As shows began in the beginning of October, Bruce and Patti would just walk in to the theatre and not talk much to fans or sign photos. However, by the middle of October something changed and he began to make some connections with the fans waiting by the stage door and I'm glad he did.
That weekend before leaving I had "high hopes" about Bruce signing my picture with him so that Sunday, I printed out the photo of Bruce and I as an 8x10 and got a silver marker from Z before leaving school on Monday, October 30th and hoped for the best. I left school during 8th period, came home to make sure I had everything packed and headed to the airport. I went with 2 Chicago Bruce fans, a mother and son duo, Silvia and Matt that I've met at every Bruce concert I've been to and at the book signing last year. We had a good flight and after we landed at about 8:30, Silvia's friend April was there at the airport to pick us up and I give huge thanks to her for letting some Springsteen crazies stay at her house and being so kind to us.
After arriving to NYC, it was Matt's idea to find Joe's Pizza and have that for lunch. The pizza there was great, probably one of the best I've ever had. Thanks again for buying it, buddy!
We decided to explore the city some more before heading to the theatre to wait for Bruce to arrive. So we headed to Rockefeller Plaza, where we walked around and watched a few people fall while ice skating. We proceeded to walk down to St. Patrick's Cathedral which was absolutely beautiful. Once inside, I thanked momma for doing such a great job watching over me and keeping me safe. I know she'd be so happy that I got the chance to experience Springsteen on Broadway.
Once we got all of our photos taken, a fan by the name of Annette (all the way from Brazil!) recognized me and I was amazed to see her in real life after seeing her on Facebook and Twitter all the time. We chatted for a little while, then realized it was still pretty early to be waiting (2:00) because Bruce usually doesn't arrive until 5 or 6 so we gave our numbers to the fans that were there and told them to let us know if the crowd starts to get bigger. We then went to walk around Times Square a bit and I got a few shirts for some of my cool rockin' teachers back at school and that comedian I met back in July, George Lopez. By this time, 4:00 we walked past the theatre again and saw it was getting busy by the stage door so we ended up staying. Shortly after we got there, Tony, Bruce's security guard began putting up the barricades making everyone anxious because that meant Boss man was coming soon! Matt and I were lucky enough to get the perfect spots in the front row. We knew what kind of car he was coming to the show in so every time a Chevy Suburban would drive by my heart would literally stop. Also, while we were waiting my brother FaceTimed me and wanted to make sure I was safe because he heard about the terrorist attack that happened in Manhattan, most of the people around us, including myself didn't even know that happened but it was only 3 miles away from where we were. Thanks again, momma - for keeping me in the right place at the right time.
Now the time has finally come!! 5:45! The Chevy Suburban comes to a quick stop in front of the theatre and all I remember hearing is a fan screaming, "It's him!"
The driver got out and opened the back door and out came Patti Scialfa and she waved to us as she quickly walked in but then came Boss man! All you could hear is the crowd yelling "BRUUUUCCEEE" trying to get his attention. At first he went to the opposite side of us then as he approached our side he came straight to Matt and signed his picture. Then he looked right at me, held my poster while reading, "You're my reason to believe" which is what I told him when I met him at the book signing. I asked if he could sign my picture and he nodded. I grabbed the marker from Matt, handed it to Bruce and I began to focus on every stroke that Bruce made on my picture. That moment felt like minutes and once he handed the marker back I said, "Thank you so much" and he went back to the other side to greet some more fans. I was in complete shock. Before going in though, he looked back at us and that's when I waved and gave him a thumbs up and he did the exact same thing back to me.
"I had this good feeling the whole week about Bruce signing my photo. I had the perfect game plan, a clipboard, our photo in 8x10 form, and a brand new silver sharpie from Emily. The day came, and Emily and I were propped up in what I thought was the perfect spot. As soon as the car rolled up, I quickly uncapped the sharpie and had clipboard in one hand and the sharpie in the other. Patti got out and went in, and Bruce quickly followed. He immediately went over to the other side, which was common in the various videos I watched leading up to the day. I had only one shot at this and I didn’t want to go home empty handed. As soon as Bruce turned around to our side, I knew we had made eye contact and he was walking right towards me. Even through his reflective aviators he had on, I knew we locked eyes. The world stood still for those few seconds and it felt as if Bruce and I were the only ones there at that time. It also felt like it was taking him forever to come over to me, like he was in slow motion. He finally arrived in front of me, grabbed the sharpie, and signed my photo. It felt surreal and I have no idea what I even said to him, probably thank you. I was filled with joy and warmth on the brisk New York evening, with one of the many things on my bucket list finally being accomplished. Thank you Bruce, for everything."
Once Bruce was inside, the crowd seemed to disappear in a matter of seconds. I turned around and began yelling saying that Bruce signed my picture. Matt and I had people asking us if they could take a photo of our signed picture because we were the only 2 people on our side that got autographs. Of course, the first person I had to FaceTime was the dude who I got the marker from so I called school dad and he was in disbelief, I thanked him for the lucky marker and then I called my brother who had no clue how I pulled off getting Bruce's signature. After we hung up, I had people asking if I'm "@show_a_little_faith" from Instagram which I will always find funny and a little bit awkward because I say "yeah but message me so I know who you are and so I can follow you back"
Matt and I headed to the Starbucks a few blocks away because we still had an hour until doors open for the show so on our way, we proceeded to tell everyone on the street that we just got Bruce Springsteen's autograph!! Even though most people didn't care, it still felt good to do so. When we got settled down, I kept staring off in to space just reliving the moment of Bruce signing the photo. I gathered the pictures people sent me of the stage door entrance and I posted it on every social media that I use so that kept me occupied until it was time to get back to the theatre.
While getting in line we saw the merchandise booth again and decided to get a poster (only 2,000 copies were made of the one we got) to honor such a great night. The security in line wasn't bad at all and in just a few minutes we made it into the theatre. Our seats were in the 1st row of the balcony which may seem high but honestly there is no bad seat in the theatre.
Before heading to our seats though, we wanted to get one of those Springsteen on Broadway cups which meant you had to buy a coke. The coke was a ridiculously expensive $10 but I guess it was worth it for the memorabilia. There was only about 15 minutes until the show and that time seemed to fly by because the next thing I remember is the lights going off, the announcement saying welcome to the theatre, put away all cell phones and enjoy the show. The crowd of less than 1,000 went crazy then Bruce came out.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats as Bruce told his 68 years of life in such a beautiful way. My eyes didn't once leave the stage. There were versions of songs played that I thought I'd never hear. When Bruce sang you could hear all the emotions he's putting in to tell his story. I'd say the show was basically what Bruce wrote about in his book, but when he performs it live in a small venue like the Walter Kerr then it feels like you are living his life with him. As you sit there in silence, you get the chance to witness scenes of Bruce's life that are both heartbreaking and beautiful. The New York Times said it best, "there may never be anything as real - and beautiful - on Broadway."
*I'll be talking about some of my favorite parts of the show so avoid if you don't want to read spoilers!*
After Bruce came out, he told us about his magic trick for how to deal with 80,000 screaming rock and roll fans which includes, "Balls, naked desire for fame, love, admiration, attention, women and a buck" He then went into singing a great version of Growin' Up where halfway through he says how “I’ve never done an honest day’s work, I’ve never worked a 9-to-5, never done any hard labor, and yet it’s all I’ve written about. I literally don't know what I'm talking about." He begins to talk about how at 39 1/2 Institute Street on a Sunday night in 1956, a revolution has been televised and a 7 year old kid was inspired. Bruce began to compare himself to Elvis, saying how he had the same 2 arms, 2 legs and 2 eyes and even though Elvis was "a human Adonis and I was pathetically hideous." He could figure that part out later. Bruce then convinced his mother to take him to rent a guitar and he realized that it was too hard. Before taking it back though, he performed a little show in his backyard where he did everything but play the guitar and in that moment - he smelt blood. That led into the last half of the song.
Next, Bruce talked about the irony of wanting to get out of Jersey. How he's Mr. Born To Run, Mr. Thunder Road - how Jersey, his hometown is a "death trap, it's a suicide rap" He has to "run, run, run" - yet he lives 10 minutes from his hometown now. He went on to say how his Catholic church and school was only a football's toss away and that he literally grew up surrounded by God and relatives. His mother forced him and his sister to go to every wedding and every funeral at the church. On Sunday's his mother would mourn in the cemetery while Bruce and his sister would play hide and seek amongst the gravestones. This intro led into an emotional piano version of My Hometown, where afterwards he mentions the rug mill that closed down was one that his father worked at. That was one of many jobs Bruce's father held, others included Ford motor plant, Nescafe plant, guard at the jail, taxi driver, bus driver and a truck driver. He could never hold a steady job because of his depression. His father mostly lived at home but when not at home, he was at the bar. Bruce told a story about his mom sending him as a young child in to a local bar to get his father to bring him home. That went into a chilling version of My Father's House.
When talking about his mother, I couldn't stop thinking about my own mother. "She goes to work, doesn't miss a day, she's never sick, she's never down and never complains." That's exactly how I describe my own mom's work life. Bruce went on to say, "Truthfulness, consistency, good humor, professionalism, kindness, compassion, manners, honor, decency, thoughtfulness, common sense, pride in yourself, responsibility, love, faith and fidelity to your family, commitment and joy in your work and a never say die thirst for life - these are some of the things that my mother taught me and I struggle to live up to." I'm sure you can imagine my tears after hearing that. I felt my mom right there with me. Bruce started to sing The Wish on the piano and that's one song that I probably listened most to since May. That was definitely the best part of the show for me, I never thought I'd hear that song live. The line that always gets me is, "if pa's eyes were windows to a world so deadly and true, you couldn't stop me from looking - but you kept me from crawling through.." It's scary yet comforting how much I can relate to Bruce's childhood.
I'll skip ahead a few songs to the astounding acoustic version of The Promised Land where in the last verse he steps in front of the microphone to sing and it felt as if he was motivational speaker talking right to you. All night I had goosebumps but that was something so unique. To hear what he's saying when not even in the vicinity of the microphone is one of the perks of performing in a venue that has the capacity of 975.
We can never forget about the E Street Band! The group that has helped Bruce be successful for over 40 years. He considered all of his bandmates as his "1 + 1 = 3" and the reason why true rock and roll bands will never die. Bruce performed a piano version of Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, which was so hard not to sing along to. Halfway through he named every member of the band saying how they are his powerhouse, however no one was like Clarence. "Standing side by side we were badass on any given night, 2 of the baddest asses on the planet. Together we told a story where not only did Scooter and the Big Man bust the city in half but we remade the city. Clarence was elemental to my life and losing him, was like losing the rain." You could hear the sadness in Bruce's voice while talking about his best friend. He went back to the song and after singing, "we made that change uptown and the big man joined the band" The crowd cheered and cheered for about 10 seconds in tribute to the Big Man.
Bruce then introduced Patti and said how he met her at the Stone Pony in Jersey one night in 1984 and that's when he fell in love with her voice. Together they both sang Tougher Than The Rest and Brilliant Disguise. You can feel their love for each other by just watching them perform, it was great to see the Redheaded Woman on stage.
One of my favorite quotes came after Patti left the stage. Bruce said, "I believe people go to rock shows to be reminded of who they are at their most joyful and full of life." He then went on to mention a Martin Luther King quote saying, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" and Bruce believes that it's true and right now were just "seeing a bad chapter in the ongoing battle for the soul of the nation." That was the perfect intro to Long Walk Home, where he tries to remind ourselves of who we are.
Later on before doing an acoustic Dancing In The Dark, Bruce said that he wants to have people pass on his songs to new generations be interpreted and help make sense of life. He hopes that he was a good travelling companion over his years of music. Bruce referenced a Joe Strummer quote by saying how "the future is not yet written" and when things look darkest, "lace up your dancing shoes." Dancing In The Dark went in to Land Of Hope and Dreams which was a great transition. LOHAD is also very relatable for the people in the audience, like ourselves, that had to travel from states or countries away to see the show.
Then, Bruce began to talk about one night when he drove back to his neighborhood and how not much has changed except his childhood tree that he loved so much. While being in the presence of his church he would be at every single weekend during his childhood, he couldn't stop but be reminded of the Our Father prayer, which he stated in a slow and powerful way. This reminded me of a quote Bruce said in an interview when he talked about his depression last year, "whoever you've been, wherever you've been, it never leaves you.." He thanked the crowd for coming out and and said "May God bless you and your families" before going in to an acoustic Born To Run to end the show.
*Spoilers are over!*
The lights came on in the theatre where you can now see all the people with tears in their eyes as the crowd gave a standing ovation for Bruce and Patti. They left the stage and I had no words to describe the show, I was left speechless. Thank you Bruce for allowing your fans to go on such an amazing journey with you. Through all the laughs and tears that night there is no one I'd want to share my emotions with other than Boss man, I appreciate you more than you will ever know. I'm glad you know that you're my reason to believe though!
It was now time to head to the train back to Jersey and once we sat down Silvia took a picture of Matt and I that I'll insert below but in it you can see the happiness beaming from my face and tears in my eyes from 2 hours of rock and roll magic that I just witnessed. I needed a night like this, thanks again for making Halloween 2017 an unforgettable one, Bruce.
The next morning, I woke up and thought the night before was all a dream. I actually had to look in my backpack to make sure Bruce really did sign my photo with him. I FaceTimed Z that morning, totally forgetting that it was a Wednesday and teachers had meetings before school but he answered anyway with 3 other teachers who wanted to hear my experience about the show and getting the autograph which was still hard to explain in words. After hanging up, we were on our way to Asbury Park, NJ where we saw sites like the Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, the Convention Hall and Madam Marie's. (Did you know the cops finally busted her?)
After we were done in Asbury, we headed to Freehold where we found 39 1/2 Institute Street - the house where Bruce witnessed Elvis perform for the first time and became inspired. The side of that house is where the 45 cover of My Hometown / Santa Claus Is Coming to Town was taken and where the photo of Bruce leaning against a tree was taken as well.
After we got all our photos taken, we decided to get some food so we went to the Freehold Grill where on the wall there was a photo of Bruce and the staff and on one of the menus was a photo of Bruce with the owner. So I guess you can say we picked a pretty good spot for lunch.
We were supposed to be on our way to the airport after eating but we realized we had way too much time until our flight so we put in the address to the house where Bruce wrote the 'Born to Run' album in Long Branch, NJ and we were on our way. Once there, I couldn't help but think of the first lyric to the first song off the album, "screen door slams.."
To get the chance to see the places Bruce grew up, the day after hearing about it at his Broadway show was a great experience. I have to thank April for driving us everywhere that day. We were now on our way to the airport where we were still a few hours early but it was no big deal. While waiting, we got notified that our flight would be delayed for about an hour so I jokingly said that it's a sign that I should stay in Jersey. At about 8:30 Wednesday evening, we safely landed in Chicago. The trip of a lifetime was officially over and it was now time for me to face reality again. I'm thankful for all the energy I still had from Tuesday night. The motivation I had for going to school that Thursday was telling every teacher I have and had in the past about Bruce signing my picture and of course getting the shirts to all those cool rockers.
I'd also like to thank everyone who's been so supportive and happy that I got the chance to go on this amazing, emotional roller coaster ride.
I didn't think this post would be so long but if you read all the way through it, thank you - I hope you enjoyed going on my 2 day trip to NYC/NJ with me!
