Last night Becky and I went and saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in San Jose. I counted last night while we were having dinner before the show, and realized this was the 9th time I have seen him play live. I grew up in New Jersey and Springsteen music through the years formed a Jersey-roots soundtrack for various times of my life. I didn't connect at all with Bon Jovi, who is the other main Jersey band.
Outside the HP Pavillion were of course (as they always are out there for concerts) our super-evangelist friends. They stand out in front with a bunch of different sized signs which are lists of sins, or about hell etc. To round it off, they also do use megaphones and preach (I should say shout) to the 20,000 who go into concerts. They are the cartoon caricature of Christians holding signs and literally using megaphones to preach. I stopped and talked to one of them and asked what church he was from, but he wouldn't tell me. The last time I saw this group and asked them what church they were from, they didn't tell me either. He just said there were several churches who come out to evangelize (what they consider evangelism). It was interesting watching them for a few minutes as no one was paying any attention to them. They were visibly loud with very large signs. They were very loud shouting with their megaphones. But I would watch people walk by them and most weren't even turning their heads to look at them. Maybe they are used to them being out there and they just don't even bother looking at them anymore and just ignore them. I know they have good motives and desire to serve Jesus. But it just reinforces the whole image of Christians I so try to see change. Not that hell or sin isn't a reality - but how you go about talking about it and telling people about it.
The concert was quite good. Out of the 9 times I have seen Springsteen I can't remember a time when it wasn't. One year it felt like he was going off a bit too much on politics which I didn't quite feel was necessary. But it is his show, so I guess he can do what he wants. I have been following the setlists of this tour and last night he played a different diversity of songs from usual.
When I see Springsteen, I end up staring at Max Weinberg half the time. As a drummer, I had 2 primary drummers I would emulate as I learned to play. One was Max Weinberg (who also played on Meat Loaf's first album) and the other drummer was Danny Seraphine (the original drummer for Chicago). I would play their records down in my basement growing up, and play them over and over and over again listening through headsets and playing drums along with them learning every little thing they did and copying them as closely as possible. Drummers can make or break a band and Max is an exceptional drummer, so I thoroughly enjoy watching him play and have spent dozens and dozens of hours imitating his playing.
The concert last night was quite emotional for me at times. The reason was that I had tickets for Bruce playing in the Bay Area in October but couldn't go because I went back to New Jersey when my dad had the accident at Yankee Stadium and then died. So this was sort of the make-up concert. Some of the songs played last night were from Springsteen's earlier albums. So when he played those, it would take me immediately back to certain times growing up in New Jersey and all these flashbacks and wonderful memories of my dad associated with various Springsteen songs.
Music is such a powerful thing. Martin Luther was correct when he spoke of the power of music. “I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology."
I have a several hour planning meeting tomorrow for Vintage Faith Church worship gatherings and then on Tuesday I am heading to Chicago. I am a main session speaker and also a workshop leader at the Shift Conference there at Willow Creek Community Church. Greatly looking forward to being back at Willow and hanging out with my friend Scot McKnight and some others I shall be meeting with while there.
