Bruce August 21, 1978

Yesterday, I linked to Don McLean, "American Pie." It's opening lyrics reflected my mood related to seeing live music in 1978, when I was 24.



A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.


Early that summer, I went to a Bad Company concert, and

sat through it like a work meeting. Bored. I was leading up to that, because the last few live shows I went to made me feel the same way. Empty. I thought I'd lost my musical inspiration.

(Bruce pix by Jeffrey Havas)


That August, my girlfriend, Yvette & I went to see Bruce Springsteen for the first time at Madison Square Garden. We got there two hours early and split an eight pack of Miller nips, watching people traffic and scoring the winners.


Inside, the energy was electric but I didn't know why yet. Then the band took the stage and ripped into "Badlands." I found religion in that four minute song. It felt like 1964, I was ten years old again, watching all the girl groups on the Clay Cole Show, watching Roy Orbison singing "Crying," and "Pretty Woman." It didn't matter it was a crappy little TV, those artists week after week tore my heart open, moved in, bought furniture and never left. Springsteen woke everybody up in there, and they haven't left me since 1978.





Laurene, Yvette, Tommy

The next night, I went back to MSG alone, and bought a $6 ticket for $15 from a scalper. Starting from my blue heaven seat I ended up in the third row in the orchestra by the third song and stayed there crouched on the floor between two girls for the entire show including the three encores.


Tons of great shows followed: Garland Jeffreys, John Hiatt, J Geils Band, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Willams, Mary Lee's Corvette, Losers Lounge, and on... When I die, tickets for my next live show will be in my dresser. Somebody pick them up, don't waste them!

Transfixed By The Boss

Tuesday night, Bruce Springsteen shook my hand, gave me a nod and said, "thank you." After the church service at the Walter Kerr Theatre-Bruce Springsteen on Broadway, I left my second row pew on the edge of the sacred altar with a shit-ass grin, my beautiful reward, forty-years after my first Bruce concert in 1978 at MSG. I wrote about that show on my Yorkville Stoops to Nuts blog. Here you go... Thank you, fellow altar boy, Joe Dettmore, for serving High Mass with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch…
Yesterday, I heard Don McLean's, "American Pie."
The opening lyrics reflected my mood about live music in 1978.
"A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.
But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died."
That summer in 1978, I went to a Bad Company concert, and sat through it like a work meeting. Bored. I was leading up to that, the last few live shows I attended made me feel the same way. Empty. I felt I'd lost my musical inspiration.

That August, Yvette & I saw Bruce Springsteen for the first time at MSG. Two hours early, we split an eight pack of seven ounce Miller nips, while we sat on the 32nd St. entrance steps watching traffic and rating girls & boys as they rushed home to Long Island.
Inside, the energy was electric but I didn't know why, yet. Then the band took the stage and ripped into "Badlands." It felt like 1964, I was ten years old again, watching all the girl groups on the Clay Cole Show, watching Roy Orbison singing "Crying," and "Pretty Woman." It didn't matter it was a crappy little TV, those artists week after week tore my heart open, moved in, bought furniture and never left. Springsteen woke everybody up in there, and they haven't left me since 1978.
The next night, I went back to MSG alone, and bought a $6 ticket for $15 from a scalper. Starting from my blue heaven seat, I ended up in the third row in the orchestra by the third song and stayed there crouched on the floor between two girls for the entire show including the three encores.
Tons of great shows followed: John Hiatt, J Geils Band, Pater Wolf, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Williams, Jonatha Brooke, Mary Lee's Corvette, Syd Straw, The Losers Lounge, Yo Lo Tengo, Bruce Cockburn, Garland Jeffreys, Roxy Music, and on... The day I die, tickets for my next live show will be in my dresser.
Somebody pick them up... Don't waste them!


old photos by Jeff Havas, now photo by Joe Dettmore.

Giants Playing the 49ers, Springsteen, Life Is Good

Jim Burt Clocks Joe Montana ~ Jan 1987

The Giants playing the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL playoffs brings back feverish memories of the Jints playing the Bill Walsh gang and my detailed preparation for each game that included lots of indoor catch with rolled up socks while listening to Bruce Springsteen.

Go Giants! Bruuuuuce!

Bruce by Jeffrey Havas

The Tie That Binds

59 years ago today, my parents married at St. Stephen of Hungary in Yorkville. Father Edward J. Holleran the presiding priest stopped the action to give my father a dirty look when he caught Dad whispering to Mom while they were kneeling on the altar and the priest was busy with the Mass duties. The same Father Edward who 12 years later would smack me in the head on the altar during Mass for talking to the other altar boy. Dad and I didn’t bring up Father Edward with each other, but Mom did.

Wedding pictures were taken on the Ryan stoop at 1616 York Avenue, and for the first time ever in either family there were no fist fights at the nupital affair. I received no such report on the after party.

Here's a link to a story that captures the tie that bound my parents.

What Was Your First 45 & Last Single?

What Was Your First & Last 45 Single?

My first 45 single was "Witch Doctor," by Dave Seville & the Chipmunks in 1958. Dad had it behind his back when he walked into the bathroom and I was in the tub. He took the record from behind his back and held it up, "Tommy, look what I got for you!" I was so excited I threw my head up and down and chipped my front tooth on the faucet.

The next two records were "Alvin's Harmonica," and "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds. Mom liked that one, and later Chuck McCann used it in one of his puppet sketches.

Dad had a single of "Bolero." The cover with the dancing senorita knocked me out.

***********************

My next to last single was Springsteen's "Fire." probably in 1989. I wanted the "B" side: a ten minute live version of "Incident on 57th Street. Longest single I ever owned. Don't scratch that one.

My last single was "Missionary Man,” with a cool cover by the Eurythmics.

What was your first single and last 45?

ps my favorite single of all time:

Robert Gordon & Link Wray "Fire."

"190!"

All SJU ruggers get the reference.

Ain't Nothing But a House Party: Central Park 1979

Peter Wolf is sensational. The J Geils Band is one of the top live acts ever & Peter solo blows me away. Bruce Springsteen, Garland Jeffreys, John Hiatt & Peter send me home with a shit-ass grin every time I see them perform. Each one, inspiring in countless ways.

My favorite J Geils memory: In 1979, my friends and I struck gold in Central Park. A group of us played rugby for St. John’s, we were good friends with one of John Scher’s bouncers at the summer Doctor Pepper concerts in Central Park’ skating rink space. Tony rucked for the Long Island Rugby Club. The deal: we met Tony at the VIP gate and as each of us shook his hand; he palmed the five dollar bill we each gave him. This was simultaneous with the entrance of the general admission crowd giving us access to the third row in the orchestra right behind the press and special guests. Unfortunately, this routine was cut short when Tony relocated in fall 1980. But for two years we had boss seats for all concerts.

J Geils was our band. They played Central Park the summer of 79. When we vamooshed a cocktail hour inside an apartment before the parents came home, “I’m Looking For A Love,” was our go out song from the Lp “The Morning After.” Important element for beginning a solid evening.


It rained weakly for an hour before the J Geils show. Since it was a sprinkle they let us in at the normal time. In the third row, we used our shirts to dry the rain off the seats. As I turned to sit down over the Plaza Hotel I saw a breath taking cloud racing towards us and a minute later it dumped buckets of rain. So intense, I laughed and let it run over me. A stream from my head to my chest to my lap to my feet. My Converse sneakers were squeaking, my tee-shirt and shorts were attached to me like suction cups. After a “It’s never going to stop,” ten minutes suddenly the sun burst through and pushed the cloud away. It was over but there was three inches of water under our seats.Canceled I thought.” We sat there waiting for them to tell us to leave.


Two minutes later, Peter Wolf came out on stage looked us over and the less than half filled place and started laughing then the band joined him. He looked down at us then out at the audience and directed us to do the canoe, and his arms went back and forth like he was traveling upstream without a paddle but thought he had one. So we did the same thing and Stephen Jo Bladd banged the drums and the band went into “Ain’t Nothing But A House Party.” They played for two hours and forty minutes. We did The Canoe. Life is good.


I have no J Geils button from that year but I do have The Cars & Southside Johnny buttons below. Here's Evelyn Champagne King for nothing. 1978 was pretty good too.

The Holy Ghost Visits Coney Island

Yesterday, I rode out to Coney Island just in case trouble started at 6pm. Well, the weather cleared up and The Rapture took a rain check.

Waiting on a sunny day paid off.

But to my surprise, the Holy Ghost appeared. I was thrilled because I hadn't seen my old friend since 8th grade at St. Stephen's in 1968. He was my liturgical partner on my Friday rounds selling religious articles door to door. Moving catechisms, rosaries and statues was a fine way to get out of class and earn money.

Traveling the school’s halls, I reminded everyone to save their pennies till Friday, when the Holy Cart rolled into town with gifts and notions for every occasion. I assured my fellow altar boys that the Holy Ghost loved making sales calls with me.

“Each Friday he leaves his perch on the side of the altar to fly alongside the Holy Cart on its rounds. We’re a liturgical team!”

My colleagues made circles around the sides of their heads while whistling.

Read more about hanging with the Holy Ghost in "The Holy Cart."

Turtles Reunion in Central Park

I witnessed a remarkable reunion in Central Park yesterday, "The Turtles!" That's right, "The Turtles," performed four songs while sunning on a rock in Rowboat Lake.

They crooned, "She'd Rather Be With Me," Elenore," "You Showed Me," & "She's My Girl," with one encore, "Hungry Heart."

Bruce Springsteen turned into a Turtle and joined them on the rock. See the pictures, the little guy on left is "The Turtles" new drummer, Moe.

I Wanna Find One Face That Ain't Looking Through Me

Yesterday, I linked to Don McLean, "American Pie." It's opening lyrics reflected my mood related to seeing live music in 1978, when I was 24.

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

Early that summer, I went to a Bad Company concert, and

sat through it like a work meeting. Bored. I was leading up to that, because the last few live shows I went to made me feel the same way. Empty. I thought I'd lost my musical inspiration.

(Bruce pix by Jeffrey Havas)

That August, my girlfriend, Yvette & I went to see Bruce Springsteen for the first time at Madison Square Garden. We got there two hours early and split an eight pack of Miller nips, watching people traffic and scoring the winners.

Inside, the energy was electric but I didn't know why yet. Then the band took the stage and ripped into "Badlands." I found religion in that four minute song. It felt like 1964, I was ten years old again, watching all the girl groups on the Clay Cole Show, watching Roy Orbison singing "Crying," and "Pretty Woman." It didn't matter it was a crappy little TV, those artists week after week tore my heart open, moved in, bought furniture and never left. Springsteen woke everybody up in there, and they haven't left me since 1978.

The next night, I went back to MSG alone, and bought a $6 ticket for $15 from a scalper. Starting from my blue heaven seat I ended up in the third row in the orchestra by the third song and stayed there crouched on the floor between two girls for the entire show including the three encores.

Tons of great shows followed: Garland Jeffreys, John Hiatt, J Geils Band, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin, Lucinda Willams, Mary Lee's Corvette, Losers Lounge, and on... When I die, tickets for my next live show will be in my dresser. Somebody pick them up, don't waste them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGWs6jzKUg&feature=related

No Soup For You!

I am so gone. Bye, New York City Housing Authority; Hello, Summer 2010!

In June, 1970, I fully expected to fail Geometry at LaSalle Academy. I deserved it. Yet, Patrick Cullinan gave me a 70, saving me from my sole flirtation with summer school. Today, summer school was averted, once again.

I have no idea why I cannot keep clothing buttoned and arranged. It's a life long problem, see evidence below.

Mayor Bloomberg: No Soup For You!

By DAVID SEIFMAN

Posted: 3:24 AM, June 19, 2010

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday declared in no uncertain terms that he’s not going to offer buyouts in hopes of speeding up voluntary reductions in the city work force.

“It does not make any sense to do it from an economic point of view because what happens is the people who are ready to retire anyway get the monies and the city has to shell out some extra monies but doesn’t get any extra benefit,” he said.

Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vUKBOJ5sU

Blow Away the Dreams That Tear You Apart

Happy Birthday, Bruce. He turns 60 today.

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The photos were taken by my friend, Jeff Havas, at Madison Square Garden in August 1978 after "Darkness on the Edge of Town," came out.

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I went to the opening show on a $ 6 ticket. The next night, I scalped a tix for $15 and snuck down to the third row in the orchestra. Those two concerts readjusted my heart for live music.

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Bruce took me away for three hours, to a place I had never been to. His energy and talent targeting me and everyone else there overwhelmed me, and left me flattened. He still does that. I'm grateful he's still out there.

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My Favorite Springsteen song:

My Love Will Not Let You Down,

Madison Square Garden, 2000

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the guitar duel at the end gets me every time

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