Bruuuuce!

[sodascouts]

Your VIP treatment sounds like a much better version of ILAA! I can imagine how you felt when you realized that you were going to be just a few feet away from Bruce in the audience!

[Prettymaid]

OMG EV, I am so anxious to hear the rest! (Great idea putting the pic of your 'patient' on the sign!)

[eaglesvet]

So...finally...Day 4 was here! Out of the 5 Giants Stadium closing shows, that is. Springsteen's first three shows a week earlier had already made history around here, each developing a character of its own in that three different albums had already been played...and the cycle was about to rev up again! Bruce had even written a new song for the occasion, Wrecking Ball, which opened up each of the shows. As you can imagine, it was about bringing the "old lady" down. "Bring on your wrecking ball, take your best shot..." and tells the story of the heroes and the glory of Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, where the "mosquitoes are as big as airplanes!" Ahh, that's NJ!

Our original Party o' Five had undergone some last-minute cast changes in the previous week due to unforeseen work- and children's-commitments; and we were surprisingly having difficulty selling the two open tickets. Everyone else we knew was either already going, or having trouble getting out of their responsibilities for the night. It wasn't until the afternoon of the show that my brother Charlie found two of his friends able to come along, and ease the stress that we had been feeling build up during the last two days.

Anyway, I had made sure to keep my work schedule light the day of the concert, which in my profession is NEVER a sure bet. One never knows when an emergency will walk in the door 5 minutes before you planned on walking out of it, and I was afraid to think what I would do if that happened! Well, I was sooooo successful in trying to finish up on time that I was done with my surgeries by noon (!), only 4 hours before we planned to leave. I managed to stay blissfully quiet in the office with my lunch, records, and phone calls--and bopped out of there right at 4, ready to pick up my friend Sue. I've known Sue since freshman year of high school (which is a long long time for us ), and she has probably been my most adventuresome concert buddy. We have stayed out on line overnight for Bruce tickets back before online tickets existed; we saw LiveAid together in Philly in 1985; and had various other escapades that later prompted us to ask ourselves, "Just what the %$#^& were we thinking?" (But it was all good in the end, thankfully.) So, of course, Sue was to be my fellow E-Street Lounger. My bro, who at one point was going to try to join us for part of the time by switching off with the pass, realized that he couldn't get there early enough to do so...so it was all off my shoulders.

So, fairly easy ride in, not too much traffic at that early hour, followed advice on where to park for quick exiting after concert. Means that we have to walk past the horse track, past the construction of the new stadium, and then 180 degrees around the current stadium to get to 'Will Call' to get the passes. Whoops, wrong 'Will Call.' Go around to the next gate...no passes here, either. Great. Check at the Tower, where the Lounge is...only a little further. Yup, the passes are here! What?? She didn't say to bring a picture ID! The thought of that looong walk back to the car to get ID, and all that time wasted that could be better spent in the Lounge ...thankfully, the guard accepted my client's name (and photo of her dog?) as "proof" that I should have the passes that are in an envelope with my name on them, and we are home-free. Since this is a separate entrance into the Lounge, the rest of the security is pretty lax. While all the commotion was going on about: 1. my lack of ID, and 2. the beauty of my poster, no one thought to: 3. check my jacket that was tied around my waist (thus relegating the camera in my pocket to knee-height and away from detection! ) As I said, home-free!

[eaglesvet]

Sue and I put our "Steven's Underground Garage Party" adhesive passes on, and enter the E Street Lounge. It's 6 pm, the concert's slated to start at 7:30 but it's known that Bruce's been starting at 8:15. So we have plenty of time. There's psychedelic-type carpeting, probably about 30 tables, and 2 bars. Immediately I see the accordian-type doors at the back of the room that my client said open to the actual "Garage Party", that second level of VIP-ness. Realizing that no one is actually using those doors, we walk over to that guard and ask about them. He tells us they just go to another bar that has absolutely nothing to do with the E Street Band, Bruce, or the concert at all. Hmm, that's strange. We ask the bartender--she has NO clue what we are talking about. So we get our drinks, sit down, and decide to relax and scope out the situation for awhile. As more people arrive (the room probably held about 80-100 at its max) and mill around, we realize that there is only one room--that for some reason, my client gave me a completely wrong description of the situation. Which was not a problem except for one small detail...she had said that the wristbands to the Pit (the rows on the field directly in front of the stage) would be given out as we exited the second room; ie, not everyone in this first room would be getting into the Pit. Uh-oh.

After awhile, Little Steven's manager comes out, makes the rounds introducing himself and chatting to people. He likes my sign; I'm not convinced he has any clue who "Kweon" (the dog) nor my client are. Not good. I tell him I really want to hear the song Sandy, and to put in a good word for me. Sue and I chat, try to look for anyone famous. The manager says that Steven will come in later, so we're excited by that. But, there were no other E Streeters present that night, unfortunately.

We realize that there are other folks with the white Pit bands already on...turns out they had purchased field tickets for the show. Earlier in the afternoon (unrelated to the lounge), the stadium handed out the wristbands and then did some sort of random number to see which people would get into the Pit, and which would remain in the farther part of the field. So now I am really worried that our wristbands are a pipe dream of the past. I call my brother and tell him to expect us back at our seats by showtime.


(Got to go night-night...try to post more tomorrow.)

[Brooke]

Alright, Ev! Wake up! Just as I'm getting in to this!

[eaglesvet]

(Well, I spent my allotted computer time Sunday trying to post some photos, but I think they are too big. I'll have to figure that part out another time.)

Pretty soon, the manager comes back around and says, "Come on, we've got to get this thing going," and starts collecting patrons from their tables and putting us in various lines. Sue and I comply, realizing while chatting with the others around us that we have no idea what we are waiting for. And then, into the corner of the room where all the lines are radiating towards, walks Miami Steve Van Zandt---a lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the band. The manager ushers fans in to meet Steve, taking their picture as they do. When Sue and I are up, I make a big deal of my sign request, "Steve, you just hafta play Sandy for me...and Kweon! Tell Bruce!" It's now that I realize the manager does know my client, as he chimes in to Steve, "You know, Lynn's dog!" I take that as a very good omen.

By now, it's 7:40--the concert was scheduled to start 10 minutes ago, and Steve is still finishing his photo op; and, as we find out later, not even dressed in his concert garb. Patrons are thinning out to get to their seats...those with wristbands and field tickets to the field, and those with stadium seating to the tiered seating. In a last-ditch effort, and figuring I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, I waited until the manager was free. "Lynn had said that these passes allowed us to get Pit wristbands--is that right?" "Sure...you got field tickets?" "Uhhh, nope ." "Oh, well, that's a problem." But then, as quickly as he let my heart sink, all of a sudden, "Here, let me see what I can do." And lo and behold, he found a man with a BUNDLE of wristbands, who was only too happy to ask how many I needed without inquiring what kind of ticket I had! YES!! HOME FREE once again! As we were personally escorted out of the lounge, around the side of the stadium, and into the endzone, I realized just how much more exciting this night was going to get. Just walking out onto the football field amidst all the lights and fans was surreal, and then to be able to keep walking all the way to the front of the crowd was really special. The Pit is a walled-off rectangular area of SRO directly in front of the stage. At the back center of it was the camera area (for filming the big video screens). Behind the Pit stood the rest of the fans with field tickets, I'm guessing to about the 50-yard line or so. And then of course the 70,000 fans in the tiered seating. I call my brother to tell him NOT to expect us back at our seats by showtime.

[Prettymaid]

Eva, you really know how to tell a story! And so-o-o-o-o suspenseful! (Not sure if I like that or not!) This is getting better and better!

[TimothyBFan]

Eva-could you put real life on hold and take a day off just so you can finish this story? I'm dying here with anticipation.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Wow Eva - I can't wait to meet you. I'm telling you girl, we have got some stories to share. I just hope we have enough time!

[eaglesvet]

OK, folks, I'm so glad you're enjoying this. As I mentioned, because of my computer issues at home, I have to write either at work or the libe...the last 2 installments, I actually went into work at an ungodly hour expressly for the purpose of writing more...serious!! Now, I pretty much have the concert itself to review, which I will get to. But, as you said, life exists, and mine tends to spin out ouf control around me, so I'll do my best. Think of it as my version of The Long Story! (Now I have to proceed to locate Expando before tomorrow...)