"Atlanta......Is There Anyone Alive Out There!!!!!"

When I was in second grade I remember my mom taking me to Bruno's to buy a new Trapper Keeper notebook before the start of the school year. I shuffled through the various designs that were your standard 80's models. I bypassed the checker-board design, the animal prints, the basic red and green ones, and finally settled on a pretty simple design. It was light blue and orange with the words "Rock N Roll" written across the front. I was thinking about that Trapper Keeper this week, wondering if you could even sell a Trapper Keeper like that now. Not because most people probably would pass on that model, not because of the awesome 80's design, but because I don't think kids would know what Rock N Roll is. Between Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Nashville country music, and a MTV that shows NO music videos, what is a person searching for true Rock N Roll supposed to do?

Sunday night I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert for the 8th time. My good friend Jay Robinson went out of his way to surprise me with awesome tickets to the show. Kristen was an amazing sport considering she ran 13 miles Saturday morning, and knowing that she would be subjected to over two hours of straight iPod "Brucedom" on the way home. Once again, for the 8th time, I was reminded what Rock N Roll really is. Needless to say it was a great show. Seeing "The Boss" is just one of those great concerts when you wish everyone could be there to enjoy the moment. You almost feel bad for all the people who miss out, or who just don't get it. Granted I am a Boss homer, but you'd be hard pressed to find a performer who consistently puts forth the effort, and genuinely seems enthusiastic about playing each, and every night. And although you've heard "Born To Run" a thousand times, there's nothing like hearing it in person, when he's singing "Tramps like us..." and he's talking about himself, the band, you, and the 68,000 other people in attendance with the house lights on. Needless to say there is a lot of fist pumping. You can't beat a show that opens with "Badlands" and closes over two and a half hours later with "The Detroit Medley." So if you get a chance, go check the band out. Live music like this won't be around forever. I mean who are we supposed to take our kids to see. It's like what Bruce sang about Sunday night in the song "Jungleland':

"Outside the streets on fire in a real death waltz

Between flesh and what's fantasy and the poets down here

Don't write nothing at all, they just stand back and let it all be."

You said it Bruce, they just don't write them like that anymore. Now that's what Rock N Roll is. (blogger Brian)