Swirling in the South Loop with Springsteen
05/13/2009 5:05 PM
Springsteen in a July 1988 concert in East Germany. Photo from the German Federal Archive, used under a creative commons license.
Swirling through the South
Loop--Springsteen on my mind
I went to see Bruce Springsteen in person for the first time in my life last night. My friend Nancy, who lives the same distance north from State and Madison as I live south got the tickets. She’s been going to see him all over the country for 10 years; her nephew got her started. And he follows Bruce as diligently as his aunt--who is a senior citizen.
When I left to meet Nancy--and some of her other friends also going to the concert--at Cavanaugh’s at Federal and Jackson, I ran into my friend Pat in front of her building on Printers Row. “I’m going to see Springsteen,” I told her. “So am I,” she said. “Wanna come with me for a bite to eat?” I asked her. “Nah, I’m meeting friends at Hackney’s.” We compared our ticket locations. I was in Section 109; she was in Section 304.
At Cavanaugh’s, I ordered a quick club sandwich and found out one of Nancy’s friends and I were columnists at the Tribune at the same time in the 1990s, and we live a block away from each other now. Small world.
Then we got on an empty bus on Madison and arrived a few minutes later at the United Center. We found our seats and then the confines went dark and Bruce rose and sang (as Nancy predicted for almost three hours without stopping--with his E Street Band). I was impressed. He’s a year and a half older than I am and in tip-top shape. But I figured if I can stand up the whole time (no one seems to sit at his concerts) and have bright lights flashing in my eyes and top decibel noise flooding my eardrums for three hours and still feel relaxed and healthy, I’m in good shape, too.
After the concert, Nancy and I walked outside and got on the bus again and sat and gossiped for 10 minutes on the way home about Bruce and law firms and other things. We got off at State Street and I went my way to Dearborn Park and she went hers to the Gold Coast. And I thought, in this big city and in that big stadium and with all these people, we just had such a pleasant easy evening all the way around. As long as you don’t mind paying $151 for a ticket and you have a bus card with some money on it and friends who make all the nicest arrangements for meeting at Cavanaugh’s, seeing the Boss is really fun.
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By webdiva from SW side
Posted: 05/18/2009 9:00 AM
I stopped going to rock concerts in my 20s: I got tired of paying $50+ for the 'privilege' of a) going deaf, b) getting stepped on as people walked over the tops of seats to get to the stage, and c) having to stand all night to keep my seat and keep from being stepped on (I'm 5'2" and that didn't stop some). Now I only attend opera, CSO and jazz and blues venues; people are nice, they shut up once the music begins, I can get a civilized drink, and nobody steps on me. Rock is for radio, period.
By Nancy from Suburbs
Posted: 05/17/2009 10:05 PM
I saw Bruce live for the first time in 1978 when I was in college. He played for nearly 4 hours and would have played longer if the University hadn\'t turned on the house lights in an effort to end the show. His rock and roll passion continues to blow us away over 30 years later. It\'s never too late to become a fan!