That’s what Barack Obama said when he gave Bruce Springsteen his Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement in the performing arts. When I heard this I welled up with pride.
Like Bruce, I grew up on the Jersey Shore. Throughout the ‘80s my aunts would play his albums over and over again, telling tall tales of marathon performances at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. I didn’t understand the excitement at the time and thought it was old people’s music.
In the early ‘90s I attended the same community college as The Boss (I graduated) and frequently surfed next to the very pier that inspired the song, 4th of July, Asbury Park.
In 2000 I moved to California, and eventually became homesick and tired of the lyric-less jam band scene that surrounded me. Turning to my roots, I found comfort in the following songs:
- Spirit in the Night – a song about partying in the Pine Barrens
- Backstreets – a song about friendship
- Independence Day – a song about fathers and sons
- Thunder Road/Born to Run – songs about getting out of small towns
Why am I telling you this? Well if you’re from New Jersey you often hear people refer to your state as the “Armpit of America.” Sure, even I roll up the windows when I drive down the Turnpike, but if you head south on the Parkway that industrial aroma fades and you end up at the Jersey Shore, home to arguably the best songwriter since Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. Click here for some artists who agree.
Mike, you let me know any time you’re running low on the Bruce Juice. You gotta live it every day.
- Steve
Will do, Steve. Good to hear from you.
It’s great to know there are other fans of The Boss in our office! I’ve been listening to E Street Radio on Sirius every day for the past six months–the free subscription ends soon and I will be very sad. I hope you caught him in concert the last few times he was in Boston because a live show is amazing. My favorite songs are “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “Growing Up,” “Sherry Darling,” “The Ties that Bind,” “Two Hearts,” “Incident on 57th Street” “Brilliant Disguise,” and, even though it’s a Tom Waits song, I do love their duet on “Jersey Girl.”
I agree, I’m hoping this post bring us Bruce fans out of the woodwork. I like Darkness…, Growing Up, and Jersey Girl as well. I’m hoping to catch one of those expensive small venue shows in Asbury Park soon. Steve, any leads on that?
I’ve seen Bruce in Asbury several times…doesn’t sound like any small venue holiday shows this year in light of the tour ending. I did just read though, he was at Asbury’s convention hall this past Monday filming video for the 30-year anniversary re-release of Darkness.