Playing selections old and new, Springsteen dazzles Lowcountry

Tulane75 (anonymous) says...

(For the first time) I agree 100% with stand828.

Of all the songs played, the one banging around in my head this morning is Radio Nowhere.

Music is truly the "common" ground!

August 17, 2008 at 6 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

usajagroltyd (anonymous) says...

Me and my wife drove over six hundred miles on Friday night to see this show. As the other commenters said, THE BOSS certainly didn't disappoint!

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It doesn't hurt that the show was in my favorite Southern town!! Pray for our safety as we travel those six hundred miles back home to Mobile, AL on Sunday.

August 17, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

slider (anonymous) says...

Of all the great armies of rock fans, few can match the devotion of Bruce Springsteen's. Anyone who has experienced Springsteen in concert will testify that the bond between audience and artist transcends the usual adulation. Something magical, almost mystical happens. Some might describe it as spiritual-most definitely it is life affirming. It is in trying to nail this phenomenon that the beautiful hardbound For You has arrived.
Edited by Lawrence Kirsch and replete with an amazing welter of outstanding photographs, it's a mind-blowing collection of thoughts and stories from fans of every age and many nations, each explaining why Springsteen occupies such an important place in their hearts. Covering all four decades of Springsteen's career it is possibly the ultimate fanzine for it is the fans who have made the journey and whose words tell us as much about them as they do about Springsteen. The warmth and humanity that flows from every page is truly moving and provides a beacon of hope from which we can all draw strength in these hard times. Not a book to be read at one sitting but rather to revisit and enjoy over time.

August 17, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

tigerama (anonymous) says...

Seen him now three times, Charleston, Columbia and now NCharleston. He is ageless and sounds better than ever. 3hours of pure energy. Great show and the best concert one can see.

August 17, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KidYendor (anonymous) says...

The concert was great and Bruce came out to the loading dock entrance and signed a few autographs before leaving and waving in the passenger seat of a van with rolled down window. I had front elbows on the stage tickets to see Robert Plant in Columbia in '86 and I was disappointed he would not shake/slap hands with anyone. He certainly did not mix with fans as Bruce did.
The coliseum made things pretty difficult using that small area in the PAC, it was mobbed at 6 and after trying to get something to eat and drink I gave up after 20 minutes. Word got out that coliseum doors would open at 6:30. The doors did not open until 6:45 making for a miserable wait in the humidity. The excruciating crush of people making their way through the coliseum was a mess as they tried to get drinks and food by 7:30 ticket time. The show started a bit after 8. Why weren't the coliseum doors opened sooner to prevent the stampede and long miserable lines? Don't they want people inside to buy things and eat? Why wait until virtually "the last minute." 6 p.m. would have been a more comfortable opening time. What do you all say?

August 17, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

LocalTruth (anonymous) says...

Kidyendor, That's the way Charleston rolls my friend. Dave Mattews Band was a fiasco with only one entrance and a mile long line! Charleston is notorious for thimking they have it right, but getting it wrong. Try and go to the coastal carolina fair this year and see what happens when you try to park. You will spend 30 minutes driving alongside empty acres of parking lot only to end up on the opposite side of the fairgrounds where parking mayhem and long entry lines await you. And this is from the folks that run the fair every year, but never learn from complaints. Sorry to say, this is how charleston rolls lol.

August 17, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

chucktonian (anonymous) says...

Bruce is THE MAN. wish I could have been there, but ticket prices were beyond my grasp.

you look at The Boss, who is still going after 35 years, and contrast it with the gangbanging crackhead animals on the Hot 100, who couldn't fill a high school gymnasium

August 17, 2008 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jeff61 (anonymous) says...

Sound like the answer is to not attend anymore events until they change their ways. E-mail a letter to the coliseum telling them of your experinece and displeasure.

August 17, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KidYendor (anonymous) says...

Hi LocalT. Yes the Coastal Carolina Fair is right around the corner. I know it is a bit of a walk to the CCF gates from the lot but after taking two hours to drive two miles to the CAFB airshow and thirty minutes waiting to get searched I will not complain about CCF parking. I don't mind the short walk. Unlike the airshow fiasco they have lots of Highway Patrol getting people in and out relatively fast. The line I was in at 6:20 to get into Bruce was from the PAC entrance doors over to the West Montague side of the coliseum. Soon the line doubled in size because of the people arriving behind me and after I had been in for 15 minutes there was still a long line trying to get in. My humidity laden line moved fairly quick after the 6:45 opening and I probably got in about 7:05. It was a big bottleneck situation inside and out. The Elton John show in November was packed but I did not see the long line problems and walked right in. And also how did the floor ticket thing work out at Bruce? They had two floor ticket areas. The barricade was on the floor keeping people back not quite halfway from the stage. Then they had the floor area with people nearer the stage. Both groups of people had yellow arm bands. Was the closer group Bruce fan club members or something? There was empty space on that front floor area that people could have used. I would have been pretty mad to have those expensive floor tickets and being barricaded back that far with empty space on the other side. The powers that be knew the coliseum was going to be packed. An earlier opening time would have worked better so people could get stuff, get out of the way of others by getting to their seats, and enjoy some food and drinks instead of walking in the hallway sardine can all at once.

August 17, 2008 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

teasouth (anonymous) says...

Bruce Springsteen is definitely someone you want to see live in your lifetime- his stage presence and energy are incredible, even at a distance, and his rapport with fans is palpable. The venue leaves some to be desired, however, as do the terrible acoustics. The sound was so loud that The Boss' very words were garbled. I would think his sound crew would have better sense. Louder is not always better and cringing from loud, distorted music does not mean you are old. It just means you would rather hear the great music and the great lyrics you know and love.

August 17, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GreenvilleGirl (anonymous) says...

Wow! I hate that we couldn't make the trip from G-ville........we are huge fans and have listened to his music for over 25 years. How fortunate for The Boss to have been in N. Chas. We never get anyone as stellar as Bruce in the upstate.

Congrats to anyone who was fortunate enough to get a ticket.

August 17, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jeff61 (anonymous) says...

Posted by usajagroltyd on August 17, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Pray for our safety as we travel those six hundred miles back home to Mobile, AL on Sunday.

Sorry your own your if you made a foolish decision to drive all that way just for a concert.

August 17, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

MooMoo (anonymous) says...

Jeff61:

SOUR GRAPES on that last comment from you to the folks traveling back to Mobile. That was COLD. Shame on you.

usajagrolt -
safe travels and I hope you enjoyed your time in our fair city. Obviously it was worth it.

August 17, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jeff61 (anonymous) says...

LOL,,,,No SOUR GRAPES here, I just felt overwhelmed that they laid the responsibility of their safe 600-mile trip back Mobile into my hands. If they are asking people to pray for their safety then maybe it was a trip that should not have been made in the first place. A 1200-mile trip by car for a 3-hour concert is a bit much to me. My conscious just can't be saddled with their safety right now. How about a pray, if one beleives in such for the saftely of the kids tomorrow on thier first day back to school.

August 17, 2008 at 7:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

AAE (anonymous) says...

Here's a thought - everyone knew this show was sold out. The coliseum had parking advisories on the website alerting to arrive early and carpool. The Coliseum doesn't need to take into account for you getting in line at the Snack Shack before even sitting down because shoot.... if you're going to see one of the best rockers of all time, heaven forbid you not have your heaping mound of nachos and 32 oz beer in hand before you even walk (huffing and puffing) to section 200, row N. The problem isn't with the Coliseum or its policies. It's with this community thinking they can be late to everything and that they need to feed their fat faces at every turn. Go to a concert to dance, sing, enjoy the show - not stuff your mouth full of food. Plan ahead. Eat dinner. Go to show. Don't ask me to move out of my seat so you can squeeze your fatness past me on song #3 with an armfull of food.

August 17, 2008 at 7:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hmcleod (Harriet McLeod) says...

nice review, devin. my first time seeing the boss and i have nothing to add except ... he's a huge charmer, i'd forgotten what a great blues voice steve van zandt has, max weinberg is one professional drummer, and it was great to see the little elf (nils lofgren) again. --- h

August 17, 2008 at 9:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

forget (anonymous) says...

It was totally worth 3 1/2 hours of our time. Springsteen's shows are always worth the price of a ticket. I, myself, have traveled to his shows in Atlanta, Charlotte and other venues when I lived elsewhere. I so wished I was 18 again and could stand in front of the stage for 4 hours.
hmc - you failed to mention Clarence "Big Man" Clemens. He has to be one of the coolest men in music.

August 18, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mdb123xyz (anonymous) says...

Husband and I arrived at the coliseum parking lot about 5:45pm (heeding the parking warning by the tv, radio, newspaper). Brought some food and drinks and listened to a Bruce cd while awaiting the 6:30 "doors-opening" time. Walking towards the coliseum, we saw lines wrapped around both sides of the venue and proceeded to walk back to our cars to wait until 7pm. Walked again to the venue and saw the same sight! YIKES! I figured there was NO WAY the show was going to start at 7:30 (boy was that ever a good guess! LOL). Having some inside knowledge from previous shows there, I can say that I would bet it was Springsteens crew/management that held up the door-opening and not the coliseum's fault. They were probably having sound-checks or setting up equipment, etc and that held up the doors. Holding up the process at the doors were peolple with little sticks, poking into purses/bags, etc to check for....cameras? food? booze? and not sure what else. But they found my camera and I was off to my car once again! LOL! (I actually didn't know they weren't allowed. Guess I'll read my ticket more carefully next time! I don't know if it was the venue's policy or Bruce's policy about checking bags, but that certainly held up the lines quite a bit. Once inside...well I don't think my words can describe it, but I'll try. There were tons of people lined up to get ID bands for drinks, lined up to purchase drinks, lined up for food and for the restrooms, and people just trying to walk to their seats thru the maze of everyone else. It was total madness! I was sweating just standing in line trying to buy 3 bottles of water! Unbelievable! They should have some other plan to handle all of the people trying to stand or walk or move or whatever, because what they have now is NO plan! It was worse than being a sardine in a can. I can remember seeing Kenny Chesney in Columbia a few years back at the Colonial Center and the situation (inside) was the same. CRAZY!
OK, now for the show....I agree with the person that said the acoustics was pretty bad. I couldn't understand any of the words (for songs I didn't know). Seems they could have taken care of that issue at some point during the show. Bruce put on an incredible show though. He's an amazing performer who connects with his audience: going into the crowd and shaking hands, taking requests from posters that were held up, putting the mike towards people to sing into it, clapping, singing, dancing, jumping, turning, playing his guitar, laughing, talking, etc etc etc. Amazing! Loved it!! Come back again soon!!

August 18, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )