was the longest concert I have ever attended, and audience members were still cheering for more (yes, even the 60-year-olds).
Everyone in the audience definitely got their money's worth. They listened to his newer songs, raw emotional songs and also sang along to his well-known hits from the '80s. I now completely understand why everyone in my home state of New Jersey worships him: it is because you will never find another performer as energetic and passionate as him.
