Paul Jam - Paul Andrews' Blog - Dunsborough, Western Australia

This biggest concert of my life has come and gone and I’m pretty impressed. Hanging with 80,000 New Yorkers and New Jersey natives to see their favourite son was an experience that was every bit as big, bold and brash as I thought it would be. Called “The Wrecking Ball”, I can assure you, I had a ball, especially as they played the entire “Born In The USA” album in order, highlighting the emotion and political undertones that Springsteen felt during the Regan era.

The show saw The E-Street Band, who again, must be one of the best rock outfits on the planet put on a three hour plus show with hits, special requests and surprises that was a fitting end to the life of this massive stadium. The show was the final one to take place before they tear it down to turn it into a car park for the new stadium that has been built next door. 

After very little sleep in LA the previous night and a shocker of a day on a sardine can-like plane ride from Los Angeles, I had enough time to check into my hotel room, get out for a walk around midtown Manhattan and then off to the show. Luckily special busses were put on from the Port Authority Bus Terminal  which is a 15 minute walk from my hotel, just off Time Square.

On arriving, I made my way into the stadium and was presented with a special wristband to get me into “The Pit” so I was about 30 metres from the stage. I did the full USA thing and bought a Bud and a Chilli Dog and waited for the show. During this time I met some really nice locals who were pretty impressed with my trip plans and wanted to know all about Australia.

As the venue filled, the buzz was electric. A totally different crowd to the one Pearl Jam attracts, there were good ole boys and their girls everywhere, but again thankfully, a peaceful and gracious set of people who, like the Pearl Jam audience, seemed to respect one another and share a common love for Springsteen. Love may not be a strong enough word – these people are disciples to the Springsteen cause – again, like Pearl Jam fans are to the PJ cause.

Suddenly, no dimming of the lights, but the E Street Band appeared on stage and were all individually cheered by the audience. The cheers were quickly replaced by the boo like sound as Bruce and his wife appeared and then the roar I was waiting for. It was tingles down the spine time as he welcomed everyone and got straight into a song, specially written for the show – Wrecking Ball – all about his love for the stadium and the proud sporting history it contains.

While the crowd were appreciative and sang along thanks to a teleprompter image of the words on the massive video screens beside, behind and above the stage, a massive road went up as the song finished and they launched into badlands. It was at this time I began to kick myself to abiding by the No Cameras policy as just about everyone around me started taking video and pictures – D’oh!

For me the highlight of the show was the playing of the entire “Born In The USA” album cover to cover. This was the album that opened my ears to Springsteen and according to his introduction of it, was the album that elevated him from a concert hall act to an outdoor arena act. Hearing this album through 40 year old ears was a delight as many of the themes and issues contained in the lyrics went right over my head as a 16 year old. Songs of hardship, political desertion, loss, love gone bad, courage, parenthood and  friendship resonated far more than ever and I will have to revisit this album when I return to Australia.

The E Street Band are incredible. For most of the night 12 people were on stage, tight as a cheapskate’s arsehole, brothers in arms till the end, they play with passion and sincerity and even thought they lack the raw punk rock power of Pearl Jam, are in a class of their own when it comes to this kind of rock show. They are the best at doing this kind of show.

Bruce Springsteen himself is the consummate professional. He knows how to work a large crowd without gimmicks or fake clichés – he just goes out there and puts himself in the crowd’s hands. At one stage he raced out through a special corridor in the crowd to a spot just out of reach of where I was standing and sang from there. If they release a video of the night I’m sure I’ll be in it as I did see myself on the big screen. From this point he crowd surfed back to the stage and everyone went wild.

On particularly emotional part of the night which literally left me with watery, blurred eyes was when he jumped into the crowd at the front of the stage and had fans sing a line from the chorus of “Waiting on a Sunny Day”. After a number of fans had had their go he found a little girl who appeared to be about 6 or 7 and her dad and mum. They gave the little girl the microphone and the cameras zoomed in and she then for about a minute was the star of the night – plastered all over the screens, she sang the chorus while her mum and dad and Bruce encouraged her. I could see the pride and emotion on all of their faces as this brave little girl sang repeated the lines, Bruce urging her on time and again. I don’t think a single parent in the place would have had a dry eye as the family had one of the highlights of their lives. There were loads of parents there with their kids and it just rammed home how music transcends generations and passing on the love for an artist to your kids is a priceless thing that I hope to do one day. Ella and Marcus – you’d better love Pearl Jam!!

Towards the end of the night Bruce bade farewell to the stadium, in his words, “The last bastion of affordable sports seating in the country” and a brilliant fireworks displace, set in time to the music provided a fitting finale. The crowd were not ready to let him leave and a final rendition of Jersy Girl closed the night. There was no encore, just one long set high on emotion, energy and good old Americanism.

A night to remember forever

October 9, 2009
East Rutherford, New Jersey Giants Stadium

Wrecking Ball, Badlands, Spirit In The Night, Outlaw Pete, Hungry Heart, Working On A Dream, Born In The USA, Cover Me, Darlington County, Working On The Highway, Downbound Train, I'm On Fire, No Surrender, Bobby Jean, I'm Goin' Down, Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark, My Hometown, Tougher Than The Rest, The Promised Land, Last to Die, Long Walk Home, The Rising, Born To Run, Raise Your Hand, The Last Time (Rolling Stones), Waiting On A Sunny Day, Seven Nights To Rock, Kitty's Back, American Land, Jersey Girl