Springsteen and my Rock and Roll Soul

(Hey

Rob Jones

this is for you)

I am of the age and inspiration level that I believe Springsteen. That Springsteen believe the stage, the concert hall, the festival, the arena…thats church. That is YOU communing with God. That is him taking the role of frontman as serious as the Pope takes the eucharist.

I was gifted by the universe to see him at Hyde Park in 2009. I had seen him before, but Hyde Park changed me, like seeing Iggy changed me. Like seeing Prince changed me. Changed me forever, and all the way through.

His greatness knows few bounds, because he is willing. To pay the price for inspiration, to share his passion with you. He guides you, and is more than willing to be that guy.

So, lets start here….

This is again, all about willingness. Watch the way he looks at the crowd as he walks down the stairs. He knows he is a stadium performer, and he also know his connection is the most important thing. He is going there, where ever that is, and he is taking you with. And he goes back to the birth of rock and soul, and goes all out. Look at how him and Steven play with guitar tone, fucking around INSIDE a song. He is LISTENING. Really, really listening.

And this…

This is sprinting the last 100 yards of a marathon, and doing it covered in your sweat and spit, and in pain, but the joy of seeing the end, it lifts you, way up. And you just let it go. You can pay the bill some other time, now, now your going to run like a kid, your going to play like the best of bar bands. Again, willingness. The uncontrolled joy of him and Stevie, him and Patty, him and Max, him and the big man. If you know what to look for, you see it all here. All the joy and love and EARNED EXPERIENCE you want. He paid the dues. He earned this joy in every shitty club gig that he gave his all to. He banked this joy by giving himself over.

And this…

This is once again about him paying. He paid for this song, and this performance, and the ability to not make this entirely lame and cheesy because he BELIEVES this song. He believes HIS PLACE in this song. He believe this song can take the people in front of him to somewhere else, even if for an instant. And he paid for that gift, he paid for that all those nights in Jersey with Southside, for no money. For absolute poverty. He paid for all these moments for himself, and for these people. And because he paid, he can do this without hesitation and without fear.

And this…

These are all the giants, but they are the giants because they are in fact, giants. Can you imagine the moment Springsteen is alone in his house, or apartment with a pad and paper, and he decides to write this. I mean, the willingness to throw open your body and let us all take a piece for our own, as our joy grows. He is a remarkable man, a powerful man. He saw something as a boy, and he wanted it in a deeper, longer, more overwhelming way than most of us want anything. I mean, what a thing to sing. What a thing to be WILLING to sing.

And this…

This song is how I know what love is. I want to be loved like Wendy, and I want to be able to love someone like he loves Wendy. Wendy let me in I want to be your friend I want to guard your dreams and visions. Jesus, I want someone to say that to me. And I want to feel strongly enough that I say that too someone else.

And this…

This song is SO many things. So many versions. So many people have done it. But, what he does here, he knows what he has to do, and he takes the people HIGHER, STRONGER. He lets the guitar rip, and he lets the defiance of the song have sonic power, along with the power of the story.

I could talk about his songs all night. And I am not a Superfan, but I accept the gifts he gives me. Its why live music matters. Its why I worship you when you get on stage, and why I hope you know I want it all from you, that I want YOU to have taken it as seriously as I take it. Because I will give YOU everything I have at every live gig. I will tear my heart open, and I will scream until I cannot. At every bar gig, or basement gig, or show at First Avenue. I will end the night covered in sweat, maybe some external boogers, and everyone in that room will think one of two things…

1. That guy is fucking nuts.

2. That guy goes hard.

Its number 2. Its number 2 because Iggy, and Black Flag, and Prince, and Springsteen, and the Afghan Whigs, and Motorhead taught be that being cool is bullshit. James Brown, Courtney Love, Liz Phair, Jim Ellison…those people are not cool. Kathleen Hanna, Laura Denitzio, Laura Jane Grace, Deanna Below, they are not cool. Chuck D gave me my life. I saw Sinatra when I was six. Black Flag when I was 11. Run DMC at 15.

And I owe to each of them to give it back.