Tag: Bruce Springsteen

Stevie Van Zandt, a member of Bruce Springsteen’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group the E Street Band, brought his Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul show to the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA, Saturday, July 20.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

If you’ve got a favorite band who you’d like to see live, do yourself a favor and spend the money to sit in the front row. And if Stevie Van Zandt sticks a microphone in your face, make sure you know the words to the song he wants you to help sing.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul were at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA, Saturday, July 20. I had been carrying around a gift card from Christmas and was looking for the right concert on which to spend it. And I wanted to see Little Steven.

Front row tickets aren’t always affordable, but for this show, they were. Only $81.50, which is a bargain for a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. It seemed like the perfect way to treat myself with the gift card that was suddenly burning a hole in my wallet. I could hear my wallet screaming at me: “It’s Little Steven, you idiot! Jersey Shore sound. E Street Band. It’s a no-brainer!”

Yes it was. Means, motive, opportunity. Front row, baby.

Sitting that close provides the chance to interact a bit with the artist, and I got my opportunity late in the show during an audience participation song.

Stevie walked right up to me at the edge of the stage and stuck the mic out. Now, I had just perfectly executed a singalong at a bar in Sea Isle, N.J., the week before when the artist held the mic out to me to sing the chorus of “Build Me Up Buttercup,” the hit single from The Foundations in 1968.

But when Stevie looked down and pointed the microphone at me, we weren’t singing “Build Me Up Buttercup.” I know the words to that song.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul performed a rockin’ two-and-a-half-hour set Saturday night.
(Photo bu Mike Morsch)

I not only didn’t know the words to the song Stevie was singing, I didn’t even know the song. Of course, my first reaction was to fake it. “Nah, nah, nah, yeah, yeah. Harumpf, grumble, groan, growl, baby-baby,” I spewed into the open mic in front of hundreds of people who apparently did know the words to the song and were singing along perfectly in union.

Oh, fer crissakes (face palm). How embarrassing. I finally got my 15 seconds of fame and turned it into five seconds of shitmouth. I’m pretty sure Stevie was thinking, “Man, you really fucked that up Mikey. Why don’t you and me take a little ride. I hear the Pine Barrens are pretty this time of year.”

Ok, I’ll sit down and shut up for the rest of the concert.

But Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul put on a great show. Stevie had been upset on Twitter at a recent review of the show where the reviewer thought the band had mailed it in. But I didn’t see any of that. There was a seemingly endless energy from everybody on stage for two and a half hours. And we even got to see Stevie’s wife, Maureen Van Zandt (who also played the wife of his character Silvio Dante in “The Sopranos”), who came out to dance with him on “Soul Power Twist,” one of the fabulous songs — along with my other favorites “Love Again” and “A World of Our Own” — on his new album “Summer of Sorcery.”

Stevie’s wife, Maureen Van Zandt, joined him onstage to dance the “Soul Power Twist.”
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

I’m not only a fan of his music, but I’ve been a fan of Stevie’s persona for a while now. What a wonderfully pleasant guy to talk to. He’s a walking history book of music knowledge. I’ve gotten to interview him twice for advance stories that I was doing, once when he was producing a series of reunion shows for The Rascals several years ago, and more recently to advance a show he was doing a couple of years ago at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, N.J., kind of his home turf venue.

What I really enjoy taking to him about though is his role — along with Bruce Springsteen (more than 600 words in this piece and this is the first mention of Springsteen) and Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes — in the development of what we now know as the “Jersey Shore sound.” His interview, along with an interview I did with Southside Johnny Lyon, will appear in a chapter about Southside’s first three albums in “The Vinyl Dialogues’ Greatest Hits: Volume V,” which I’m working on now.

Stevie Van Zandt — along with Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny Lyon — were instrumental in the development of the “Jersey Shore sound.”
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

Here’s a sample of what Stevie said:

“The bar bands’ configuration, the bar bands’ sound, the bar bands’ music, literally changed its definition with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes,” said Van Zandt. “Before that, bar bands were strictly Top 40. And only with the Jukes did they become synonymous with soul music and rhythm and blues, which is what all bar bands are considered to be now — their standard format. That wasn’t the case before the Jukes.

“It really did help to integrate the ‘Jersey Shore sound’ and at the time, really start to flesh out that sound. When there is more than one artist working, it starts to make the whole context more interesting,” said Van Zandt, who produced the first three Southside albums in the 1970s and wrote or co-wrote several songs for this albums, including “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” “This Time It’s for Real” and “Love on the Wrong Side of Town” with Springsteen. “What we had with Southside, I really didn’t appreciate it until later when someone explained to me how we had redefined the entire bar band definition and sound.”

Stevie’s sound — as well as his musicianship and showmanship — were on full display Saturday night. The Disciples of Soul killed it. And I walked away from the merch table with a tour poster, hat and the “Summer of Sorcery” CD.

My wallet was right. Sitting in the front row for this concert was indeed a no-brainer.

The Disciples of Soul having some fun at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

From Bob to Bruce: The Best Concerts of 2016

By Mike Morsch

On December 31, 2016

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

(Photo by Mike Morsch)

There are many aspects that make a good concert experience. Primarily of course, is the music. How does the artist and the band sound? Is what I’m hearing on stage like what I hear on the vinyl?

Maybe we all have different criteria, though. I am particularly fond of hearing an artist sing the hits live. I want see and hear Hall & Oates sing “She’s Gone” and “Sara Smile”; I want to see and hear Brian Wilson sing “Surfer Girl”; I want to personally witness Elton John sing “Rocket Man”; I want to be in the stadium and experience “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.

As a music writer, there are several other aspects of a concert that add to the experience for me. Oftentimes, I interview the artist and write a story for my media group advancing the show. Was the interview a pleasant experience and did I get a lot of good information? The stories are personally important to me, so if I’ve had an enjoyable and informative conversation with the artist and written a good story, then I’m even more anxious to see the show.

Also contributing to my concert experience are where I’m sitting and if I’m allowed to take pictures during the show, many of which can be used in the volumes of The Vinyl Dialogues. And then sometimes, I’ll get the chance to meet the artist after the show. That’s always very cool and is a nice bonus to top off a great concert experience.

A special note here: Local artists are the backbone of my concert experience every year, and the Philly area boasts some incredibly talented musicians and performers that I try to see as often as I can. Do yourself a favor and give a listen to Dan May, JD Malone, Billy Burger, Lizanne Knott, Skip Denenberg and Mutlu.

With the close of 2016 then, here’s a look back at what was a great concert season on the national level. I was going to choose a Top 10, but couldn’t keep it to just 10. So these are the Top 12 concerts I saw in 2016:

No. 12 – Bob Dylan
July 13 at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA.

I understand the significance of Bob Dylan. I really do. But his music has never really spoken to me on a personal level. Still, it’s Bob Dylan and I felt the need to see him perform so I could say that I saw him live. There would be no interview on this one, but that’s no surprise. Dylan doesn’t do many interviews.

For the show, I enlisted my friend Ted Wolf, who’s a huge Dylan fan, to go with me. Ted knows every song that Bob has ever recorded and has seen him in concert more than 30 times. I’ve said for years that if I ever decided to spring for a Dylan ticket, that I’d want Ted along with me to interpret what it was Bob was actually saying. The thing is, Ted lives in Illinois. So for this concert, he drove all the way to Philly the day before the performance and drove back to Illinois the day after the show. Ted really, really likes Dylan.

The show was typical Bob being Bob, singing with a mouthful of marbles. As anticipated, Ted was an invaluable concert mate, both as the interpreter and with identifying the titles of the songs. The seats were fairly pricey and in the second level nosebleeds. So photos allowed, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway from that distance.

Bob Dylan makes my Top 12 concerts of the year list because he’s Bob Dylan.

No. 11 – Art Garfunkel
May 20 at McCarter Theatre on the campus of Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

I had a wonderful interview with Art Garfunkel, which was good because Garfunkel doesn’t easily suffer fools, particularly those who ask stupid questions, which Garfunkel identifies as pretty much any question about Paul Simon. But I knew that because I had done my homework and was prepared to not ask those questions.

The show itself featured just Garfunkel and an accompanying guitarist. But like Bob Dylan, this is Art Garfunkel. Our parents grew up with Simon & Garfunkel and we listened to those records because they loved those records. And so do we. Simon & Garfunkel were as big as any American artists in the 1960s.

Garfunkel had suffered some serious voice issues a few years back, which he told me during the interview were now resolved. But to my untrained ear, that wasn’t entirely the case at the Princeton show. If you closed your eyes, there were times you could hear that wonderful Art Garfunkel voice and it was truly magical. But there also were times that if you closed your eyes, you could hear what sounded like someone stepping on Art Garfunkel’s throat.

Really though, I don’t necessarily expect a guy that’s 75 years old to sing like he did when he was 25 years old. Garfunkel is also persnickety about photographs and stopped the show at one point to chastise somebody down front who had pulled out a cellphone. So the only usable shot I got was after the performance as Garfunkel was taking a bow.

No. 10 – Boz Scaggs
April 14, Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA.

This show was a pleasant surprise because it was unexpected. The tickets were a gift from The Blonde Accountant (my wife) because we found ourselves with a cooperative work schedule that presented the rare opportunity to go out on a weeknight. Even at the last minute, we were able to get great seats, 15 rows back, and dead center.

There was no interview, but I got some great photos. Scaggs was in great voice, but he’s doesn’t move around much on stage and there wasn’t much in-between song banter with the audience, neither of which was a big deal to me for this show.

Of course, we all sang along on “Lido Shuffle” and “Lowdown.” Those are the songs that I wanted to hear Scaggs sing live. But I was particularly struck with the second encore song, a cover of “There’s a Storm Comin’” by Richard Hawley. It’s a beautiful song and Scaggs did a wonderful job with it. It was somewhat unusual to close the show with a ballad, but it didn’t do anything to dampen the enthusiasm of an appreciative audience.

Paul Anka goes into the crowd at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 9 – Paul Anka
Dec. 16, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, N.J.

Not only was Anka a great interview, he’s got a direct lineage to Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, which makes him . . . just . . . that . . . cool.

But what I liked about this show was Anka’s interaction with the audience. He entered singing through the back of the venue, walking down the aisle shaking hands and stopping to pose for pictures. And then about six songs into his set, he came back down off the stage, went back into the middle of the crowd, stood on a theater seat and sang a medley of songs while people surrounded him with cell phones and hugs.

Paul Anka didn’t mind that a bit. I think the audience can sense when an artist genuinely wants to interact with them on a personal level. The audience responded to Anka with adulation and Anka in turn fed off that energy. It made for a special concert, I thought.

And I liked that Anka closed the show with the song that started it all – “Diana,” a song that he wrote in 1957 and one that became his first hit single. All these years later and Anka hasn’t forgotten the song that started it all for him.

Russell Tompkins Jr., the original lead singer of The Stylistics.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 8 – The Festival of Soul
Nov. 25, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, N.J.

This show had five acts – Ted Wizard Mills of Blue Magic; Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes (which had no original members but sounded fabulous); The Jones Girls featuring Shirley Jones (not the Mrs. Partridge Shirley Jones); The Dramatics featuring LJ Reynolds; and The Stylistics.

I was there for The Stylistics, and particularly for original lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. and his high falsetto voice. I loved The Stylistics as a kid in the 1970s and Thompkins has been high on my interview bucket list since I’ve been writing about music.

Cross that one off. I had the pleasure of talking to Thompkins for a story to advance this show, and he didn’t disappoint. Look for a chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues Volume IV on The Stylistics self-titled debut album released in 1971.

The show was highly entertaining, my seat was outstanding and I got some great photos. Russell Tompkins Jr. sounded just as good that evening as he did in the 1970s on those great Stylistics hits “You Are Everything,” “Betcha By Golly, Wow,” “I’m Stone in Love With You” and “Rockin’ Roll Baby.”

I did, however, get caught a little underdressed in jeans and a collar shirt. Almost everyone else in the audience was dressed to the nines in some of the most colorful and fashionable threads I had seen in a while. And it made me wish that I still had the pink paisley jacket with the red pants I wore to my eighth grade graduation in 1973.

No. 7 – Steely Dan (with Steve Winwood)
July 3, BB&T Pavilion, Camden, N.J.

This easily could have been higher on list. It was the first time I had seen Steely Dan live, and the band’s music is really, really good. I’ve always liked it.

But our seats were pretty far from the stage, which essentially eliminated any chance of getting decent photos. I had not had the opportunity to interview Dan co-founders Donald Fagan or Walter Becker, so there was no personal backstory for me.

But none of that took away from the great music I heard that night. A good concert is a good concert, and Steely Dan is worth the price of admission. I’d certainly go see that band again.

Michael Brewer, Gail Farrell and Tom Shipley at dinner before the show.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 6 – Brewer & Shipley
Nov. 2, Sellersville Theatre 1894, Sellersville, PA.

This show was special because of the great personal story that goes with it, all centered around Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley’s hit single, “One Toke Over the Line,” from their 1970 album “Tarkio,” which was featured in Volume I of The Vinyl Dialogues.

After that song became a hit, it was featured on “The Lawrence Welk Show,” sung by the duet of Dick Dale and Gail Farrell. Because the Welk show and its stars had a squeaky clean image, I tracked down Ms. Farrell to ask her if she knew she was singing a song that featured a drug reference because I wanted to add that information to the “Tarkio” chapter. But she wouldn’t tell me because she is writing a one-woman show for herself and the answer to that question is a prominent part of the show.

I kept in touch with Gail and her husband Ron Anderson, also a Welk Show singer in the 1970s. When I found out that Brewer & Shipley were scheduled to appear in my area of Pennsylvania, I emailed Gail and Ron and suggested they fly out from California and go to the show with me.

To my surprise, they decided to do just that. Gail had actually never met Michael and Tom, so we arranged with their manager to meet before the show. It was a wonderful get-together and all of us were invited to have dinner with Michael and Tom. It was great for me to sit at the table and listen to Michael, Tom, Gail and Ron exchange entertainment stories.

During the show, Michael told the “One Toke” story and introduced Gail to the surprised audience. It was a very cool epilog to a story that began 45 years ago and I was fortunate to be a fly on the wall and experience the whole thing.

Brian Wilson behind the piano at Caesars in Atlantic City.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 5 – Brian Wilson
Aug. 27, Caesar’s, Atlantic City, N.J.

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys are responsible for my very first music memory – listening to a 45 rpm record of “The Little Girl I Once Knew” around 1965. And I’ve been in love with those harmonies ever since.

I’ve interviewed Brian three times, met him on two occasions and have seen both him and the Beach Boys in concert more times than I can remember. And I have just about every record he and the Beach Boys have ever made. Seeing Brian Wilson in concert is something I experience every time I can.

This show featured a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the release of the landmark “Pet Sounds” album, which Brian and his fabulous band performed in its entirety.

We had great seats, eighth row stage left, that gave me a great angle for pictures. Brian’s music, and that of the Beach Boys, has been an important part of my life. If this had been the first time I had seen Brian, it would have been my No. 1 concert experience of the year.

Hall & Oates never disappoint, especially in their home area of Philadelphia.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 4 – Hall & Oates
July 10, BB&T Pavilion, Camden, N.J.

Just a week after the Steely Dan show, I was back at the same venue for Hall & Oates, and with much better seats this time, thanks to H&O management.

Next to the Beach Boys, I’m totally in the bag for anything Hall & Oates. I have been fortunate enough to interview Daryl and John several times over the years. Two of the most favorite chapters I’ve written in The Vinyl Dialogues series have been about Hall & Oates albums: “Abandoned Luncheonette” in Volume I and “Daryl Hall & John Oates” (The Silver Album) in Volume III.

These guys are so good in concert. They don’t miss a note or a word, and the band is tight. They sing all the hits, and that’s what one gets at a H&O concert.

This show included a special surprise during the first song of the second encore: an appearance by the great Chubby Checker. Imagine that, Hall & Oates singing “The Twist” with Chubby Checker.

But that wasn’t all. With the second song of the second encore, and the final song of the evening, Hall & Oates stayed true to their Philly roots and did a cover of “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” a 1969 single by the Philadelphia group the Delfonics, a song originally produced by the great Thom Bell, who also wrote for and produced The Stylistics and The Spinners.

Hall & Oates never disappoint. We all left in a Philly mood.

Meeting Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. after the show in Atlantic City.

No. 3 – Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
June 11, The Tropicana, Atlantic City, N.J.

The high ranking of this show may surprise those who know me, particularly because it’s ranked ahead of Brian Wilson and Hall & Oates.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. were members of the highly successful group The 5th Dimension, which had some great hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, like “Up, Up and Away,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Wedding Bell Blues” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.”

The husband-and-wife team broke away from the 5th Dimension in the mid-1970s and had a hit single with “You Don’t Have to Be A Star” from their 1976 album “I Hope We Get to Love in Time.” I had interviewed Marilyn and Billy about the making of that album for “The Vinyl Dialogues Volume II: Dropping the Needle.”

Here’s the thing about Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.: they are not only talented artists and singers, but they’re first-class individuals. I can’t say enough about the class and grace of these two stars. And they’re great interviews. They’ll be featured again in the next volume of The Vinyl Dialogues talking about the 1969 album “Age of Aquarius” by the 5th Dimension.

Not only that, they still sound the same today as they did in the 1960s. Both their voices are strong and vibrant. We had great seats, courtesy of Marilyn and Billy, fifth row dead center. We got to meet them after the show, and they were as gracious in person as they have been in interviews.

This was the one show of 2016 that had all the elements of a great concert experience by my standards: outstanding music, singing and stage presence; some of the best seats in the house; a wonderful interview experience that made for a great advance story; and getting to meet the artists after the show.

It easily could have been the best show of the year. But it took two really big heavyweights to put Marilyn and Billy at No. 3.

Elton John reacts to the the crowd behind the stage at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 2 – Elton John
Sept. 23 at the Giant Center, Hershey, PA.

Elton John performed in the first concert I ever saw, at the Chicago Amphitheater in 1976. I’ve seen him live in every decade since. And I’ve never had a decent seat.

Until this show. And it was planned and executed just like I hoped it would be.

Elton has been a big arena and stadium concert performer during his career. I’m really not fond of stadium concerts. There are just too many people and if you want to get close enough to see anything, you have to spring for the big money tickets.

And Elton is usually a big money ticket, even for the cheap seats. But this time I got lucky because I made my own luck.

The Giant Center in Hershey is a hockey/basketball arena. For this show, the venue sold tickets behind the stage that were reasonably priced at $75. Although I’d never sat behind the stage for a concert, it struck me that those had the potential to be decent seats for the price.

Fortunately, the venue has a virtual seating chart on its website. I knew from past Elton concerts and from watching his performances on TV and online, that he usually positions his piano on the far left of the stage. If you’re out front and sitting to the right of center, you’re looking into Elton’s face as he sits at the piano. But there’s a good portion of an arena crowd that is looking at Elton’s back for an entire show.

So I got on the online virtual seating chart, chose a seat that was stage left behind so that I was looking into Elton’s face, and checked out the virtual view. It looked to be the right angle for photos. I hit the button and bought the tickets.

And it worked out perfectly. Although I was looking at the backs of the band members for the entire show, I had a perfect view of Elton’s face. And he’s used to having people sit in the seats behind the stage because he plays to that part of the crowd quite a bit. I was as close as I’d ever been at an Elton John show and I got some great photos.

Elton has been on my interview bucket list from the get-go. I’ve always been a big fan and I’d love to write about his 1975 album “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.”

Every time I’ve seen him perform live, Elton brings it. And this show was no exception. Outstanding from the first song to the last. And I got a good view this time.

The crowd reacts as one to Bruce Springsteen at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

No. 1 – Bruce Springsteen
Sept. 7, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA.

I’ve come to the Bruce Springsteen party later in life. But now I’m a believer.

Springsteen is a pricey ticket and plays in big stadiums. As previously stated, I’m not not fond of either of those concert experiences. So I had never seen him perform live, much to the consternation and ridicule of the Springsteen faithful among my friends.

But from the first note of his opening song, “New York City Serenade,” I was hooked. I felt it in my heart. I finally got it.

We were fortunate enough to be there the night Springsteen and the E Street Band performed for four hours and four minutes, which currently stands as the U.S. record length for a live concert performance.

And Springsteen and the band left it all out there on the stage. He gave us everything he had, which is how it is for him every time he performs. The guy has an endless energy and it wears one out to just watch him. It was the quickest four hours of entertainment I’d ever witnessed and more than worth every penny spent on tickets.

I had written on The Vinyl Dialogues blog after the show that my first Springsteen experience was so good that my initial reaction was that I would hesitate to go see him again. I don’t want to mess up that special first Springsteen experience.

There’s a reason he’s called the Boss. He’s just that good.

First Bruce Springsteen concert a perfect beginning . . . and maybe a perfect ending

By Mike Morsch

On September 8, 2016

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Bruce Springsteen and Little Steven Van Zandt rock out at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia Sept. 7, 2016.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

Who knew that farmers could predict the future of rock and roll?

When I moved into the dorms my first year at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, the guys who lived next door were enlightened and entertaining characters. Al Steinbach, a New Yorker with a dry wit, was studying engineering there in the middle of the Heartland. I’m not sure why he went all that way to do that. His roommate, Duane Morrison, was a rural gent from Grinnell, Iowa, who was studying farm management. That made more sense to me, since the university is surrounded by roughly a bazillion cornfields and two bazillion cows.

What made these guys cool to a youngster experiencing being away from home for the first time was that they had a turntable, a vinyl collection and an open-door policy. Anyone could drop in and listen to records at almost any time.

Duane was particularly taken with a relatively new artist at the time, one with whom I wasn’t familiar. One day he played the guy’s album for me, seeking my reaction.

“Well, whaddaya think?” he said to me after both sides of the record had been played. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s OK I guess,” I responded, without much enthusiasm.

“You’d better listen closely,” Duane said. “This guy is going to be a big deal some day.”

The artist was Bruce Springsteen and the album was “Born to Run” from 1975.

A mere 39 years after pooh-poohing the “Born to Run” album in the middle of Nowhere, Iowa, I was at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live for the first time in my life. For the sake of posterity, the date was Sept. 7, 2016.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

While I appreciate what Springsteen has given us with his music and concerts, I had never become a diehard fan over the years. The Blonde Accountant and I also aren’t big fans of stadium concerts, but we figured that if we were going to spend the money on one, it would be to see Springsteen, whom neither of us had seen in concert.

I had mentioned to her on the way to the show that Bruce’s music over the years hadn’t really spoken to me like some other artists, most notably the Beach Boys and co-founder Brian Wilson. Certainly that’s a subjective view. Music can evoke an emotional response within us, but it can be from different artists for different people.

We battled the crowds to get into the stadium that evening, and had just secured some ballpark and were trying to make our way to our seats in the 200 level, when the crowd got it’s first look at Springsteen. He hit the stage a little after 8 p.m. and the Philly crowd went crazy.

And Duane the farmboy was right. Bruce Springsteen is a really big deal now.

The Boss opened with “New York City Serenade,” featuring a beautiful string section. And there I stood, a tray full of chicken fingers and crab fries, at my first Bruce Springsteen concert . . . and I couldn’t contain my emotions. The music reached in and grabbed my soul, and I could feel my eyes well up with tears. It was an in-the-moment thing and it caught me off guard. And as I remember this concert in the years to come, that’s the feeling I want to remember.

(Photo by Mike Morsch)

The rest of the night was what we’ve come to expect from Bruce these days. He doesn’t much care if it’s a work night or a school night, every night is a Friday night for Bruce and he seems happy to play well into the wee hours. He’s in a stretch of concerts now where he’s regularly hitting the four-hour mark. In fact, our show lasted 4:04 and is the longest show to date that’s he’s ever played in the U.S. My guess is that record won’t last long.

I don’t know how he does it. I’m 10 years younger than he is and I got tired just sitting there watching him. And I can’t imagine that E Street drummer Max Weinberg – dressed in a jacket and tie in the September Philly heat and humidity and banging away on the drum kit all night long – didn’t at some point think to himself, “Really Bruce? Four hours? I’m dying up here. C’mon, man.”

In a concert that was mostly all highlights for a first-timer, I was particularly pleased with “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” which I thought was outstanding. The crowd appeared to agree with me on that one.

The encore featured the tour debut of “Streets of Philadelphia,” (just for those of us in Philly, of course) “Jungleland,” “Born to Run,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” a cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout” and “Bobby Jean.”

One of my favorite Springsteen songs is “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” but I didn’t expect to hear that one because he hasn’t been playing it on this tour. But I can’t even call that a disappointment, given the quantity and quality in the show.

The Boss and Jake Clemons interact with the crowd.
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

Of course, many friends wanted to know what I thought after my first Springsteen show, and they may be surprised at my initial reaction. This will require some more thought and I reserve the right to change my mind at any time, but I don’t think I want to see another Bruce Springsteen concert.

Coming to the Springsteen bandwagon later in life has afforded me what I believe is a unique opportunity to have his entire catalog of music to explore and his live show to experience. It’s all fresh and new to me.

And to have that first concert experience be as close to perfect seems special. It’s like a baseball player hitting a home run in the last at bat of his career, circling the bases and running right off the field into retirement. It’s a perfect ending.

In my case, my first Bruce Springsteen concert was a perfect beginning and a perfect ending. And I’m not sure I want to ruin that story.

A musical journey from Springsteen to ‘Springhouse Revival’

By Mike Morsch

On November 4, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

The debut album from Springhouse Revival is called “Return to Nothing.”
(Photo by Mike Morsch)

One of the first guys I met when I started college in the fall of 1977 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, was an upperclassman by the name of Duane Morrison. A bespectacled Iowa farm boy, he was at an agriculture school to study . . . agriculture. Go figure.

Duane and his roommate, another upperclassman named Al Steinbach, lived right next door to me and my roommate Billy, in the dorms. A native New Yorker, Al apparently had decided to go to college in the heartland to study – best I could tell as a young, impressionable freshman – hillbillies. Since I lived right next door and appeared early on to be one of the new subjects of his study, he was in the right place.

The thing about Duane was that he had an advanced appreciation of music in 1977, especially vinyl. Duane and Al had the best record collection on our dorm floor, and whenever I happened by their room and the door was open, they’d invite me in to listen to records.

And nearly every time I went in there, Duane had a particular artist on the turntable that he was absolutely enamored with. I had never heard of the guy, some dude from the East Coast. I’d listen to the record, but it really didn’t do much for me. I’d shrug my shoulders and politely shuffle my hick behind toward the door as Duane would encourage me to listen more closely and appreciate the music.

“You wait, this guy is going to be a big deal,” Duane would say.

The artist was Bruce Springsteen. The album was “Born to Run” from 1975.

I didn’t pay any attention then to Duane, and for many years after, on the topic of Bruce Springsteen.

Moving east in 2000 and a renewed interest in music over the past 15 years brought me to the Springsteen party quite late. And with the encouragement of a few close friends who happen to be Springsteen diehards, I’m now all in for The Boss. In fact, Steven Van Zandt of Springsteen’s E Street Band was interviewed for The Vinyl Dialogues.

One of those Springsteen devotees is my friend Gordon Glantz. He and I have been colleagues in the media business for years. Gordon is a brilliant writer so I am not unbiased when it comes to his work.

And now Gordon is in the music business himself. He and his song-writing partner, Terri Camilari, call themselves SpringHouse Revival and have just released their first album “Return to Nothing.” Gordon penned the lyrics, as well as arranged and co-produced with Glenn Barratt of Morningstar Studios in East Norriton, PA. Meanwhile, Terri composed the music and handled the vocals on this record.

If you’re in the suburban Philadelphia area, there is a “listening party” to debut the album on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Greco Roman Restaurant on West Main Street in West Norriton, PA. The public is invited.

I’ve come to appreciate the Philadelphia music scene over the years. There are a lot of great local artists putting out some pretty good stuff. They don’t get the recognition of the big-name artists, but they’re inspired people who are working hard, living their dreams and putting their creative efforts out there for people to see and hear. And I try to support their efforts by buying their CDs and attending their concerts.

I’m not a record reviewer, but I know what I like. And I like “Return to Nothing.” The release, which is available on iTunes and numerous other sites (CD Baby, Amazon.com. Google Play, Spotify, etc.), features 14 original songs. Gordon’s lyrics are mature and sophisticated and Terri’s compositions and vocals perfectly complement the material. And they’ve hired some ridiculously talented musicians – such as guitarist Tom Hampton (another friend of mine), drummer Grant MacAvoy, cellist Michael G. Ronstadt, viola player Larry Zelson and Barratt on keyboards and bass – to help them make their dream come alive.

Gordon helped me see the light when it came to Springsteen, and that gives him musical credibility with me. So I’m happy to be in on the ground floor of support for his project.

Check it out when you get a chance. The SpringHouse Revival website is www.springhousesongs.com. There is a Facebook page was well that you can “like” for updates.

Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony: A real rock and roll show

By Mike Morsch

On August 3, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Southside Johnny rocks the summer stage.

The famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J.

It was a theory that had at least the hint of possibly coming true.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were scheduled to play a July 3, 2014, show at the famous Stone Pony is Asbury Park, N.J. The venue is, as many music fans know, the place where Bruce Springsteen got his start. As did Southside Johnny – John Lyon – and his band the Asbury Jukes.

There’s a chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues, featuring an interview with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steven Van Zandt of Springsteen’s E Street Band, that details the evolution of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in the mid-1970s, the influence of Springsteen on the band and the development of what we now know at the Jersey Shore Sound.

Over the years, it has not been uncommon for both Springsteen and Van Zandt to join Southside on stage, especially when the band is playing in or around Asbury Park or specifically, at the Stone Pony.

There’s a lot of rock and roll history that’s been made at the Stone Pony. So when I saw that Southside and the Jukes were scheduled to perform at the venue’s summer stage on July 3, I said to myself, “Hmmm. I wonder . . . .”

Let me state upfront that I’ve never seen Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band or Southside Johnny perform live. I know, I know, shame on me. My only excuse is that I grew up in the Midwest having no idea about anything New Jersey. So I came very late to the Springsteen-Van Zandt-Southside party. (I’m still not at the Jon Bon Jovi party yet.)

The point now is that I’m all-in with everything Springsteen. I’m listening and learning and enjoying all the music that I missed the first time around, starting with the early Springsteen and Southside stuff from the 1970s.

So the plan for the Southside concert was a no brainer: Seeing Southside Johnny for the first time at the historic Stone Pony. I wouldn’t want to have seen him at any other venue the first time. (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, from “Eddie & The Cruisers” fame, was the opener.)

But in the back of my mind, I wondered: July 3 was on a Thursday, the start of a long Fourth of July four-day weekend. Maybe, just maybe, Bruce – who had finished his 2014 tour – would be hanging around Asbury Park with the family. Or maybe Van Zandt was in the neighborhood. And maybe they both didn’t have anything else to do that evening. Would it be possible that one or both of them would stop by and do a few songs with Southside in their old stomping grounds?

It had happened before at the Stone Pony. The odds seemed, at the very least, plausible.

And then Mother Nature interfered, the ratfink. It rained like hell on July 3, so much so that the Stone Pony management canceled the show since it was at the club’s outdoor summer stage, which offers no protection from the elements.

Fortunately, the show was rescheduled for Aug. 2, a date that was open on the schedule. Once again, Mother Nature threatened to interrupt the proceedings with a lot of threatening skies, but the rain held off.

The Stone Pony itself is old and it needs some work. It’s a club, not Radio City Music Hall. The ceiling is half falling down in places and people still spill beer on its floor. The summer stage outside is a general admission ticket and fans have to stand for the shows. Fortunately, you can pay an extra fee and sit in a small grandstand, which we did because my wife and I have determined that the days of standing through entire concerts has long since passed for our knees and hips.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony – a real rock and roll show. It was excellent and just what I hoped the entire experience would be.

Oh, neither Springsteen nor Van Zandt showed up. I was looking for them when Southside started singing “I Don’t Want to Go Home.” That would have been some serious gravy had they popped up on the stage at that point, huh?

But Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes had this one. It was homefield advantage all the way for them. And it was just that cool, even without those other two guys.

Stories behind memorable albums of the 1970s as told by the artists

Tag: Bruce Springsteen

Stories from the front row with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul

From Bob to Bruce: The Best Concerts of 2016

First Bruce Springsteen concert a perfect beginning . . . and maybe a perfect ending

A musical journey from Springsteen to ‘Springhouse Revival’

Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony: A real rock and roll show