Arts/Cultural Response: Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball Tour

I grew up with Bruce Springsteen. When I think about my childhood, I think about The Rising playing in my dad’s jeep. I remember going to the concert with my entire family after the 9/11 attacks. As a second grader, I understood that Bruce was the epitome of an American working class symbol. I stood on the seats with my sister for three hours screaming every word to “Thunder Road” at the top of my lungs. When I heard he was coming to University Park, I immediately invited my sister to come visit. I had been looking forward to this for months. Hurricane Sandy hit the same week that Bruce was suppose to be rolling into town and I got nervous the concert was going to be cancelled. The show went on but my sister couldn’t leave Long Island. I decided to go to the show anyway. 

The thing you can count on when you go to a Bruce Springsteen concert is three things most definitely. First, there is never any opening act. To say the least, the Boss does not need one. Second, the concert is always at least three hours long. The man how to put on a show and he intends to entertain. Lastly, the audience will have a very wide range in ages. He reaches all ages and has fans all over the country.

The first two hours was mainly the Wrecking Ball album. This was expected. He had to play his new stuff and get it out there. This is not what the people came for though. This audience came for his old stuff. I was sitting all the way in the back. My friend and I were surrounded by mostly adults who had obviously traveled a fair distance to come. They spent much of the time sitting down waiting for the songs they knew. At around 10 o’clock, he started to break into the music everyone knew. “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run,” and “Rosalita” got everyone up on their feet. The college students in front of me were rallying this elderly couple in front of me to get up and dance. 

For another two hours and three encores, the Boss himself put on a great show. He had shout-outs and dedications to Clarence Clemens, Hurricane Victims, and Food Banks all over Pennsylvania. All of these were reminders of why we Bruce was able to get up on a stage at the age of 63 years old. He plays for the average American and is always looking to help his fellow neighbor. He is always there for us in our times of need and reminds us that we should be there for our neighbors as well.