Jazzfest 2012 Pic of the Day: Springsteen

Ok..so let's get this out of the way. Yes I did see Bruce at Jazzfest- kind of. I was not planning on it- in fact was kind of getting sick of hearing about how big of a deal his being at Fest was going to be. Don't get me wrong- I am a Bruce fan or maybe more accurately was a Bruce fan some 20+ years ago. Since then, I've always paid attention to what he was up to musically but was no longer a hard core fan. I did see him at Jazzfest in 2006 right after Katrina- now THAT was a special show (I read somewhere recently that even the Boss himself considers that show in the Top 5 that he has ever done-now thats saying something).Anyway, I tend to stay away from the big stages at Fest as a rule- typically these are national headliners that I could see back home in Philly or NYC if I wanted to. I look at Jazzfest as an  opportunity to see acts and bands that dont tour or dont tour often- especially the local NO and Louisiana acts and musicians. That being said, on Sunday of weekend 1  I had other things on my schedule at the time that Bruce was going to be at the largest stage at the fairgrounds. As it turns out, I ended up coming out of a show that happened to put me on the far back edge of the Bruce crowd (see picture) - could barely see but sound was great even at what must have been 1/4 mile back from the stage- but I figured I might as well stop and give a listen since I was already there. Turns out, I arrived at a perfect time with Bruce just introducing one of my favorites-Dr. John- to the stage. Talk about an omen. So I was hooked- after Dr. John, the band went right into Mary Dont You Weep from the album and show he did right after Katrina. That one gave me goosebumps. Next up was Prove it all Night- another classic. This led into a lesser known (to me anyway) Johnny 99 and then Waiting for a Sunny Day-which had a hilarious moment when the Boss pulled up some kid from the crowd who basically croaked vs sang along with the band..it was a very funny moment. Even in that huge crowd Bruce was in command-he really can still put on a great show..I had to stay for another when the band launched into Promised Land..cue goosebumps one more time...after this one, the band went into a slower number that I did not recognize- here was my chance. If I didnt leave now, I would be stuck for the rest of the afternoon. I made the decision and headed away - it was time to return to my regularily scheduled program so to speak..But, I gotta say it, he sure still is the Boss....