“Clarence!” was the immediate almost reflexive response. Yeah, Megan knows Clarence because she’s seen Clarence and the other members of the legendary E Street Band. Tonight on the ride home from “Nana’s” house, she pulled “The Rising” out of my CD sleeve and requested her two favorite cuts; the title track and “Waitin’ for a Sunny Day.” I’ve tried to infuse some different music to my girls playlist of life, and to some degree I’ve succeeded. She loves Sloan and the Bottle Rockets, and she sides with Wilco over Son Volt. “Dad, can I get some of this stuff on my iPod?” Little does she know my entire online music collection resides on her computer.

It’s kind of a drag that many shows are 18+, because she can’t go to many of the good club shows some of my favorite bands play. However, she’s seen a few. Her first show with me was Lenny Kravitz and Pink at our Tweeter Center in 2002. In the summer of 2003 it was Sloan opening for Jet at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. Somewhere in there was KISS and Aerosmith… The Fall of 2003 was the high point… We ventured down to the Big Apple to see Bruce. After settling in at the Times Square Westin, we walked past the Ed Sullivan Theatre on our way to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. We got seated and like it was choreographed, “a live video of “Born to Run” flickered on all the big screens. “We’re going to see THAT,” I said proudly. I knew it was somewhat underwhelming for a kid of the hip-hop generation, but some artists and music are timeless, and I wanted to make sure she saw this one.

After seeing “Stomp,” shopping, and walking about 45 blocks to the Guggenheim, it was time for the main event. We jumped on the train and headed from Times Square to Shea Stadium in Queens. The Beatles played Shea, and the ball got by Buckner. Earlier in the summer, I scooped some infield dirt from Fenway Park when Jeff and I were there to see Bruce. At Shea, I walked over to first base and dropped some of it hoping to break a curse. I didn’t know it would take another year. We walked around the big yard as a soft rain fell. Then the lights did. It was the last show the band did that tour and they haven’t played since. Songs in bold were played only this show during the entire 2003 tour:

1. CODE OF SILENCE
2. The Rising
3. Lonesome Day
4. Roulette
5. Night
6. I WISH I WERE BLIND
7. Empty Sky
8. You’re Missing
9. Waitin on a Sunny Day
10. Johnny 99
11. Another Thin Line
12. Tunnel of Love
13. Because the Night
14. Badlands
15. Prove it all night
16. Mary’s place
17. BACK IN YOUR ARMS
18. Into the fire
19. LIGHT OF DAY
20. Bobby Jean
21. Born to Run
22. Seven nights to rock
23. HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED (w/ Bob Dylan)
24. My city of ruins
25. Land of Hopes and Dreams
26. Rosalita (w/ Willie Nile)
27. Dancing in the dark
28. Quarter to three
29. Twist and Shout (Soozie on lead)
30. BLOOD BROTHERS

At the end of the show the band held hands. Clarence was crying. I thought it was important to my daughter’s life that she see Bruce Springsteen and his band play. Even if just so she can say, someday, “Yeah, I saw Bruce.”