I drove 350 miles and saw a few cops, but my mom and I had a great time. I sent my mother to the San Diego show of the '92 tour, but she came away unimpressed; I thought that this tour might bring her around, so she agreed to join me for the Tempe show.
The first leg of Andrew's Oddessey took me from Newport Beach to San Diego, where I spent the weekend doing penance for working in the computing field - technical support for my brother and his wife. Monday my Mom and I drove to Tempe, an easy 6 hour drive along Interstate 8. Some high winds along the San Diego and Imperial counties border, but nothing my Protege and a little Ray Charles couldn't handle.
We collected the tickets from will call at the Gammage Auditorium, and then had a great dinner at a little Italian cafe about a quarter mile up Mills Street from the Gammage. After dinner it was back to the venue - Mom bought a TJ hat. I went to the stage door with a note for Bruce, a request that he play "The Wish" for my mom (unrequited, alas) and the requisite Thanks. On the way back I ran into a guy I had met while sitting in the ticket dump line last November at the Wiltern.
While we were seated before the show, Mom and I were chatting when I looked up and... was pretty sure that Nils Lofgren had just walked in front of me and down the aisle to his seats. I was so busy explaining to Mom who I thought it was that I didn't think to ask him to sign my ticket until it was too late.
After the Guthrie Tom Joad, Bruce gave a hysterical "shut the fuck up" speech" which nearly everyone followed through the evening. He made a passing reference to "being back at the Cabbage," and through the night several references to the balcony falling apart. I take it Bruce has been here before, and there was some sort of incident? I'll leave the set list to others (forgot my notebook in the car), but some thoughts now that I'm wired on an iced cappucino:
Johnny 99 - I've been waiting seven years to hear this one live. WOW. I don't know how or why, but this most depressing song is among my favorites. I think it's aspiring writer's envy at the wonderful imagery of Mean John Brown "stared young Johnny down."
Born in the USA - Much better than the rendition I saw at the Wiltern. My mother commented on Bruce's slide guitar playing.
Brothers Under The Bridge - This was the first song Mom mentioned as we left.
Red Headed Woman - The speech about cunnilingus had my mother's sides splitting with laughter. Kind of creepy, that. However, the song will always hold a special place in my heart - my high school girlfriend was a redhead.
Sell It - Talk about a banal ditty, but what a hoot!
Border Suite - easily the best part of the night. The intimacy just sucked me in, and Bruce's stories before each song perfectly framed the songs' stories.
No Surrender - With, sure enough, Nils Lofgren.
The Promised Land - The driving beat of his hand against the guitar, the perfect closer. In particular the very last note, Bruce holds the guitar above his head and whacks the guitar - and the lights go out. Mom gasped. Wow.
As we walked out, Mom said "you never told me he was a singer of social justice." She said she places the concert among Willie Nelson, Etta Fitzgerald and the very best she's seen. I'm not sure I've made a convert, but this looks like a good start.
Two druthers - It would have been great to hear "The Wish" while there with my mom, and I think "Murder Inc." fits the show better than "Nebraska."
Next up, San Diego - my hometown. I'm curious to see how "The Line" and "Balboa Park" will play there.
-Andrew
Andrew Laurence atlauren@uci.edu Office of Academic Computing http://www.oac.uci.edu/~atlauren/ UC Irvine