My top five Springsteen concerts

1) The Ghost of Tom Joad tour – Palace Theater, Louisville, Ky., 11/20/96 – Seeing Springsteen play solo in a small theater felt like winning the lottery. One of the most memorable moments was when he played a haunting, slow, almost unrecognizable acoustic version of Born in the U.S.A. I’ve heard that many times since, but that was the first time I heard it that way and I liked the way it make it impossible to misinterpret the lyrics. After the concert, Springsteen crept quietly back on stage for the diehard few that knew to wait for him. People were still filing out of the auditorium behind us, not realizing that the star had come back out, holding his finger to his lips to make sure that no one gave him away by calling out. He talked to fans and signed autographs and I remember noticing how people kept addressing him as “Mr. Springsteen.” In a society that barely used “Mr.” for the president any more, I thought that said a lot about what he has meant to people over the years. If I ever got close enough to speak to him, I’d call him Mr. Springsteen too.

2) World Tour with the E Street Band, Alltel Arena, Little Rock, AR, 3/14/2000 – Given that my family is from Arkansas, I always loved the song Mary Queen of Arkansas and am thrilled to say that I’m one of only a few thousand people who’ve heard it live in the last quarter of a century. He played it on this night for the first time in over 25 years. The night further stands out for being the time I got his autograph and Clarence Clemons’. We stood with a group of fans at a back entrance of the arena. Clemons came out and posed for pictures and signed autographs and, later, just as we were about to give up, a white van pulled out – a door slid open and Springsteen himself was sitting next the door. He only signed three items – and one of them was my CD cover. (My husband is tall and was able to thrust the cover into the van.)

3) World Tour with the E Street Band November 9, 1999 Milwaukee, WI – The band was back together and seeing that was amazing. And seeing Springsteen jump around on the stage, leaping from the top of pianos and so forth, was simply inspiring. The man is in better shape than he was 50 years ago. (In fact, that is one of the things that struck me when watching the recently released Born to Run concert DVD – Springsteen has probably gained 40 pounds in the past 30 years and IT’S ALL MUSCLE.

4) The Rising Tour, Dec. 17, 2002, Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse – This was a moving concert for me, for reasons that are both national and personal. The national part is obvious. The Rising was widely acclaimed for it’s treatment of 9/11 themes and seeing Springsteen perform these songs live was one of those moments when I’ve been sure he is a prophet. Personally, this was just a few months after my son was born. I was still nursing, still getting up several times a night with him. I was beginning to feel a little, well, haggard. And this was the first time he and I were not in the same city – though it was only for a few hours. I missed him terribly and raced home to watch him sleep, but it had also felt good to be a little like my old self again.

5) Devils and Dust tour, May 11, 2005, Chicago, Ill, Rosemont Theatre – Once again, this was Springsteen alone on a stage. I won the lottery again. The theatre was bigger this time and so the mood wasn’t exactly the same, but it was a surreal event with Springsteen playing the pump organ at one point and the banjo at another. As at the earlier solo concert I saw, Springsteen talked more than he does when playing with a band. Among other things, he made the point that you’re defined by the sacrifices you make. I don’t even remember what his point was when he said, but it’s a comment that my husband and I have referred back to often in the past year as we’ve discussed how what we WANT to do, is often a little different than what we think is best for our family. We try, at least, to make the sacrifices that we’ll be proud of later.

My favorite Springsteen albums!

Picking my five favorite Springsteen songs for the back of my novel was a painful exercise. But picking my five favorite albums is relatively easy. After all, there are fewer to chose from!

So here are my favorite Springsteen albums. At least, they're my favorites today. If you're a Springsteen fan, feel free to disagree and make your own list. And if you're new to Springsteen -- you lucky dog! You get to discover all these albums for the first time!

1) Born to Run -- It's a classic. It's timeless. It's the definition of rock music. It's the best album ever. What can I say?

2) Darkness on the Edge of Town -- This is a grittier, meaner album but one that is, ultimately optimistic. "It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive," after all.

3) Nebraska -- It's not the most obvious Springsteen album to play on a road trip, but check it out on a long drive -- especially a long drive at night. It captures the essence of bleary-eyed driving -- not to mention serial killers, dead dogs, used cars and faith.

4) Tunnel of Love -- This would be one of more controversial choices, certainly. But Tunnel of Love has a jaunty, happy feeling to it -- even when it is painting less than ideal portraits of American marriage and family life. I like that.

5) The Ghost of Tom Joad -- It's like the Grapes of Wrath set to music! Seriously, it stands out to me because it was the first signal, to me at least, that Springsteen -- always gifted when writing about people and ways of life that he knew well -- could also write in a compelling and emotional way about the problems of people he did not know. Be they dust bowl victims or illegal aliens working in meth labs.