In the world of the Springsteen Fan, strewn as it is with legendary concerts (including everyone’s first Springsteen show, let’s be honest), there are a few shows that are regarded in the canon as legendary.
One of those is the series of concerts on September 19-20, 1979, at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ. It was on Bruce’s home turf, as his commercial and critical rocket was starting to take off and the E Street Band was turning into one of the most legendary touring outfits in the history of the business. It also was part of a tour that followed three years of litigation that kept him from recording and performing much after his initial breakthrough with Born to Run.
The shows were broadcast on the radio – and are thus among the most bootlegged live performances in history.
And now, via the miracle of YouTube, all the songs from both nights – 25 on the 19th, 22 on the 20th – are available on video.
And tomorrow and Saturday nights, I’m going to run them both, in their original order, here on Shot In The Dark.
Because I’m in the mood to go see Springsteen.
That’s right. Mitch is in the mood to listen to an overrated, one-note sally-boy, who’s talent didn’t match up to any of his peers at any point in his entire career. If you’ve heard one Springstreet (as Brit Hume called him), you’ve heard them all. He sings the same bad songs, just with a change of key and a few wording changes.
Plus, he’s a left wing propaganda spewing lib! I will neither buy or listen to his tired crap and feel the same way as MGIN!
Mitch, thanks for the heads up. I remember a summertime Agora Ballroom performance broadcast live on KQRS-AM during that same time period. I was driving a delivery truck that night and it wasn’t even like working! I recently found it on-line and downloaded it. Outstanding.
And MyGov and BossHoss…….I’m sure Springsteen is devastated by your opinions.
Never saw him live. Never felt the need.
I saw him in the summer of ’84 at Alpine Valley. Great show. I’ve heard the concert you’re referencing was something else. Looking forward to the posts.
MGIN, BH and Kerm: Nothing overrated about this show. And he didn’t start doing politics at all until the nineties (the media reminds you that he smacked Reagan for trying to appropriate “Born in the USA”; they omit that he also smacked Mondale for trying to appropriate it later…).
Anyway – your opinions are noted. Lotsa other things to comment on on my blog. No need to pee in the host’s Wheaties, if you catch my drift.
Point taken, Mitch!
I had 2nd row seats in Kansas City for the Darkness tour and I can never forget it. Perhaps because it accounts for the persistent ringing in my left ear that I have today (well, it was either Bruce or The Tubes “What Do You Want From Life” show).
It was just a personal observation, not a criticism.
I didn’t take it as criticism. No worries.
But it raises a larger point. I vehemently disagree with virtually 100% of what Mitch writes here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t share a musical interest. There are a number of groups that are political to varying extents, but it doesn’t mean you can’t like their music. Skynnard (sp?) is one I can think of off the top of my head that I enjoy musically but not politically. When a person’s politics controls every aspect of their tastes and lives (friends, music, TV, movies) it’s really pretty pathetic.