On The Boss’ jobsite

Not only is the E Street Band tighter than ever, not only are the arrangements of the songs more muscular than ever, but Bruce sounds better than ever.

After seeing Bruce and the E Streeters Monday night, I was too tired and emotionally drained to compile this report for Tuesday. I understand why it’s called “Boss Hangover.” It’s not even correct to say you’ve “seen” the Boss, more like you’ve “lived,” as I did during 2 hours, 55 minutes of unrelenting, unstoppable rock and roll.

The set list (below) was outstanding, with plenty of old nuggets mined from Boss’ bottomless goldmine to go along with cuts from the new album Working on a Dream. My personal highlights: 1) the T-Rex-like Seeds, which I developed a new appreciation for after only hearing the Live 1975-85 version; 2) The Ghost of Tom Joad, which featured a robotic guitar solo that left me wondering whether or not Nils Lofgren is the muse behind Buckethead; and 3) The E Street Shuffle, the seminal oldie I did not expect but was delighted to hear.

Max Weinberg’s son, Jay, manned the drum kit on the first 10 tracks, and brought a new ferocity to the E Street Band – especially during Radio Nowhere. Jay’s style is the opposite of his pops’, though both are power drummers. Where Max wastes no motion, exerting maximum force on each strike, Jay’s arms fly about as if he were a Keith Moon disciple.

In hindsight, perhaps the most memorable thing about Bruce’s performance was that his voice had near perfect range and clarity. Not only is the E Street Band tighter than ever, not only are the arrangements of the songs more muscular than ever, but Bruce sounds better than ever. After listening to Live in New York City (nearly 10 years old at this point), I’ve decided his voice is better now.

Boss shows always seem to have a vibe that’s equal parts carnival and big tent revival. On Monday, Bruce easily slipped between the roles of carny barker and pentacostal preacher while screaming out his eternal question to the masses, is anybody alive? (surely a rhetorical question by this point) or preaching about tearing down a house of doubt and building a house of hope. Whether or not his message carries beyond the sound soaked walls of whatever arena he’s in, Bruce’s message never fails to inspire those with them.

Speaking of inspiration, the angry politics that fueled the Bush-era Magic tour were gone this night. Though the songs covered familiar territory, overcoming adversity and hard times, the mood was one of joy and celebration that at least the healing can now begin in a post-Bush America.

I didn’t think I could ever see a better show than I did when I saw Bruce and E Street on the Magic tour. I’m left thinking the same thing in the wake of Monday night’s experience.

Setlist and photo above taken from Backstreets:

Badlands (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Radio Nowhere (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Outlaw Pete (w/ Jay Weinberg)
No Surrender (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Out in the Street (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Working on a Dream (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Seeds (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Johnny 99 (w/ Jay Weinberg)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Raise Your Hand (w/ Jay Weinberg)
Good Lovin’
Prove It All Night
The E Street Shuffle
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
I’m on Fire
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run

Encore:

Hard Times
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Bobby Jean
Rosalita

Italicized tracks were requested by the crowd via signs.

Interesting read

Courtesy of Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi, a complete rhetorical incineration of the AIG exec that lamented his lost bonus.

Here’s a particularly incendiary volley of pyrotechnics:

First of all, Jake, you asshole, no plumber in the world gets paid a $740,000 bonus, over and above his salary, just to keep plumbing. Second, try living on a plumber’s salary before you even think about comparing yourself to one; you’re inviting a pitchfork in the gut by even thinking along those lines. Third, Jake, if you were a plumber, and the electrician burned the house down — well, guess what? If you and that electrician worked for the same company, you actually wouldn’t get paid for that job.

I’ve really come to enjoy Taibbi after following his 2008 campaign contributions to RS.

Glutton For Punishment, Part I

So after the heartache, expense and general letdown of 2008, how am I approaching Cubs 2009? With dread. After WWI, they called it Shell Shock. After Vietnam, they called it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I'm calling it Cubs Collapse Syndrome.

I think the Economic Downturn finally came to roost with me last week. You’ll note that I capitalized “Economic Downturn” because that seems to be the settled upon buzz phrase for the current world wide banking/credit/housing/job-loss crisis. I guess “Financial Fuck Up” wouldn’t pass smell test. Years from now, I’ll say I lived through the Economic Downturn just like old people do now with the Great Depression.

So the Financial Fuck Up entered my consciousness on the day Cubs tickets went on sale. The question: should I invest? What else could I do with that capital? It seems I need to watch how I spend my entertainment dollars these days, or so the media tells me.

I was a glutton for punishment last year, attending six regular season games and following the other 156 on television, radio, online and in the boxscores. I was heavily invested. I not only spent a lot of financial capital (it costs a bit once you factor in parking, beer, food, $4 gas, more beer, tolls and visits to the record stores), but a generous amount of emotion captial as well. What was the return on my investment? Just like the stock market last fall, the Cubs crashed and burned at the hands of, not really the Dodgers, as opposed to poor hitting, poor pitching and poorer defense. Just the other day I remembered Manny Ramirez’ golf swing-like homerun in Game 2 and felt ill.

So after the heartache, expense and general letdown of 2008, how am I approaching Cubs 2009? With dread. After WWI, they called it Shell Shock. After Vietnam, they called it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I’m calling it Cubs Collapse Syndrome.

With such a good ballclub in ‘08 (97 wins, second consecutive Central Division crown) how much tweaking did the Cubs need for ‘09? Apparently, a lot.

The first big move was resigning pitcher Ryan Dempster to a big money contract extension (four years, $52M). It’s not that he didn’t deserve it after his astonishing, 17-win return to the starting lineup. Part of me just fears the ever-suceptible-to-collapse-under-pressue Dempster may do just that with such a large figure hanging over his head. Or, perhaps worse, maybe his incentive to go all out is gone after reaching paydirt.

The second big move was trading ‘08 team MVP Mark DeRosa to Cleveland for a grab bag of disappointing talents. While I’ve read rumors that DeRo wasn’t a clubhouse favorite, he was certainly beloved by the fanbase (and anyone that enjoyed hard-played, quality baseball) and will be missed. Perhaps Cubs GM Jim Hendry wanted to deal DeRosa while his value was at his highest; he did have a career year last season, afterall. Why they didn’t the Cubs get any substantive players for him? It’s interesting to note that DeRosa, signed at the same time as pricey outfielder Alfonso Soriano, hit 159 RBIs to the later’s 145 during their two seasons together, while playing five (!) defense positions. All at a 2008 cost of $4.75M to Soriano’s $14M.

Since Soriano’s been named, I may as well digress a bit here. He makes me want to fucking puke. I love leadoff homeruns but he will forever be tainted by his 3-28 performance in the past six playoff games (all defeats). A generally iceberg cold player with the occasional inferno blast. Unfortunately, he’s untouchable: big contract + no-trade clause + overall veteran-ness means he’s not going anywhere soon. In the wake of Soranio’s appallingly low OBP, Manager Lou Pinella has publicly mulled moving Soriano down the batter order. One can home this comes true, though I wouldn’t be stunned to see Lou backtrack in order to satiate Soriano’s fragile psyche.

The third big move was signing Texas outfielder Milton Bradley (3 years, $30M), an historically mercurial player who last season was the anti-Soriano, posting a brilliant .436 OBP. I liked this gambit; it’s an admission that last offseason’s big signing, Japanese talent Kouske Fukudome, never really panned out. It’s also putting faith in a guy that’s got the tools and something to prove (check out Bradley’s first Cubs press conference here).

This ramble is beginning to swell, so I’ll end for now and pick up with the Cubs’ ‘09 pitching staff in the second installment of Glutton For Punishment. It can’t all be doom and gloom, can it? Is this not the Era of Hope?

New Green Day album coming this May

The new album is called 21st Century Breakdown.

I knew Green Day’s follow up to 2004’s acclaimed American Idiot (well, unless you’re counting their recent release Stop Drop and Roll!!! under the pseudonym The Foxboro Hot Tubs) was due in ‘09, but I didn’t know it would as soon as May (no specific date yet).  It seems the trio will continue the storytelling style used on Idiot, though I’m guessing this may be a more structured venture since there are to be three distinct parts, or suites.

Rolling Stone did a review of the first six tracks here, which is not really helpful sans audio clips. It’s still a somewhat interesting read and it seems the band, according to RS, drew on a plethora of influences including AC/DC, John Lennon and Queen (Green Day recently covered Lennon’s Working Class Hero for a benefit and closed out shows on the Idiot tour with We Are the Champions). Bassist Mike Dirnt also told RS the songs speak to each other the way they do in The Boss’ Born to Run. If that’s even remotely true, we’re going to be in for a treat.

Hopefully some audio will make the rounds soon.

Update May 13, 2009: Listening to the new album right now. It’s streaming on Rhapsody in its entirety (though there are some ads to deal with). So far, as awesome and epic as advertised. Can’t wait until Friday; I plan on nabbing the Target special edition w/bonus live tracks.

The Wrestler as allegory

We're down on one knee, just like The Ram. But, also like him, the desire to keep pressing on persists.

That Mickey Rourke essentially is Randy “The Ram” Robinson has been repeated ad nauseum. It isn’t so much much surprising for me that the historically troubled star of The Wreslter pulled off The Ram so convincingly as it is intriguing to see him lay it all on the line for a character so close to heart. Isolation, failure and listlessness are nothing new for The Ram, or Rourke, and that causes viewers to cheer for him that much harder in and outside the ring, on of off the big screen.

Curiosity as a long-time pro wrestling fan drew me to Rourke’s spectacle of a broken down, washed up former star, but what kept my attention was The Ram’s battle with his demons – an estranged daughter, failing health following years of physical and drug abuse and a dwindling fan base craving ever more barbaric displays. In the midst of all this, The Ram tries to recapture past in-ring glories, make ends meet and pursue a romance with Cassidy, Marisa Tomei’s single mom-come stripper. He can’t have it all. It’s amazing how much of the damage is self-inflicted. The Ram’s ultimate choice is irrelevant, though. It’s his struggle to choose that drove the story for me. Does The Ram address past mistakes? Pursue new paydays? Make the relationship work?

The Ram’s battle resonates because, to me, it’s a microcasm of what America has become. Our society is like The Ram in the wake of the Bush presidency: i) relationships are politically strained at home and abroad, ii) painfully deferred costs in infrastructure, health care and education are coming due and iii) self confidence is shaken by a weak economy. We’re down on one knee, just like The Ram. But, also like him, the desire to keep pressing on persists.

Music has a role in telling The Ram’s story, as well. Bruce Springsteen penned the title track for the film after Rourke’s request. That song, which appeared as a bonus track on the Boss’ dynamic Working on a Dream (see my review, below), captures the spirit of the film perfectly with the line “I always leave with less than I had before . . . I can make you smile when the blood it hits the floor.” Rourke also asked Axl Rose for permission to use Guns N Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine in the film (Axl obliged as the two have a friendly history, including Axl thanking Rourke in the liner notes of GNR’s 2008 release, Chinese Democracy). When The Ram enters his climactic match to the tune, it’s a powerful nostalgic device used to evoke better times in the past, for Rourke, for The Ram, and for America.

The Boss’ hard work on his dream pays off

The Boss makes an early statement on Obama's America on Working on a Dream

It’s interesting that Bruce Springsteen would title one of his new songs Tomorrow Never Knows. Certainly, tomorrow has arrived – as evidenced by the fact that we now live in Barack Obama’s America – and yet we don’t know what the day holds. John Lennon didn’t know either in 1966 when he implored us to “surrender to the void” in his own Tomorrow Never Knows. Though he instructed us that “love is all, love is everywhere,” this teaching fell by the wayside as corruption, war and excess brought the curtain down on the 60s.

Having grown up in that period, Springsteen seems to will his listeners not to let it happen again on Working on a Dream, the new record that continues his 2000s renaissance alongside the E Street Band, less one member following the 2008 passing of organist Dan Federici. “I’ve seen strong hearts give way to the burdens of the day” he sings on My Lucky Day, emphasizing that good intentions don’t always yield good results – probably referencing his endorsement of John Kerry’s failed bit for the presidency and the Vote For Change Tour.

On Tomorrow Never Knows, the line “You and me, we been standing here my dear, waiting for our time to come” comes across as vindication for the new generation of American leadership, Obama at the helm, tasked with leading America out from underneath the rubble of the Bush years and across the minefield he left behind. During the election season, change was the order of the day, and The Boss was active in bringing that change to Washington: his endorsement of Obama was early and strong, he played numerous campaign events and fundraisers and his new album acts as the first statement on Obama’s America by one of America’s great voices.

Working on a Dream is the ray of light that cuts through the gunpowder gray skies Springsteen depicted in Magic, his 2007 effort that came to us in the depths of the previous administration. On that album he tried to convince his lover, and himself, not to worry about the dark present – “we’re livin’ in the future and none of this has happened yet,” he sang at the time. Now, tomorrow has become today and cautious hope accompanies it – “I’m working on a dream, though it can feel so far away, I’m working on a dream and our love will make it real someday.” A line Springsteen couldn’t use in his previous album makes perfect sense now in the title track.

Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, in Morning Glory, his own homage to Lennon’s  Tomorrow Never Knows, said we all “need a little time to wake up.” It seems we should heed this advice as we awake from the dream Springsteen, among countless others, worked hard to deliver and move to better our waking lives. Tomorrow doesn’t know, but we’re glad it’s here.

The ignominious first post

I am stuffed from dinner – a grilled t-bone that was really of porterhouse proportions. My plan is to now lie on the couch and digest some lipids.

A steak very much like this one now sits in my stomach, slathered in peptic acid.