My mother, a long-time Bruce Springsteen fan, has definitely influenced my music taste. I’ve attended four Springsteen concerts in my lifetime, and I cannot stress how amazing they truly have been.
Saturday night’s show was no exception. Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s non-stop three and a half hour performance on Sept. 23 was one for the books.
Thousands of fans gathered at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for the final night of a three-show stand. The show, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., was delayed until 10:30 p.m. because of dangerous storms throughout the area. You would think a three hour delay would cause many fans to leave, but midnight marked Springsteen’s 63rd birthday and fans knew the show would be worth the wait.
Devoted fans cheered as the Boss entered the stage to “In The Midnight Hour” blaring over the PA system. Although rain was falling, fans smiled as Bruce said, “I think I’ve just invited 55,000 people to my birthday party!” Kicking the night off right, the band broke into “Out In The Street.”
The Boss was on fire throughout the 32 song set list that struck every emotional chord in my body. I cried as Bruce performed “Into the Fire,” “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” and “My City of Ruins,” but just as quickly, I found myself dancing uncontrollably to “Working on the Highway” and “Shackled and Drawn.”
The crowd cheered as Springsteen asked “Did I mention it’s my birthday?” No sooner did Bruce’s mother, sister and in laws enter the stage with a guitar shaped birthday cake, which Bruce later cut up and handed to fans in the front row.
Steve Van Zandt led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to the Boss himself, perhaps a once in a lifetime experience for die-hard Bruce fans.
The show ended just minutes before 2 a.m. with the crowd singing “Twist and Shout.” Despite being tired from dancing for three hours, my mom and I, in true Springsteen spirit, sat with fellow fans to reminisce about the amazing show.
My mom reminded me, “We can’t go home just yet! There is no other place in the world where we can stand in a parking lot, dancing to Bruce Springsteen, and not be looked at like lunatics.”