Complex Numbers

Born in the USA

But currently touring in Europe, which I believe is a mythical land of castles and fairies that lies beyond the Great Eastern Ocean.

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

Springsteen and the E Street Band are currently on tour in Europe and are earning accolades for their stellar performances. In a five-star review (out of five), London's Sunday Telegraph raved, "Bruce proves music can save your soul." The Observer called a London show "a performance of blood, sweat and tears." In another five-star review (out of five), Financial Times of London dubbed the concert "masterly, memorable and utterly exhilarating." The Daily Mail testified, "as good a show as I've ever seen."

Okay, so the Daily Fail's review notwithstanding, those are some serious praises. But hey, Observer? Blood, Sweat and Tears hasn't performed in the past quarter-century. Stick to Bruce.

I guess they like him in England. How about other places in the mythical lands outside of the Real World, AKA the US?

'Magic' has been certified triple Platinum in Norway; double Platinum in Ireland and Sweden; Platinum in the United States, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Spain, and Canada; and Gold in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Singapore? Hope he doesn't play there; that's a caning.

Now, I think there's two things going on here. First, but least, is that the Magic album is Bruce's most political album ever. By that I mean that most of the songs on it are in some way related to the mess in Iraq (funny how Iraq isn't on that list up there. Hmmm.) And I daresay this war is unpopular pretty much everywhere. But most of all - and I may be biased, but I've seen enough Bruce concerts to get a feel for the stage dynamics - the Magic tour has been one incredible musical experience. The band has never been better. Oh, sure, they were probably more energetic in the 70s, when they were just getting their feet wet. And they were a tight ensemble even in the 80s, on the Born in the USA tour. Then they went their separate ways for a while, reappearing in the late 90s (a tour I, sadly, missed) and then again for The Rising in the early 00's, which is when they really started their apotheosis.

But this tour confirms their godhood. Even without Danny Federici - and possibly even because of his untimely loss - they have a way of working together that I, as a pitiful non-musician, can only grok a small part of. All I remember is seeing Nils Lofgren do whirlies on the stage during an extended guitar solo on "Prove it All Night" and thinking, "This is better than anything I've ever seen before, ever."

And now I find that they're going to wrap up the tour with a few more US shows - including one in Richmond, where I saw them for The Rising.

This morning, I got tickets.

The Coliseum is going to rock.

I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
Yeah, tonight I wanna break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown there's something that I wanna hear
There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear

I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are...