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You Said It

We asked our readers to submit their favorite Bruce Springsteen memory. Here are some of their responses:

I have seen The Boss over 20 times. I do not have a favorite show, or moment. For me, it is the anticipation between songs during all of his shows . You are going crazy from the previous song, then Bruce counts it off "One, two, three ... " That split second of anticipation, then you hear that first chord of the next song and your mind starts going into overdrive. He and the E Street Band never disappoint, and I am really looking forward to them bringing down the house at the North Charleston Coliseum.

— Steve Zanowski

They say the first is always the best and in this case the first was January 1976. The place: Township Auditorium, Columbia. The show didn't even sell out. I think there were maybe 3,000 people at the show and I guarantee nobody that was there would ever forget it. John Boniface, Mike Mullen, Bill Chapman and I witnessed a four-hour marathon that left everybody delirious at the end.

The four of us will all be there this Saturday a little older (OK, a lot older) but trust me, none the wiser. We will be joined there by James Fabian who did not make the Columbia show but was with us when Bruce played here in 1978. I mention this because he still has his ticket stub from that show. It cost a whopping $7.50 to get to see Bruce back then.

One last note: Bruce if you see this article I humbly request "Jungleland."

— Tom Newton

I originally lived outside of Philadelphia, which is a huge Bruce stronghold; in fact, probably the biggest after Jersey. Anyway, when I see him this Saturday, it will be my eighth time, and while I think this one will be my favorite because it will be the first time my husband and I will be seeing him together, I do have a favorite memory.

Back during the "Born in the U.S.A." tour, my best friend and I saw Bruce at the Spectrum and we had these great second level seats. Due to the configuration of the Spectrum, at the time, nobody was in front of us or behind us. As Bruce was playing one of his many songs during one of his four-hour marathons, he stood on the piano which we were overlooking. Of course we were up and dancing and Bruce looked up at us and pumped his arm in the air. I swore then and I'll swear now — he looked right at us. It was and is my best memory ever but I look forward to the new ones I'll be making this Saturday.

— Kathie Doorley

As a college junior in the fall of 1985, the last thing on my mind was politics or anything other than what party the Phi Delts were having that weekend. My life revolved around my sorority, headbands, grosgrain ribbon belts and khaki skirts. Little did I know that a guy from New Jersey would rock my world in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on a warm fall evening.

It was my sister's friend, Diane, who was the Bruce fan and convinced my sister and I to join her for his "Born in the U.S.A." Dallas show. We'd all seen the Brian dePalma "Dancing in the Dark" video where Bruce pulled Courtney Cox (the boyish one with short hair!) up on stage to dance with him ... but I'd never heard "Born to Run" or "Thunder Road" — this was Texas in the early '80s and everything was Prince and Madonna, with a little ZZ Top thrown in.

What a night! Bruce played for over 3 hours. We were stunned. We never sat down. When Bruce talked to the crowd (a packed Cotton Bowl stadium), it was to remind us that people are homeless and starving and in America — that's not OK. These were the days of Reagan and the big military complex and Bruce spoke of peace, forgotten Vietnam veterans, and helping those in need in our own communities. The E Street Band was truly awesome and the Big Man (Clarence Clemons) was a blaze on the sax.

But it was The Boss in his jeans and old plaid flannel shirt singing his heart out and talking about things that MATTER that we fell in love with that night.

Soon after, a boyfriend bought me a cassette tape of "Born To Run" and I discovered all the great old Springsteen & E Street Band albums. I have bought everything Bruce has ever recorded and saw him live on The Rising tour in Columbia.

On that September night in 1985, Springsteen and his music reminded me that America isn't perfect and everyone isn't as privileged as me. We all need to care about each other and lend a helping hand. The first vote I cast (at age 22) was for Michael Dukakis in the 1988 presidential election. I know my newfound liberalism had something to do with Bruce Springsteen and his compassion for hardworking Americans and those who are less fortunate. And the things he made me think about when he sang that night in September of '85. Something shifted in me when I saw Bruce in concert for the first time and it's still in my heart. No matter what your politics, Springsteen wears his heart on his sleeve and gives of himself in his live shows in a way that touches every listener down deep forever.

— Susan M.

I've followed Springsteen since I was in high school. A friend of mine mentioned that he saw Bruce at the Gaillard Auditorium in 1978, and said it was the best concert he had ever seen, so when he came to Columbia on "The River" tour, I had to check him out. They don't call him "The Boss" for nothing. I've seen him over 20 times since, and I can say with complete confidence that nobody can touch him as a live performer.

Before that first show in February 1981, the radio reported the concert was going to be canceled because Bruce had the flu. He did indeed have the flu, but he didn't cancel ... he went on and played for almost four hours. And then, as his tour van was pulling out 30 minutes or so after the show, he saw fans standing in the freezing rain waiting to watch him leave. Bruce had the van stop, and leaving band members waiting, he jumped out and chatted for 20 minutes, saying, "If you guys can wait out in weather like this just to see us leave, then I can at least sign a few autographs."

My high school friend had bought a souvenir concert program, which he got signed, and that night Bruce made me a fan for life and he has never let me down. He's a great musician, a songwriter with few equals, and a genuinely nice guy ... what's not to like? It's an honor to have him play in my hometown, I know the show is going to be fantastic, and once he sees what a good Charleston crowd is like, I'm sure he'll wonder why he stayed away so long.

— Garry Conway