Bruce Springsteen - June 24, 1993

During the Human Touch/Lucky Town solo tour in the early nineties, Bruce Springsteen performed two benefit concerts for local community food banks. The first was held at Brendan Byrne Arena with the other being at Madison Square Garden. I had a friend, Kerry, with a contact at Ticketmaster. Through her contact, we were able to get exceptional seats for the face value price. Section 104. The price was $30 and that included most of the money going to charity. I miss the old days of concerts.

The performance took place on a warm June night and Kerry and I got to the parking lot early to do some tailgating. Sit in the sun, eat some food, and play a little catch. We watched the other fans roll in, enjoyed the music blasting out of the cars, and anticipated what the night was going to bring. It would be my second time seeing Springsteen. After seeing him perform almost a year before, I was really looking forward to this performance.

We got inside, found our most incredible seats, and waited for the night to begin. Springsteen started with an acoustic set of songs before launching into the hard rocking heavy hitters. I Ain’t Got No Home (a cover of the Woody Guthrie folk song) kicked off the concert. It was sung with different singers taking a verse and Springsteen closing it out.

Springsteen segued to more acoustic numbers from there. A beautiful rendition (and quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard) of Seeds was performed that left me with my jaw hanging open. Even when I hear it now, 17 years later, I still think it’s a superior version.

An acoustic Adam Raised A Cain was next, and while it’s cool to hear a different interpretation of this song, the original hard rocking version would have been preferred. This Hard Land came next, closing out the acoustic four-pack of openers. At the time, This Hard Land was an unknown song except by the deepest of fans. It was a wonderful performance that I was fortunate enough to hear.

From there it was rock and roll the rest of the night. Better Days kicked it off and we never looked back. Springsteen was bringing it hard that evening. He talked little and performed a lot. Determined to give the fans their money’s worth, Springsteen was giving his all, pulling out the classics, and playing the new hits with a passion and power that made them shine.

Satan’s Jewel Crown was also performed. This is a sought out song by collectors of all things (rare) Springsteen. Personally, I don’t think it’s that great of a song, and since it’s not a Springsteen original, I don’t have much love for it. I believe this was the only time the song was ever performed. In the history of all things Springsteen, it’s amazing that I saw that song performed live. In the history of great Springsteen songs, Satan’s Jewel Crown doesn’t even check in on the radar screen.

Long after the intermission, but before the encore, Springsteen decided that it was time to bring out some surprise guests. I don’t quite recall the order the guests were introduced, but I’m pretty sure that Southside Johnny came out first, followed by the Miami Horns. Then it was time for the really big guns. Steven Van Zandt came out to guest on Glory Days which made the crowd go wild. It had been close to 10 years since Steven had left the band, and to see him on stage with Bruce for a special benefit concert made everyone happy.



The mighty Max Weinberg was next and the crowd went into a total frenzy. And while it was excellent to see Weinberg and Van Zandt on the stage, that was nothing compared to who was about to be introduced.

With a laugh and a smile, it was time to bring the Big Man out. As Clarence Clemmons was introduced, the arena exploded. The roar was deafening. The vibrations could be felt through my chest. I was a huge fan of Clarence and always thought that he made the band what it was, so to have him come out on the stage made me extremely excited. I was so happy that I leaped up and down in the aisle, which wasn’t the smartest idea. On the way down from one of my leaps, my foot caught the edge of the step, my ankle turned, and I went down like a brick. I had sprained my ankle in all of my excitement over seeing Clarence take the stage with Bruce. They ripped into Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out and I hopped on one foot and sang along. It was embarrassing, to say the least, but I would get to tell this story to Clarence himself, who would chuckle politely. That, of course, is a review for another day.



Performance-wise, this was one of the longest and most versatile Springsteen concerts I had ever attended. Deep cuts, current hits, and songs never before performed (and possibly never since either) were all trotted out that night. Does This Bus Stop…?, the aforementioned Seeds, Because The Night, Who’ll Stop The Rain, Settle For Love, Havin’ A Party, and Jersey Girl were all played on that early summer evening. The concert did not end until almost 12:30 AM with the final song being It’s Alright.



I had enjoyed Springsteen before I saw him in 1992. After the first time I saw him, I was hooked. After seeing him for that benefit concert, it cemented my fan status and that night I became a rabid fan. Springsteen was catapulted into my top 5 favorite artists, and he currently sits at number two behind Kiss (whom will never be removed from the top spot). Springsteen converted me that night from fan-boy, to die-hard. His performance was breathtaking and he proved, once again, why he is the king of live entertainers.

My sprained ankle turned out to be just a mild one. I kept it wrapped for three days and stayed off it as much as I could. I was fine after that, and Kerry and I had something to laugh about for many years to come.

Setlist
I Ain’t Got No Home
Seeds (acoustic version)
Adam Raised A Cain (acoustic version)
This Hard Land (acoustic version)
Better Days
Lucky Town
Atlantic City
57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)
Badlands
Satan’s Jewel Crown
My Hometown
Leap of Faith
Man’s Job
Roll of the Dice
INTERMISSION
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?
Because The Night
Brilliant Disguise
Human Touch
The River
Who’ll Stop The Rain
Souls Of The Departed
Living Proof
The Star Spangled Banner
Born In The USA
Light Of Day
Settle For Love
Glory Days
Thunder Road
It’s Been A Long Time
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Born To Run
My Beautiful Reward
Blowin’ Down The Road
Havin’ A Party
Jersey Girl
it’s Alright

Bruce Springsteen - July 25, 1992

My first live Bruce experience came during his Human Touch/Lucky Town world tour. In the early 90s, Bruce had taken hiatus from the E-Street band and embarked on a solo career, releasing two separate albums and then went on a long supporting tour.

I had heard incredible things about Springsteen in concert, so when the opportunity arrived to see him live, I was all over it. I attended the show at the Brendan Byrne Arena with my good friend Dave and his parents. His folks were well versed in the ways of Springsteen’s live shows, and they told me to strap in for a great night of entertainment, because Bruce always delivered the goods.

There was no opening act, as is usual for Springsteen. He was set to deliver a long night of music and no opening band was required. Bruce would come out on fire from the first song and warm up the crowd himself.



Looking at the ticket now, many years later, I still can’t fathom the fact that I paid less than $30 to sit in section 112. Inflation sucks!

No, this is not my ticket - I couldn't scan mine

Since he was supporting two records that the E-Street band did not play on, the concert started off with some new songs. Better Days was the opening number, and the New Jersey crowd was into it from the opening notes. Bruce sang with passion and energy and the band he had assembled for this tour, while no E-Street band, did an incredible job of backing him up. Better Days led into Local Hero, which led into Lucky Town. It was a solid three pack to launch the night.

Darkness followed and the crowd roared for the classic hit. By this early point of the night, I was already mesmerized and glad that I had come. Springsteen was only getting started; there was still a long evening ahead of us.

One of the great things about a Springsteen concert is his marathon shows. 3 hours is the norm for his performance, and some shows have been known to go over 4 hours. This was one of those nights, a Saturday night in New Jersey, Springsteen was so happy to be home and he was bringing all he had for the hometown fans that adored him so.

I was not a self professed Springsteen fanatic when I attended this concert. I had grown up on the two “Born” records, Born To Run and Born In The USA, and I owned a copy of Tunnel of Love, Darkness On The Edge Of Town as well as the new records, but that was about the extent of my collection. After this night, things were going to change and Bruce was about to be launched into the stratosphere of Ryo’s favorite bands.

Seeing this master perform live and the level of energy, emotion, and dedication that he brought to the stage for his fans, I was practically forced to move him up to my top 5 all time favorite bands. Whether it be the energetic live version of 57 Channels, that was played with a passion and a purpose, the demands he made (and received) from the crowd during a rousing version of Badlands, or the brilliance and drama that showed while singing The River, this man delivered. He gave his all and made sure that the fans were getting their money’s worth.

After a brilliant version of Roll of the Dice, the band announced a short break, but they were gonna be back to rock the rest of our night. I’d never heard of a band taking an intermission during a show before, so this appeared odd. Dave’s father told us that Bruce must be getting old, he never took a break in the past. Dave’s parents were having a great time as were Dave and I. Springsteen really was everything I’d ever heard and then some.

The second half of the night kicked off with the rarely played (albeit new at the time) All or Norhing at All. This may be the only tour that Springsteen played this song, and it was (and still is) one of my favorite songs on Human Touch. I would love to see him dust this one off for a current tour, but I won’t hold my breath.

Springsteen took to the stage and immediately began his demands. “I want everyone to get up off their asses! Stand up!” He demanded that we bring the energy for a Saturday night in New Jersey. He then launched into All or Nothing at All and I sang every word as loud as I could. This was amazing! The second half of the concert was a smooth blend of new songs and old favorites. Brilliant Disguise and Tougher Than the Rest sounded incredible with Bruce putting his soul into each song. Born in the USA followed and of course the arena erupted into a sea of yells and cheers. Bruce delivered a rocking version of this classic that made everyone happy.

Light of Day was the highlight of the night for me. Bruce and the band played a rousing rendition that seemed like it would never end. He had the crowd in his palm at that point and it was the highlight of the 92/93 tour. His ability to work the crowd over and make them react was nothing short of genius. Bruce would look left and the left side of the house would scream. He’d pause. Bruce would like right and the right side of the house would scream. He’d pause. The applause would build, louder and louder, and louder until the house was about to explode. Then he’d launch into the chorus for a final run at the song. Brilliant.

More classics would follow as Bruce trotted out Glory Days, Working on the Highway, and Bobby Jean. Hungry Heart was next and the entire audience sang the first verse while Bruce held the microphone up in the air. There is nothing like the spine tingling experience of hearing the entire audience sing a song word for word. Bruce then re-sang the first verse and delivered Hungry Heart to the appreciative fans.

The encore was incredible. A soft version of Thunder Road with just Bruce and Roy (Bittain, long time E-Street member on the piano), while quite different from the studio version that I loved, was amazing. The entire band would step out next for Born to Run and the house went wild. This was, after all, the official New Jersey state song. I sang my throat hoarse on this one and by the time this song was over, I was almost spent. However, being 19, I would be quick to recover.

I don’t recall anything about the last song (My Beautiful Reward), as I didn’t know it that well and wasn’t a big fan of it. I appreciate it now, but back then, I wanted to close out with a rocker. Born to Run would have made for the perfect ending in my opinion.

Dave, his parents, and I left the show happy that evening. I was a newly converted soldier into the Bruce Springsteen fan base army, and I would begin my mission to seek out all of his recorded works and own them, one cassette (or vinyl album, or CD) at a time. This was my first Bruce experience, but it was far from my last. Now that I knew what the man could do in concert, I would want to see it again (and again, and again).

Setlist
Better Days
Local Hero
Lucky Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Open All Night
If I Should Fall Behind
57 Channels
Badlands
The River
Living Proof
My Hometown
Leap of Faith
Man’s Job
Roll of the Dice
(Intermission Break)
All or Nothing at All
99 and a Half Won’t Do
Real Man
Cover Me
Brilliant Disguise
Tougher Than the Rest
Souls of the Departed
Born in the USA
Light of Day
Glory Days
Working on the Highway
Bobby Jean
Hungry Heart
Thunder Road
Born to Run
My Beautiful Reward

Aerosmith - December 16, 1994

It was a chilled Friday evening at the Meadowlands Arena, although it might have still been known as Brendan Byrne Arena then. Whatever the name, I was heading there to see Aerosmith and Jackyl rock a New Jersey night in mid-December.

I didn’t know much about Jackyl, other than their radio hits, Down On Me, and Push Comes To Shove. I had never seen them perform and it would be my first time witnessing live Aerosmith. They were touring in support of Get A Grip and Big Ones, their first compilation album for Geffen, which contained hits from their last three records, plus two new songs.

We were sitting in our typical all-that-we-could-afford-section, commonly referred to as “nosebleed” or “cheap” seats. And as hard as this is for me to believe considering today’s ticket prices, I paid $28.50 + $5.00 service charge for the tickets. This was back in the day of standing in line with a wristband to obtain tickets, long before the modern convenience (and extensive fees) of online ticketing.

Jackyl took the stage first and as previously mentioned, I didn’t know much of their music, but that would quickly change. These guys sprinted onto the stage like a ball of fire and blew me away from the opening notes of their first song. They were full of southern energy and Hillbilly rock that packed quite a punch.

Toward the end of their 45-minute set, Jesse James Dupree, lead singer extraordinaire, came out with a chainsaw, to what I assume must have been The Lumberjack (again, I didn’t know the songs then) and proceeded to cut up a bar stool with a chainsaw live on stage. Having never seen anything remotely resembling that spectacular spectacle, I was amazed. However, Jackyl was not done.

The guitarist then launched into The Star Spangled Banner and entered the crowd. Not the crowd on the floor, mind you, the crowd seated in section 112. He played our national anthem with fans touching him, standing next to him, and staring in awe. I was dumbstruck and an instant fanatic.

Aerosmith would take the stage next, at about 9:25. After seeing the blistering warm up from Jackyl, I expected incredible things from the bad boys of Boston, especially since they were supporting a hits collection. That meant they would be performing nothing but hits. I had heard so many great things about the band that I could not wait for their portion of the night to begin.
I don’t remember what they opened with, but I do remember this…they weren’t that good. Perhaps my expectation levels were escalated, perhaps they had an off night, perhaps they were tired at the end of an extensive tour-whatever it was, the band did not produce the grand event that I had heard made them famous.

Steven Tyler’s singing and energy was half-assed and lackluster. Joe Perry’s guitar work was not up to snuff, and definitely not what I had heard on albums and live records. Who were these clones? Then, when Joe Perry sang two songs, I almost walked out. Why was Joe Perry singing songs? Who wanted to hear songs from a solo record that nobody owned? We came to hear Aerosmith!

One of the few highlights of the night was a live Blind Man. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only tour that it’s been played on, so I was one of the lucky ones who got to hear it live. Aerosmith should think about dusting that off for the next tour. It was always a great song.

Then, at 11:00 pm, the concert ended, encore and all. 90 freaking minutes of live music. Way to collect your paycheck, guys. I was severely disappointed. Of course, I had only seen artists that played 2- to 3-hour long concerts prior to this show. 90 minutes was unknown to me, and it left me quite unsatisfied.

I even said that I would never see them live again. That would change in the future, but on that particular evening, although I had enjoyed myself, I was saddened at the lackluster performance. The concert certainly did not meet my standards, but perhaps that was the problem, I had set them too high.

AC/DC - November 11, 1990

My very first concert (unless you’re counting the cover bands that played my high school, but I know I’m not) was AC/DC at the Brendan Byrne Arena, Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey. My friend’s girlfriend gave him tickets for a gift, and he asked me to attend with him. If I drove, the ticket was mine. How could I say no to that?

Finding the arena was a bit of a hard time for us, two youngsters from the sticks of New Jersey. I had never driven that far east before (only having had my license for 5 months). This was before the Internet and MapQuest and all the other easily accessible benefits of modern technology. We dusted off the atlas, tracked the major highways we would travel, confirmed with our parents, and set off with hand written directions. Things were smooth until we got to the Meadowlands.

Somehow we ended up at Giants stadium, which is the football stadium, not the hockey/basketball arena (which is located directly across the highway). At the time, I thought the two buildings were worlds apart, and we could not figure out for the life of us how to get over to the arena. We pulled off the highway into an abandoned parking lot and were fortunate enough to find people there that explained to us the arena was on the other side of the highway (Route 3).

Back on the highway, we finally saw the electronic sign pointing us to the concert and the arena. We wrapped around Route 3 and pulled into the parking lot of Brendan Byrne. The atmosphere was what you’d expect from an AC/DC tailgate. Immense. Enormous. Rocking. The car was parked and we started to walk around, taking in the sights and sounds, and exploring.

We noticed what songs were playing on the car radios, observed what jackets and shirts people were wearing, and noted that we were in the midst of a rock and roll tailgate party. Too young to drink, my friend and I did no tailgating of our own, but it didn’t matter to us. We were teenagers mesmerized by the ambiance and the aura of everything that was happening around us.

At 6:45, in the intense cold, we lined up to get inside. Love/Hate was the opening act, going on at 8:00 PM, and although my friend had next to no interest in seeing them, I was curious. I had purchased their debut album, and they were in heavy rotation on MTV with their single, Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?

The arena went dark, a smattering of applause and cheers were emitted from the few people that came in early to see the opening act, and Love/Hate took the stage. They played songs from their debut album in a crisp, 35-minute set. I didn’t know most of the songs, having only listened to their record a few times. However, when they got to their big single, most of the people in the arena seemed to be singing along. Love/Hate gave a pretty solid performance, but considering who was coming on after them, there was no way they could win the fickle crowd of New Jersey over.

Just before 9:00 PM, the arena went dark for a second time and now filled to capacity, the roaring applause was monstrous. The opening notes of Thunderstruck hit the air and chills ripped down my spine. After a few moments of playing the licks, the drums kicked in, followed by the crowd. “Ah, ah, ah, ahhhh, ah, ah!” Louder and louder they chanted as Angus Young
stood on the catwalk across the back of the stage, playing the guitar neck with one hand and hoisting his other in the air, fist in the air pumping away for the crowd. When Brian Johnson stepped out and kicked in the “THUN-DER! THUN-DER!” the entire audience stood on their feet and screamed it along with him. “THUN-DER! THUN-DER!”

Thunderstruck was played and I had never been so excited, happy, emotional, and charged in my entire life. A rock concert was everything I dreamed it would be and more. This was a day that I would remember for eternity.

Two gems from Back In Black followed the opening number and the crowd was primed and ready to rock the night away. A classic Bon Scott era song came next and then the boys ripped into Who Made Who. I thought it would be interesting to see Brian Johnson sing a few Bon Scott songs. I didn’t know if AC/DC would play them, but they did not shy away. Brian sang the older hits in his Brian Johnson way, which gave them a new twist, and new life. Songs done especially well included: Whole Lotta Rosie, The Jack, and Let There Be Rock.

Angus, of course, was brilliant and the centerpiece of the show. The rest of the band stood back while he had the spotlight for the entire evening. Not only is his guitar playing ability mesmerizing, his antics are fun to watch and crowd-pleasing. From the school-boy uniform, to strutting and double kicking his way down the stage, to his on the floor guitar solos, Angus entertains.

The moment of the night came about halfway through the show for me. AC/DC had finished a song and there was an eerie quiet that had befallen the arena. I paused for a moment, looked at my friend and said “Hell’s Bells.” Then I shouted it. “Hell’s Bells!”

No sooner did the shout finish leaving my throat then the opening gong struck and the band launched into the Back In Back classic, and one of my all time favorite tracks, Hells Bells. We screamed our throats raw on that sucker. Everyone knew “they’re gonna get ya, Satan get ya, HELL’S BELLS!”

During Whole Lotta Rosie a humongous, inflatable Rosie was pumped up for all to see. Rosie took up the length of the stage, but was fun to watch. A big old woman dressed in skimpy lingerie, AC/DC sang their song to her at the delight of everyone in attendance.

During Money Talks fake Angus money was pumped onto those sitting in the floor seats. From our vantage point way up high, it looked like everyone was scrambling to get their hands on what would one day be a collector’s item, Angus dollar bills.

The concert closed with a blistering version of For Those About To Rock complete with cannon explosions, pyrotechnics, and Angus running around the stage like a mad man. “Hail, hail to the good times, cause rock has got the right of way.” Indeed it does, and for two high school kids from Boonies, New Jersey, rock owned the night.

As a first concert, AC/DC had set the bar exceptionally high, and I know that there will never be another experience like that one. Your first concert will always be special, up there with your first kiss, or your first car. Some things in life just can’t be repeated or beaten. This was one of those moments in life. AC/DC had given me a smile, something to enjoy, and an infinite vigor in my young life. It was a performance that I will never forget and a moment that I will always cherish. Rock on, boys.

SETLIST:
Thunderstruck
Shoot To Thrill
Back In Black
Sin City
Who Made Who
Heatseeker
Fire Your Guns
Jailbreak
The Jack
The Razor’s Edge
Dirty Deeds
Money Talks
Hells Bells
Are You Ready
That’s The Way I Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll
High Voltage
You Shook Me All Night Long
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock

Encore
Highway To Hell
T.N.T.
For Those About To Rock