Photo by Ed Blau taken @ 12/31/78 Richfield Coliseum

 You been hurt and you’re all cried out you say following a few jangly guitar chords opening “The Ties That Bind” will be an emotional rush for some readers next week.  For those lucky enough, The Boss will be back in town on Tuesday night with The River tour 2016.  For some, it’s more than a concert.  It’s the soundtrack to your lives and Bruce Springsteen has been there since your first drink and driver’s license.

You walk cool, but darlin’, can you walk the line.  My first time was piling into a station wagon heading from Canton to the Allen Theatre.  The band wore white Italian suits with fedoras except for Bruce who wore a black leather jacket on the Born To Run tour.  Next, it was off to Richfield and The Coliseum for many shows covering Darkness On The Edge of Town and then The River.  Springsteen not only played two shows there beginning the first River tour in October 1980, but came back and did two more in July of 1981.  These weren’t just shows … they were marathons.

Photo by Ed Blau taken @ 12/31/78 Richfield Coliseum

Cheap romance, it’s all just a crutch.  Richfield is a field of memories now and so are those ticket prices as a chance to see Springsteen will cost you.  No longer can you sneak through the coffee shop at Sears or drive to some remote Ticketron outlet.  Now it’s the 5 second rule to purchase online seats. Some of the family has departed with Danny Federici (’08) and Clarence Clemons (’11) performing up in heaven.  Bruce is sixty-six and pushing to deliver a tour featuring a double album of twenty songs with some not played live for quite some time.

It’s a long dark highway and a thin white line.  So can we go to the well just one more time?  Many of us have wrinkles under our eyes, grey in our hair, and scars covering our hands and hearts.  Music can transcend time and sometimes be the portal to those days of yesteryear.  Who better than having The Boss behind the wheel to take you there.  Now you can’t break the ties that bind.

Notes:

I have not been posting for a while as life seems to be focusing on other matters.  Blogs and columns may be a bit more sporatic, but appreciate the love and support from my friends and followers.  You might catch me hanging in downtown Akron at a place called Musica located on East Market Street between Main & High.  I’m hosting events like Brent Kirby’s 10×3 Songwriter/Band Showcase on Wednesdays and a Vinyl Spin & Swap Nite on Thursday nights.  Also, I’m walking the streets of the city networking with the pulse of positive thinkers and offering a very warm space to hold meetings and events.  Click onto the Facebook link for Musica for the latest announcements.