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October 24, 2024 EDITOR'S NOTE: Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band officially becomes available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+ tomorrow, Friday October 25. Below is our review of the film, along with SoundCloud and YouTube links for our great half-hour conversation with Road Diary 's director, Thom Zimny, and a special official statement from Thom about the film and what it's meant to him to work on it. Everything below is mostly "spoiler-free," but in actuality it's also pretty much impossible to truly "spoil" Road Diary . Like the best Springsteen concerts, even when you know what's coming next, it's still quite an awesome experience. We hope you get to enjoy it for yourself as soon and as often as possible: Too late to stop now... The Letters To You Review of Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band by Caroline Madden and Shawn Poole "The road has taken a lot of the great ones," the late, great Robbie Robertson of The Band told Martin Scorsese in 1978's The Last Waltz , one of the best all-time rock-concert films. "Hank Williams... Buddy Holly... Otis Redding... Janis... Jimi Hendrix... Elvis.... It’s a goddamned impossible way of life... No question about it." In Thom Zimny's new film, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band , Springsteen and his colleagues take a position on touring that's 180 degrees opposite to the one presented in The Last Waltz . "Since I was sixteen," says Bruce in his voiceover narration of the film, "playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who I am and how I justify my existence here on Earth...I plan on continuing until the wheels come off, and for as long as the audience will follow me." And this perspective is being shared by the leader of a group of performers after having logged a half-century-and-still-counting of traveling that road together, as opposed to The Band's relatively short (but still great) sixteen years before burning out and calling it quits, never touring together in their original formation again. It's that love of what live performance at its best can do, for both the performers and the audience, that helped to sustain Springsteen's long-delayed touring plans through the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. "When the world shut down," narrates Bruce in Road Diary , "I made a promise that if we got through this, I'd throw the biggest party I could." We were both there, along with thousands of other fans, on the first night that long-awaited party finally began to happen. We remember how the energy of Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2023 was buzzing. It felt as if the entire audience was collectively holding our breaths for the first time Bruce Springsteen would appear on stage in concert with the E Street Band since 2017. In a flash, seven years had gone by since The River 2016 tour and its related early-January "Summer '17" tour Down Under, and COVID-19 had turned the world upside down, pushing back Springsteen's plans for a world tour after the release of his 2020 album Letter to You . While the 2021 revival of Springsteen on Broadway certainly did more than just satiate us, we were all craving that invigorating E Street Band sound again. In Road Diary , for the first time, we are able to see and hear how the E Street Band felt about their triumphant return. Director Thom Zimny gets right inside the trust circle the band forms before the show, and in their beaming smiles and tight grips on each other's hands, we can see they were just as thrilled. The director seamlessly integrates Springsteen’s blistering first performance of “No Surrender” that night. This opening song reassured the audience that no matter what happens, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will endure. While the "static" set list has drawn some contention among fans throughout the tour, Road Diary crystallizes Springsteen’s choices and gives us an intimate glimpse into his rehearsal process, setlist curation, and performances. Zimny is a very humanistic director, often using techniques like close-ups, juxtaposition, and slow-motion to soak in the tiny details about someone or remind us of the fragility of time—a theme that has been so prevalent on this tour. While other filmmakers might try to match Bruce Springsteen’s manic performing energy, Zimny uses his very patient and observant camera to capture the introspective depth of Bruce’s work. The slow-motion images of Bruce’s fluid movements conducting the band almost look like a dance. In the rise of his shoulder or the lift of a finger, we can see something magical in the unspoken connection that has developed between him and his band over the past fifty years. Recently, Zimny also spoke with us at length about the filmmaking techniques he utilized and the directorial choices he made for Road Diary . It's a great half-hour conversation, touching upon many aspects of making the film, including the development, importance, and unique role of Springsteen's voiceover narration, how and why Zimny filmed fans the way he did, how he and his crew went about the groundbreaking filming of Bruce's rehearsals with the E Street Band, why Zimny also considers Road Diary "my favorite deep dive into the vault," the invaluable contribution of Ron Aniello's score, and even Zimny's and Jon Landau's reactions to Bruce quoting Jim Morrison! Check out our special podcast conversation with Thom Zimny about Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band , available for listening on our SoundCloud and YouTube platforms, and embedded below: When Springsteen names the songs he wants to include on the setlist, Zimny includes related clips or photographs. In smooth, quick succession, we shift from thoughtful, black-and-white close-ups of Springsteen’s weathered face, the serious expressions of the teenage band The Castiles, and iconic moments from concerts at Slane Castle, Hammersmith Odeon, and "No Nukes." In an instant, we witness the evolution of an artist—a fifty-year journey of loving and sharing music that Bruce Springsteen has traveled from his days as a young man to a 75-year-old contemplating his own mortality. It’s a brief but beautiful sequence that articulates how much the passage of time is important on this tour. Zimny often uses slow-motion to focus on certain audience members—men, women, children, lovers, and friends—gazing up at Bruce with such reverence. He captures exactly what it’s like to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert. Whenever we watch him with the band, time seems to stop; we know that someday we’ll be nostalgic for this amazing moment that’s happening right now, so we try to take it all in. By taking the time to observe the fans’ faces in Road Diary , we are able to see the fruits of Bruce Springsteen’s labor, how he makes the drudgery of everyday life melt away, lifting his audience up into a state of pure bliss. Ghosts of family and friends past haunt this tour and Springsteen’s latest works, such as the Letter to You album, Springsteen on Broadway , and his autobiography, Born to Run . He has become increasingly reflective about the past and what his legacy will be. As we in the audience grow older, too, many of Bruce’s songs come into sharper focus for us. Simultaneously, hearing the voices of this tour's "newbies" - Anthony Almonte, Ada Dyer, and Ozzie Melendez - sharing their experiences of their first-ever full-scale tour with Springsteen, combined with the perspectives of newer, younger fans, reminds us that this music retains such strong, powerful legs to travel far, wide, deep, and into the future. With the past continuing to fade into the rearview mirror, we know that Springsteen and his collaborators still can remain our beloved traveling companions along the way. Ultimately, what Thom Zimny and his filmmaking team have captured with Road Diary greatly deepens our appreciation for the privilege of sharing this time on Earth with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. How lucky we are to experience this journey together, “until the wheels come off.” Oh, and by the way, there's one more thing that connects Road Diary to The Last Waltz ... With Road Diary , just as with The Last Waltz , it's best to follow the advice in the latter film's opening-titles card: “THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD!” All photos/stills above are courtesy of Hulu/Disney+, and are used with permission.

October 25, 2024 Below we've embedded the official pro-video feed from the October 24 Harris-Walz campaign rally in Atlanta, GA, cued up to the beginning of Bruce Springsteen's appearance: Bruce began with a solo-acoustic performance of "The Promised Land." He then made the following remarks: “...Thank you, thank you. I’m Bruce Springsteen, and I am here today to support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice-President of the United States, and to oppose Donald Trump and JD Vance. Now here’s why... I want a President who reveres the Constitution, who does not threaten but wants to protect and guide our great democracy, who believes in the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power, who will fight for a woman’s right to choose, and who wants to create a middle-class economy that will serve all our citizens. “There is only one candidate in this election who holds those principles dear: Kamala Harris. She’s running to be the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant. He does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American. And that’s why November 5th I’m casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I urge all of you who believe in the American way to join me. Thank you; this is ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’...” Bruce's solo-acoustic performance of "Land of Hope and Dreams" segued immediately into his closing performance of the day, a solo-acoustic version of "Dancing in the Dark" ("Now it's time for some entertainment; here we go...") after which he left the stage, but not before saying, "Thank you, Atlanta! Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice-President! Get out there and VOTE! "

October 27, 2024 Good point, Stevie... Happy Birthday and many, many more to one wicked-cool bass player, the man who brings the bottom night after night after night after night (and makes MANY bottoms shake in the process,) the Southern gentleman who comes from a long line of Tallents, the Foundation of the E Street Nation, the Tennessee Terror... Mr. Garry W. "Funky" Tallent ! Today marks Garry's 75th birthday, and tomorrow will mark the 52nd anniversary of his earliest known performance with what was then the yet-to-be-officially-named-or-billed E Street Band . Garry is the E Street Band member with the longest tenure by far, having never missed a gig * in a continuous run from the start of the band all the way through to the current tour, which of course will resume shortly. That's a lotta bottom over a lotta years, and the best part is that it's all still going strong. Play on, "Funky," play on! * CORRECTION - Make that " almost having never missed a gig." Garry intentionally missed Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's December 12, 2020 Saturday Night Live gig, due to COVID-19 safety concerns. To date, 12/12/20 is the only time that Garry Tallent hasn't been onstage during any official E Street Band performance, for as long as the band has existed. That remains quite an impressive attendance record indeed. Special thanks to reader Kevin van Steendelaar for catching our error, and informing us of it.

October 22, 2024 EDITOR'S NOTE: As we continue celebrating LGBTQ(+) History Month , Letters To You is pleased to present this well-deserved spotlight on the Because the Boss Belongs to Us podcast , by our contributing writer Caroline Madden : Bruce Springsteen joked in his Born to Run  autobiography that his Born in the U.S.A.  concert garb—red bandana against his sweaty brow, thigh-hugging jeans, plain white tee, and matching denim vest—had more than just an all-American aesthetic. He was not just performing as the kind of macho guy who grinds at a blue-collar job and enjoys playing baseball on the weekend with his buddies. It was a style that was so over-the-top, Bruce humorously wrote, that he looked "simply… gay. I probably would have fit right in down on Christopher Street in any one of the leather bars." He also once quipped on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that his primary audience was young men, "due to the homosexual undercurrents in my music.” The male friendships in songs like "Backstreets" and "This Hard Land" are so intimate that they can inspire readings of queer love. These are more than just offhand jokes or observations; they indicate how Bruce Springsteen recognizes elements in his music and star power that connect with the LGBTQ+ community. This is precisely what Jesse Lawson and Holly Casio explore in their 2024 podcast, Because the Boss Belongs to Us . The working-class champion and rock star may seem like an unlikely queer icon, but as previously mentioned, certain aspects of his artistry strike a chord with LGBTQ+ audience members. This podcast digs deeper into these ideas. Jesse Lawson (pictured above on the left) has a background as a freelance audio producer, sound designer, and community facilitator, while Holly Casio (pictured above on the right) is a comic artist. Casio's zines, Butch Mother Springsteen and Looking for Bruce , are lovely pieces of fandom that were one of my first introductions to the queer community's appreciation of Bruce. Produced with Molten Heart , Because the Boss Belongs to Us varies its format, but mainly, Lawson and Casio perform as scientists of sorts on a mission to research, gather data, and hypothesize whether or not Bruce Springsteen should be regarded as a queer icon. They consult with other LGBTQ+ professionals in fashion, celebrity and music. They interview Springsteen fans and non-Springsteen fans. Performing this kind of well-rounded investigation feels exciting and draws in audiences who may be skeptical that there is anything queer about Bruce at all. One of the best aspects of Because the Boss Belongs to Us is the many ways it changes up the structure and style. At times, there are very intelligent roundtable discussions, academic without being stuffy, while other parts are riffing on nostalgic memories, or personal, diary-esque narration set against wistful music. No matter what form it takes, the content is intimate and thought-provoking. There are seven episodes and the hosts discuss a variety of issues that may or may not come to mind when considering Bruce’s LGBTQ+ reach. The podcast culminates with a "Panel of Queers" that Holly and Jesse must convince—all of the members (perhaps like the podcast listeners themselves) are uncertain about Bruce Springsteen's queer connections.   Each episode examines a facet of the "Queer Icon Checklist" that the hosts develop, including a camp sensibility and underdog identity. For the camp episode, one of the guest speakers, Brooke Palmieri, makes an insightful point about how Bruce Springsteen has a unique blend of sincerity and theatricality that sets him apart from other queer icons. His showmanship oscillates between a theatrical flair and raw, soulful connection to his characters' complex psyches. Springsteen's relationship to the underdog figure is quite clear, as he often sings from the perspective of the marginalized, whether that be the working class, immigrants, veterans, or displaced youth.   For cisgender and heterosexual audience members especially, it's eye-opening to hear how Springsteen's themes of exclusion and resilience resonated with young queer listeners grappling with their sexuality and societal judgment. The podcast also highlights the importance of Bruce’s transparency about his mental health struggles, particularly in challenging the taboos surrounding masculinity that often prevent men from seeking help and expressing vulnerability. Episode 5, "Cry / Dance / F**k," is a witty yet insightful exploration of how the LGBTQ+ community uses music to access their wellspring of emotions. The episode delves into how Springsteen's music helps them reconnect with feelings often suppressed during adolescence, providing a particularly cathartic release during concerts. For queer fans of Bruce Springsteen, many of these songs were the powerful seeds of their self-discovery that had been waiting years to blossom. The podcast also explores more provocative topics, such as Bruce’s status as a multi-millionaire (now billionaire?) and what that means for someone trying to relate to marginalized communities. Is it even possible for LGBTQ+ fans to emotionally connect to this rich, white, straight Baby Boomer? These are some of the questions raised in Because the Boss Belongs to Us , which also addresses the more conservative segment of Springsteen's fan base, whose political views may be actively opposed to the queer community. These discussions are well-handled, giving room to diverse viewpoints. Another notable aspect is that the hosts are from the United Kingdom. The feeling of wanting to escape a small town that doesn't align with your values is not just specific to Freehold, New Jersey, but universal. It is illuminating to hear how their own experiences in an insu lar and narrow-minded community have shaped their attachment to Bruce's work.   Because the Boss Belongs to Us serves an even greater purpose: to bridge generational divides. We all recognize the intense bond among those who grew up listening to Bruce's music or came of age during his rise to fame. Now, Millennials and Gen Z are carving out their own spaces in Springsteen fandom, and they are bringing more awareness to the devoted fans who are also part of LGBTQ+ community. Holly Casio and Jesse Lawson’s thoughtful perspectives reveal a whole new side to Bruce's work that you may not have considered before, especially if you do not identify as queer. Bruce Springsteen has consistently shown his support for the LGBTQ+ community, from his moving ballad “Streets of Philadelphia” to his recent shout-out at Sea.Hear.Now for helping to bring Asbury Park back to vibrant life.   The idea that the blue-collar everyman like Bruce Springsteen could reflect queer culture is a fascinating concept that Because the Boss Belongs to Us covers in nuanced and affectionate ways. The hosts do an excellent job of guiding listeners through Bruce Springsteen's career and status as a musical icon, and how that might intersect with the LGBTQ+ community. Because the Boss Belongs to Us casts our beloved Boss in a completely different light, revealing new dimensions of his work and offering insights into a community that deserves greater visibility within Springsteen fandom. Because the Boss Belongs to Us is available on Apple , Spotify , iHeart , and many other platforms. Click here to listen to the Because the Boss Belongs to Us podcast on the platform of your choice.

October 19, 2024 On October 19, 1974, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band performed a sold-out, two-hours-plus show at Union College's Memorial Chapel in Schenectady, NY, as the headlining act for the college's homecoming weekend. “It was just an unbelievable performance,” recalls Union College Class of 1975 graduate Chris Fink, who also was the chair of the college's social committee, which booked the concert. “The whole energy of the show. He just blew us away. People filed out of the chapel almost quietly, as if they knew they had experienced something they had never seen before. It was like, wow, I think I just saw something special.” In celebration of the concert's fiftieth anniversary today, Union College's website has just posted a great extensive history of the concert and its lasting impact on many of its attendees, enhanced with photos and memorabilia from the night in question. It also explores some of the behind-the-scenes drama that preceded the show, such as the social committee's debate over whether to book Springsteen or Billy Joel, and the intense pre-show soundcheck that strained the chapel's power supply and (slightly) damaged its ceiling. Click here to read "Spirit in the Night: 50 years ago, Springsteen delivers an unforgettable performance at Union." -Special thanks to Phillip J. Wajda, Director of Media and Public Relations @ Union College

October 16, 2024 [UPDATE - Full video of Springsteen's and Bryan's conversation has been shared by Rolling Stone via its YouTube channel. Scroll below to view the embedded video.] The 2024 edition of Rolling Stone 's "Musicians on Musicians" series launches with Bruce Springsteen and Zach Bryan engaged in a lengthy conversation recorded last April at Springsteen's home-studio (in the midst of the recording session for their "Sandpaper" duet,) and moderated by Rolling Stone writer Brian Hiatt. A transcript of the conversation, accompanied by Danny Clinch's photography, is available wherever you can find a copy of Rolling Stone 's latest issue, which features a Clinch portrait of Bryan and Springsteen on its cover. Subscribers also can read the transcript - or watch video of the conversation - and view Clinch's photos online by clicking here . Springsteen and Bryan chat extensively about songwriting, stardom, genre-pigeonholing, and... yes, even some politics. Though their comments date from last April, they haven't lost a bit of relevance. "There is so much pessimism and division in the U.S. right now," says moderator Hiatt. "I’m wondering, as two great American songwriters, if there is any degree of optimism from the two of you about the chances of us overcoming all of that." "Big question," replies Springsteen. "I don’t know. My take on it is it’s bad, but it’s going to get better. I will sit here and I will predict again, Donald Trump will not be the next president of the United States. Of course, I went all across Europe saying that the last time, and I was wrong. It’s hard to read because sometimes I think, 'Gee, I led my life a certain way. It rolled out a certain way, and maybe that has something to do with why I remain hopeful.' And I just think that generationally, I still feel hopeful. I think we’re going to get past the degree of division that’s in the country right now, and move on to something else—" "Gratitude, maybe?," asks Bryant. "I have absolutely nothing brilliant to say about this, so I’m bailing," responds Springsteen. "So, I’m 28," says Bryant, a veteran of the U.S. Navy. "I don’t have that much experience. I’m neither one way or the other. I served my country for eight, nine years. I think America ebbs and flows, and it always has. Always will. I’m tired of everyone arguing. It’s about time people were just thankful to be American. ’Cause personally, I’m so grateful I get to wake up in a country that’s free. It’s really special to be in a country where there’s so many different people and so many different parties and so many people that have an opportunity to come together and be kind to each other and respect each other’s backgrounds. There’s people that have died defending our rights. Men and women have died for these things, and we just are, like, pissed about what?...Being free enough to say everything we feel? It’s weird. It’s strange. It blows my mind all the time. And I’m just thankful." Springsteen expresses his agreement and adds, "That’s as political as we’re gonna get!" Click here for complete Rolling - Stone -subscribers-only online access to Zach Bryan Meets Bruce Springsteen: ‘I Never Thought I’d Be Sitting Here With You’ - Two great American songwriters get together in New Jersey and go deep on the perils of stardom, classic country, the importance of moms, and the troubled state of the union by Brian Hiatt, with photographs by Danny Clinch. UPDATE - Rolling Stone 's YouTube channel has posted the complete video of Springsteen's and Bryan's April 2024 conversation. Here it is:

October 16, 2024 Tickets remain available for the premiere screening of The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University 's filmed version of its 2024 American Music Honors ceremony. The ceremony took place last April in Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre. This year's honorees were Jackson Browne, Dion, John Mellencamp, and Mavis Staples. The honorees' inductions were presented by Jon Landau (inducting Browne,) Darlene Love (inducting Staples,) Bruce Springsteen (inducting Mellencamp,) and Stevie Van Zandt (inducting Dion.) The evening also featured musical performances from all of the honorees and inducting musicians, backed by Little Steven's Disciples of Soul serving as the house band. You can click here to read Letters To You editor/publisher Shawn Poole's firsthand account of this year's ceremony. Fittingly, the premiere screening of the filmed version also will take place in Monmouth University's Pollak Theatre (located in West Long Branch, NJ) on Friday, November 1, with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. ET. General-admission tickets are only $25 each, with all proceeds supporting The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University. Click here to purchase your tickets online.

October 15, 2024 The ABC News Studios/George Stephanopoulos Studios television special, featuring Stephanopoulos' exclusive new interview with Bruce Springsteen, will have its broadcast debut this Sunday, October 20 at 10:00 p.m. EDT, and begin streaming the next day on Hulu and Disney+. Click here to read the official ABC News announcement , and watch the official trailer below:

October 15, 2024 Bruce Springsteen was a surprise musical guest at Sunday night's 30th Anniversary fundraising gala for the USC Shoah Foundation , held in New York City. He delivered solo-acoustic versions of two of his songs: "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and "Dancing in the Dark." The USC Shoah Foundation was launched in 1994 to record audio-visual histories from survivors of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah. More recently, the USC Shoah Foundation has established the Countering Antisemitism Laboratory to research, record, and address modern-day versions of antisemitism, including Hamas' deadly October 7, 2023 attacks. At one point during his mini-set, Springsteen joked a bit about occasionally having been incorrectly presumed to be Jewish himself. “I actually was Bruce Springstein for the first year or two of my career," he told his audience. "Everywhere I went — I pull up to the club. ‘Welcome Bruce Springstein.’ This happened as late as a month ago. I’m not joking.” (You can click below for some "living proof:") Bruce also wasn't joking when he talked about why he has long supported the USC Shoah Foundation's important and ongoing work. “The work of collecting the personal testimony and the voices of those who’ve witnessed history," he said, "has just something in common with the work that songwriters, filmmakers... all artists do to understand and to create our real and imagined worlds. We follow the ghosts of history. We listen for the voices of the past to take us into the future, and we lean into their stories and listen to them.” Click below for access to more coverage of this important event (including pro-shot photos and video) from our friend Chris Jordan at The Asbury Park Press :

October 13, 2024 Happy Birthday and many, many more to the E Street Band's ace organist, keyboardist, and accordionist Charlie Giordano . As we proved in last year's birthday salute , Charlie's done some very interesting and offbeat things in his long musical career, both before and after he began working with Bruce Springsteen, first in the (Seeger) Sessions Band and later with the E Street Band. Yet another example: In 2005, Charlie and his "Pizza Band" were part of a unique box-set from chef/producer Sharon O'Connor entitled PIZZA PARTY! It contained a set of traditional and new pizza recipe-cards, accompanied by a CD of Neapolitan-style music performed by Charlie Giordano's Pizza Band. After all, if you're gonna have a pizza party, nothing goes better with some good food than some good music, eh? The PIZZA PARTY! box-set remains available for purchase by clicking here. And in honor of Charlie's birthday today, here's an upbeat track from the box-set performed by Charlie Giordano's Pizza Band (with Charlie rockin' the squeezebox, of course.) Enjoy their toe-tapping version of the Neapolitan classic "Funiculì, Funiculà" along with whatever you might be eating today: Tanti auguri di buon compleanno, Charlie Giordano, e buon appetito! Salute!

October 7, 2024 EDITOR'S NOTE: We're very happy and honored to present this essay by sports-journalist and filmmaker Julian Garcia, reflecting upon his being a veteran Springsteen fan getting to witness the most recent concert by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on the shoreline of Asbury Park, NJ with his daughter Abby: When I was growing up in New Jersey back in the 1980s, on the outskirts of the Meadowlands, my father and I used to sit on our living room couch on spring and summer nights and watch the Yankees play. I was a big fan of Don Mattingly back then, and had a hard time believing anyone could have been better in pinstripes than Donnie Baseball was in 1984, ‘85, ‘86 and ‘87, when he averaged 30 home-runs and 120 RBI. “You should have seen Mantle,” my father would say, “Now that  was a ballplayer." My father would go on to describe the tape-measure home runs that Mickey Mantle hit, helping to make the Yankees the  Yankees through much of the ‘50s and early ‘60s. I heard all about Mantle’s ability to glide across the outfield to make over-the-shoulder catches, and how he not only possessed legendary power, but also the speed and baseball savvy to lay down a bunt and sprint to first in what my father made me believe was less than two seconds flat.   “It’s a shame what happened to him,” my father said, explaining how Mantle’s struggles over his final four seasons cost him the chance to finish with a career batting average of .300 or better. “Held on too long,” he'd say. “His knees were shot. I wish you could have seen him when he was younger.”  I was fortunate enough to see Mattingly play in person many times during that magical four-year mid-’80s stretch, sitting in the backseat of my father’s car as we crossed the George Washington Bridge and took Jerome Avenue towards the Stadium. I also watched as Mattingly went from a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer to a player who had to settle for being elected into the New York-Penn League Hall of Fame, due to a back ailment that ultimately derailed his career. I thought about Mickey Mantle and Don Mattingly as I drove north on the Garden State Parkway late on the night of September 15th, my ears ringing and my feet and back stinging, after spending the previous twelve hours or so planted in the sand in Asbury Park. I had just watched Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band perform live for the fiftieth time or so in my life. For more than two hours of that three-hours, fourteen-minutes performance, I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my daughter, Abby, who was working at the Sea.Hear.Now music festival for the fourth straight year, helping attendees with various issues encountered over the course of two days. On Night Two, her boss allowed her a break to watch the headline act, but wanted her back at her post about an hour before  The  Boss wrapped up. This was the second time Abby and I watched Bruce and the E Street Band perform live, but the first time in about eight years, and the first time since she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him after the American Music Honors ceremony at Monmouth University last spring, both smiling into her cell phone as she took a selfie with her father’s lifelong idol. Over the past two decades, one of the things Abby and I have bonded over most is music, and a wide variety of it. From the time I started driving her to and from school, Abby would take control of the aux cord in my car, turning me on to the music of Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus (and her alter ego, Hannah Montana,) Selena Gomez, and eventually Taylor Swift. Yeah, I admit it... I’m a sucker for the kind of pop music that makes tweenage girls scream. But I also found ways to slip in an occasional Bruce song or two, starting with obvious hits like "Dancing in the Dark" and "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" before introducing her to some of his deeper cuts. Eventually, she became a fan, though a bit later in life than I did. One can only imagine the thrill of watching my daughter become a student employee at The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University (my alma mater, no less,) or how crushed we both were when she missed the opportunity to meet him early in the spring semester of her junior year, when she was visiting her mother in the hospital on a day Bruce happened to drop in on her coworkers at the Archives. (They posted pictures to prove it.)   My own lifelong obsession with Springsteen's music started in 1982, when my brother pushed a Nebraska cassette tape into the stereo in our bedroom. Three years later, I saw Bruce live for the first time just weeks ahead of my 11th birthday. I remember almost nothing about that first show, other than where I sat - somewhere in the far right corner end zone, all the way across the field from where Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band were onstage. In the nearly forty years since that first show, I’ve seen Bruce perform live on Broadway and in the Stone Pony, back when I was in college. I’ve seen shows on every Bruce Springsteen tour over the past four decades except for the Tunnel of Love Express Tour, which fell in that awkward post- Born in the U.S.A. period when my mother had lost interest in him and I did not yet possess either the money to buy my own ticket or a car to get me anywhere close to where he was playing.   What I am about to write has been stated to just two people in the days since I last saw Bruce Springsteen live three weeks ago. At first, I was met with polite incredulousness. And then, when speaking to my brother - the person most responsible for lighting the spark that led to my forty-plus-years love affair with Bruce - I was flashed a look that suggested something along the lines of “You have to be fucking kidding me,” before he actually came right out and said something along the lines of “You have to be fucking kidding me.” I was not. So I’ll state it again... Thirty-nine years after seeing Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band for the very first time, I have never seen him and his bandmates put on a better show than the most recent show I attended. I could get into all the details of why I think that is true, but the performance speaks for itself and is officially available for download/streaming . Still, you had to see  it to believe it. I’ve listened to most of the show two or three times since seeing it, and hearing a clean mix of it only helped convince me that what I felt standing there, and while driving home that night, was right. Bruce and the Band have very often been just as good as they were on the beach that night, but they’ve never been better.   And that is exactly what I thought about as I drove home after the show. How is it possible that forty-two years after laying in bed at night, my big brother just feet away as we listened to the dark howls on Nebraska echo through our shared bedroom, I was able to stand shoulder to shoulder with my adult daughter, and watch Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band perform at the level they did? How is it possible that nearly forty years after seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band for the very first time, I still have never felt the need to tell my daughter what Bruce and his band  used to be like? Over the years, as I introduced my daughter to more of Bruce’s music, I eagerly awaited the day I could finally show her what all the hype was about. I finally got the chance when she was 14, and it was a great show. Now, eight years later, just days after my 50th birthday, and Bruce’s 75th, I sit here listening to the same man I was listening to as a young boy, appreciating and marveling at the fact that because of what we witnessed together on the beach in Asbury Park, I will never have to say to my daughter what my father once said to me about Mickey Mantle: “You should have seen him when…” Julian Garcia is a lifelong resident of New Jersey, and has been a sports writer and editor at the New York Daily News since 1996. He also is the producer/director of the short documentary film It Will All Seem Funny , about the legendary 1978 "Rosalita" stage-crash that took place in Phoenix, Arizona.

October 3, 2024 Click below to watch the full video-message, filmed at Roberto's Freehold Grill and posted today on Bruce Springsteen's official Facebook and Instagram pages (also fully and accurately transcribed below:) Hi, I’m Bruce Springsteen. Friends, fans, and the press have asked me who I’m supporting in this most important of elections. And with full knowledge that my opinion’s no more or less important than those of any of my fellow citizens, here’s my answer...   I’m supporting Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice-President, and opposing Donald Trump and JD Vance. Here’s why...   We are shortly coming upon one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history. Perhaps not since the Civil War has this great country felt as politically, spiritually, and emotionally divided as it does than at this moment. It doesn’t have to be this way. The common values, the shared stories that make us a great and united nation, are waiting to be rediscovered and retold once again. Now that will take time, hard work, intelligence, faith, and women and men with the national good guiding their hearts.   America’s the most powerful nation on Earth, not just because of her overwhelming military strength or economic power, but because of what she stands for, what she means, what she believes in: freedom, social justice, equal opportunity, the right to be and love who you want. These are the things that make America great.   Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate for President in my lifetime. His disdain for the sanctity of our Constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law, and the sanctity of the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of President ever again. He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.   On the other hand, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are committed to a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone , regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view, or sexual identity. And they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all, not just a few like me, on top.   That’s the vision of America I’ve been consistently writing about for 55 years. Now everybody sees things different, and I respect your choice as a fellow citizen, but like you, I’ve only got one vote. And it’s one of the most precious possessions that I have. That’s why, come November 5th, I’ll be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Thanks for listening.