Been Set Free : Live Moments To Remember

Bruce Springsteen, Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ, 1993

I must have seen about 25 Springsteen shows at the Meadowlands in the 90s. On one string of eleven dates, I believe I made it out to eight of the shows. Then approaching a decade without the E Street Band, and showing no signs of a return, Springsteen, along with a host of new faces, shocked the packed arena as he drifted into E Street territory during the encore with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." As the arena literally rocked back and forth, with the widest of eyes, my brother made every attempt to to share what might be coming. "They made that change uptown, when the big man joined the band!" he screamed repeatedly. The message was that they couldn't possibly do this song without E Street Big Man, Clarence Clemons. The moment I understood the message, the crowd went absolutely ballistic, as the most beloved member of Bruce's band made the slow trot up to the stage.

Slobberbone, SXSW, Club De Ville, Austin, Texas, 1999

It was clear when a completely-trashed Jimmy Smith of The Gourds joined for the encore that we were in for something special. But I couldn't have imagined a cover of Neil Young's "Powderfinger." "Look out mama, there's a white boat coming up the road," Brent Best howled as Smith shimmied around the stage not uncommonly in his own world. For these five-plus minutes, all the world's concerns floated away and I was lost in euphoria.

Golden Smog, Irving Plaza, NYC, 1998

With the house lights on, Gary Louris, Jeff Tweedy and Dan Murphy screaming the words to Split Enz's "I Got You." I was beside many of my closest friends and I can still remember the expressions on their faces.

Slint, Bimbo's, San Francisco, California, 2008

"Good Morning, Captain" live and to perfection. I'll probably never get the chance again and that's just fine.

Marah, The Pontiac, Philadelphia, PA, 1998

Probably the mid-point of my two-year run with Phladelphia's Marah, it was the Halloween show of 1998 that truly brought me in with the band. Adorned in full make-up and some sort of Civil War-era garb, these sweaty and booze-drenched twenty-somethings never left an ounce of energy untapped. As the encore carried on, and I stood stage right singing along to every word, Marah's Serge Bielanko nodded to me to get onstage. Nerves calmed by the 15 or so beers I'd consumed, I reached for Serge's smokes, lit one, guzzled a full beer and made the move up the short staircase. Before I knew it, I was harmonizing on Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" (or was it "Gimme Three Steps"?). I've always hated Skynyrd, but this song gets a pass given this night.

Bruce Springsteen, Shea Stadium, New York City, 2003

As the rain came down, Springsteen and the E Street Band opened the encore with Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited." And just like "Tenth Avenue" in Jersey a decade earlier, this song couldn't be performed without a certain individual, Bob Dylan. And that's exactly who moved to the Mic to join Springsteen.

LCD Soundsystem, Terminal 8, New York City, 2011

James Murphy and his fantastic band opened their penultimate show with "Dance Yrself Clean," the best track from their final album, This is Happening. As the balcony chorus began to quiet, Murphy bowed his head, plugged his ears and the band exploded into the second half of the song. The hair on my neck stands up remembering that moment. Sheer joy.

Son Volt, Irving Plaza, New York City, 1998

In town taping a VH1 session with Jay Farrar's former songwriting partner and bandmate, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, there were rumblings that perhaps The Byrds' Roger McGuinn would spend time with both founders of seminal band Uncle Tupelo. And in the encore, he did just that. Pleading for Farrar to grab a verse, hearing the voices of Farrar and McGuinn together was simply a dream come true. Somehow it tied it all together.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Emmett Kelly, Henry Miller Library, Big Sur, California, 2009

I've had a few opportunities to see Oldham since this show, and each time I've turned it down. This show in Big Sur was so damn perfect that nothing can compare. Despite Oldham being one of my favorites, this may be the one and only time I see him live. Just like Slint, it feels appropriate. Sitting in the middle of one of the most beautiful stretches of nature in the world, I witnessed the perfect matching of music and nature.

South San Gabriel, SXSW, Austin, Texas, 2005

It was my first of probably 40 shows over the course of the festival that year. The hauntingly beautiful "New Brookland" opened the set and before a hushed and mesmerized crowd, I felt an all-encompassing serenity that I've felt maybe once or twice since. This was spirituality.