so i hope everyone's been well?
i'm doing OK, all things considered. still looking, but my spirits are still good: i have a lot of positives in my life and know that not having a job is a temporary situation, despite not having had so much as a face to face interview in this time. funny thing: i realized last week that the last two interviews i was on were the ones that landed me my last two jobs. apparently, once i get in the door, my batting average is pretty darned good. if only i could get past the door again.
on football news: so i'm happy that my giants are (at present) 4-0 heading into a home game against the hapless raiders, whose new motto appear to be "just suck, baby". i feel bad for raiders fans. i have concerns that the giants rushing attack isn't quite as potent this year as it was last year: is it not having derrick ward in the mix? the offensive line and scheme remain the same: the only difference i would think is the personnel. so while a lot of ESPN is rating the giants quite highly, i'm not convinced they're as good as that: they've played a lot of crummy teams to get to 4-0. the real test will be the new orleans game, hosted by the saints. oddly, the giants appear to have a better record on the road than at home through tom coughlin's tenure as head coach. perhaps the swirling winds of giants stadium is tougher on eli's/OC kevin gilbride's passing attack?
and speaking of giants stadium...giants stadium will be torn down after the football season. as a giants fan, i've known this for some time. i mentioned being part of history last night, but to explain this segue fully, let me backtrack a few months.
for my birthday, my siblings gave me a pair of tickets to a concert. specifically, to a bruce springsteen show in giants stadium. and not just any such show: this was the last concert that will ever happen in giants stadium--a venue the newark star-ledger once described as "the house that bruce built". and i had two tickets to that show--my first ever springsteen show, and my wife's first ever concert.
and it was last night.
now, even the most casual reader of this blog is aware that i'm a big fan of springsteen, both the music and the man.
for this set of 5 shows at giants stadium, bruce decided he wanted to do something special: during the each show, he would play the entirety of one of his classic albums: born to run, darkness on the edge of town and born in the USA--which he performed last night.
if you're interested, the local papers have a pair of articles about last night's show (including the setlist), but these are some of my observations:
1. there is absolutely no feeling in the world like singing along with tens of thousands of people: nothing. but because it's me, i'll try to describe it anyway: you're part of something not just bigger, but enormous. it's the unique intersection of so many lives for a 3+ hour span of time, and everyone is on the same page. there's a perfection in that unity, and there's so much energy coming not just from the stage, but from the crowd. having been a part of it is on some level fundamentally indescribable, and even now, re-reading this paragraph, i know i haven't done it justice. a bruce show's been compared to a revival. having attended revivals, i gotta say that's a pretty accurate analogy.
2. "the mighty" max weinberg, whose day job is conan o'brien's bandleader and drummer, has a son jay, who can really play--in fact, he sat in on a few tunes last night. that's gotta be amazing: you've been part of an act that's been together so long that your kid gives you a break. and as i said: jay weinberg can play.
3. bruce wrote a new song titled wrecking ball to commemorate these last ever concerts at giants stadium. fortunately, the lyrics were displayed above the stage to facilitate the sing-along. it's how he's kicked off each of these 5 shows, and you know, i dig it: it's more visceral than his recent work since the rising.
4. bruce has a reputation for putting on a longer show. last night's show began at 8:27. after 2 encores, the house lights came up at 11:40. i'd been screaming/singing myself hoarse for 3:13.
last night was a hell of a night! i expect my voice to recover in a day or 3...
ed
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silverwhisper posted on Oct 10, 2009
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Comments
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uniquely-ironic said on Oct 10, 2009....
Dude! good to see you! :)That concert sounded like an experience of a lifetime! Glad you had a good birthday treat.Hoping your job search turns up just the right job. I'm sure it will. (positive thoughts going out to you) -
moonriver said on Oct 10, 2009....
three words re bruce:
i'm. fuckin. envious.
(is that four words?)
after a year of waiting,
i got past the door last month.
i'm sure you'll do too... :-)
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silverwhisper said on Oct 10, 2009....
u-i: nice to see you too! and yeah, the show absolutely was that! :>
moon: congratulations, sir! and thank you; i shared what i could of it. i hope all is well with you and yours. :>
ed -
PAPERBACKWRITER said on Oct 10, 2009....
belated happy birthday, ed! it made me smile to see your name under my users. :)
i was just thinking of you a couple of hours ago, reminiscing how SC was 3 years ago.
i missed your bruce springsteen´s blogs, and was not aware you are a fan too. :)
like uni, sending you good thoughts on the job search.
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beyondtheveil said on Oct 10, 2009....
I'd like to see a Bruce concert, but it will probably never happen. It sounds like your spirits are still up. That's great and makes a big difference.
Drop by anytime, Ed, we're always happy to hear from you.
(I'll get behind the Giants for you, as usual.)
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gingersoul said on Oct 10, 2009....
Ed.......i went to see Bruce Springsteen in concert when he went in Roma probably 10 years ago.....
Such a vibrant concert.......It happened in the Olimpico soccer stadium ....we were packed like sardines...but it has been great ....
And his ass in those jeans was great too.....;-p
Now i don't listen to him anymore but he is still good...
Glad you saw him last night. And again good luck for your job.
And talking about huge stadium......did you see the brand new football stadium for the Dallas Cowboys? Humongous!
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Hegemone said on Oct 10, 2009....
Sounds like an amazing experience. I totally get how it's so hard to describe that fantastic feeling when you're part of something like that, one tiny voice among thousands, and you're all coming together as one large voice. It's very nearly indescribable and no matter how beautifully you try to put it (boy did you ever do a good job of it!), it still doesn't feel you've gotten it totally right, does it? Glad you had such an amazing time and I hope your voice comes back sooner rather than later. :-) -
bloc said on Oct 10, 2009....
Great to see you pop in :)
Springsteen? Really? I never understood his popularity.
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RollingC said on Oct 10, 2009....
:^) -
RollingC said on Oct 11, 2009....
p.s. - Happy Belated Birthday. I'm envious of your concert experience. :^) Rc -
Twylarants said on Oct 11, 2009....
Hi, ed! Go Giants. -
silverwhisper said on Oct 11, 2009....
paper: nice to see you, and thank you for the belated b-day wishes. :> i see that SC's a different place. and thanks for the good thoughts. :>
beyond: good to see you again! and never say never, beyond. when bruce first broke with the e street band in the 80s, i remember thinking, "well, there goes any hope of seeing him." he's 60 and still putting on a marathon show. you never know, dude. :>
GS: i don't think i knew you'd seen him...roma, around 10 years ago? that would have been before the rising, correct? the music he was doing then wasn't my favorite but i can see it was a great show! thanks for the well wishes. and yeah, i heard about the cowboys new stadium. it's certainly really big, no question!
hegemone: hi! it was absolutely an incredible experience--thanks for your kind words! i'm still kinda hoarse this morning, truth be told. yeah, no matter how long i have to describe it, i'm not sure i'll ever get there. you sound like someone who's been through it, too: what was the experience, if you don't mind my asking?
bloc: nice to see you again, too! yes, really: springsteen. but honestly, i'm OK with other people not getting it. :>
rollingc: hey there, guy! thanks for the b-day wishes. it's great to see you again, man!
twyla: hey! good to see you again, too! and yeah, go giants! i'm looking forward to next week's game in the superdome.
ed -
Hegemone said on Oct 11, 2009....
Well Silver, for me there are a couple of different ones. I remember a concert I went to when I was younger, my first and only ... and I think I was more flabbergasted and amazed by the group effect and just how awesome it felt than I even was about the concert (ha, it was NSYNC, boy am I glad that phase has passed). It was also my first ever concert, so that even added to it. But more recently, I've been to a couple of WWE wrestling events, and THAT is where I really feel it being so awesome being within that crowd. Thousands of 'boos' become one giant 'boo', thousands of screams become one giant scream and so on. Then you've got the wrestlers on stage who know just how to work that crowd and that adds to the charm all the more when the performer knows how to really get everybody going. All the enthusiasm, my oh my, it's so exciting. I can say honestly that from the last two times I've gone, I get more exhilarated just by how it felt to be part of that screaming, cheering mass than the actual event alone. -
silverwhisper said on Oct 12, 2009....
hegemone: being part of a good crowd is pretty darned impressive--even when you're talking about a movie, if to a lesser degree. :>
WWE events, huh? i'll confess, not something i would have expected!
ed -
raindove said on Oct 12, 2009....
hi silver whisper great to see you and im glad you had such a nice time on your bday. see ya! -
MsBradford07 said on Oct 12, 2009....
Happy belated birthday! I am glad that you had a great time. -
queenparanoia said on Oct 13, 2009....
hi silver!!! missyou bro!!! i'm glad youre back blogging... :-) -
The_Ranting_Logician said 9 days ago....
Bruce is remarkable.
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