One of life's more annoying ironies: I don't have much time to write this, yet I have lots of notes, as for the first time I remembered to bring my notebook in with me!
What to do on the layover day of the Bruce
Springsteen "spend time at home with the kids" tour? The day started
with something I would never have expected in Fresno - I was at the gas
station when a young lady who was standing line for the phone galnced inside
my car and, upon seeing the road trip debris, asked, "Where are you
going?"
"Today, just over to San Jose."
"San Jose? ... (her eyes light up) ... You want a date?" That
was when I noticed her skimpy little outfit.
"Um, no thanks."
I giggled hysterically as I drove away. I've been prepared for that to happen
in some places I've been - downtown LA, some areas of San Diego, San Francisco,
New York... but... Fresno? This one goes into the file of "now there's
something I didn't expect."
Friday was a harried drive to Santa Barbara, down the 101. I'd forgotten how much I like driving the northern section of the 101 - fabulous rolling hills, and some seaside stretches that take your breath away. I drove directly to the Arlington theater and got in the ticket line at 2:15pm. There were about 30 people in line, and by 4:30 everyone had tickets. (Except this one snotty woman who wanted better seats! I was delighted that I saw her outside the theater before the show, still trying to get a ticket.)
While waiting for my dinner at Santa Barbara's fabulous State & A, I read some more from Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451". The story of the firemen and censorship, and the need of human life for art, if life is to flourish, reminds me of Bruce's joke while introducing "Balboa Park", about the human need for grace in our lives, whether that grace is from music or film or "bizarre and unusual sexual practices." I also remember being told that someone in Fresno muttered "I've had enough" and left the concert while Bruce was giving his impassioned speech against Proposition 209. I remember a quote, although I can't remember who wrote it: "Those who are easily offended should be offended more often."
The Venue:
The Arlington Theater is a really neat place inside. Inside the theater
itself, the room looks like the inner plaza of a Mexican hacienda house.
Complete with arches, doorways, porchlights, faux balconies. Really neat.
The ceiling is painted a dark blue, with star lights.
Upgrades:
The theory of women getting upgrades continues to hold true. Two women sitting
*directly* in front of me got upgraded to the second row, just minutes before
the show started. So I jumped ahead and sat in their seat.
The show:
Tom Joad, Guthrie
I finally figured out why I don't dig this song. I've read Steinbeck's book
several times, and seen the Ford film. I know the story inside and out.
Thus, to me the Guthrie song is kind of a rerun.
Atlantic City
A group of ushers wrecked this one for me, they were talking in the aisle
to my right.
Straight Time
More compelling tonight, I notice the craft Bruce uses in relating the character's
struggle - sparse descriptions of periods of happiness, but excrutiating
detail whenever he backslides.
Highway 29
Darkness
No bootleg does this rendition justice. Bruce's pounding of the guitar,
and how he uses the guitar to growl in emphasis of the character's frustrations.
Johnny 99
Dazzling harmonica work at the end.
Highway Patrolman
"I see that some folks brought their kids to the show. How to put this... this would be a good time to take them to the pee pee room."
Pilgrim in the Temple of Love
The line "and I wittily replied, 'Uhh...'" reminds me of a Rolling
Stones concert in San Diego a couple of years ago. I bought a hat, and midway
through the show a delighful blonde in jeans and a black bodysuit appears
inches from my face and says, "what do I have to do to get that hat?"
I brought the full force of my faculties in witty repartee to the fore,
and replied, "Huh?" Ever since, "Honky Tonk Woman" means
something new to me.
"For you kids, 'cunnilingus' is Latin for 'it's nice to keep your room very neat.'"
Red Headed Woman
Brothers Under the Bridge
Born in the USA
During this song, as Bruce rips into his guitar, you can see his shoulders
bulge as he wrings anguish out of the Fender. You can feel the raw power
coming off of him, the same power that can fill stadiums and elevate thousands
to ecstacy, now focused only on one guitar. For a moment I glimpse a different
Bruce, a different guitar , a different sound and a difference venue.
Dry Lightning
Long Time Coming
The theater was deathly quiet after this song. Bruce took a sip of water,
leaned over to the microphone and said, "you guys are giving me the
creeps. Man, it's quiet." The audience replied with thundrous applause,
hoots, cheers and *lots* of Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuce-ing.
Point Blank
Sinaloa Cowboys
The Line
Balboa Park
Across the Border
Bobby Jean
This Hard Land - with Danny Federicini on accordian
Never Be Any For Me But You - also with Danny
Fabulous interplay with Danny at the end.
Galveston Bay
Promised Land
Today it's back to San Jose, pick up my friend Cynthia from the airport, and then she, Tonya & Johnathon and I are off to the show.
Open All Night,
Andrew
Andrew Laurence atlauren@uci.edu Office of Academic Computing http://www.oac.uci.edu/~atlauren/ UC Irvine