#1 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Similar to the New York Yankees, I didn't have much of a choice here. In my pre-teen years, I'd spend every-other-weekend, or sometimes, every-so-often, at my father's house a few towns over in Jersey. In the late 70s/early 80s, my father was obsessed with Springsteen. Sure, he mixed it up with some Bob Seger, Dylan, Jackson Browne and other songwriters of the day, but his love for Bruce was on a different plane. I remember our living room walls being blanketed with framed Springsteen memorabilia. And he was always, always playing throughout the house. All those early records. My dad had a lot of parties during this period, and I recall The River being on until all hours of the night. Then Born to Run would find its way, and of course, when Bruce became the biggest act in the world, with the summer 1984 release of Born in the USA, that record was played over and over and over. When that tour kicked in, and Bruce loaded up on Jersey dates, I begged to go. I'd only been to a few concerts prior: Elton John in Central Park, Fleetwood Mac at the The Meadowlands, but with Bruce, I knew the albums, the songs, his evolution. 

On August 21, 1985, my father, along with a bunch of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. rolled into The Meadowlands for the biggest tour of the summer. After hours of tailgating, we made our way inside right as Bruce and band burst into "Born in the USA" followed by "Badlands" and "Out in the Street." I knew all of these songs. Could even sing along. The crowd was explosive. It felt like the music could be heard from New Jersey to California and everywhere in between. And then came "Born to Run," which felt a bit like this: 

Springsteen's marathon live performances are no secret. 4-5 hours, few or no breaks, set lists in the 40+ song range. I've probably seen him somewhere in the 70+ range by now. In 1992, on the Human Touch/Lucky Town tour, I saw 11 of 13 shows at the Brendan Byrne Arena in Jersey. Since then, with 1-2 or so exceptions, every show has left a lasting impression. The reunion shows at MSG, seeing him solo in Oakland, the Clarence show in 1993, the Seeger Sessions shows, that unforgettable night in Trondheim, Norway. 

Bruce is approaching 70. That's been on my mind a lot of late. Outside of my mother, no person has had more influence on my life than Bruce Springsteen. I dunno, maybe that's weird, but it's unmistakably true. Seems he'll wrap his Broadway gig late this year, and then, who knows what. He's now lost two members of the E Street Band, and although I think his last tour may have been his best ever, the years continue to pass. I can't imagine a world without Bruce Springsteen. And I hope, for many years to come, I won't have to. For me, at least, he's been there since day one.

1973:

1978:

1980:

1993:

2001:

2009:

2013:

2016: