Orel Family

Last night in Pittsburgh, Bruce Springsteen put on a show that might have been a hard core fan's dream. A brilliant setlist for the long-time fans, including world premieres and tour debuts, nearly half of the High Hopes album, highlights for all of the band members, and inspired Brucetalk bits. A show that was conspicuously absent of the features so many hardcore fans love to complain about. A show in which more than half of the songs weren't in the set just two weeks ago in Cincinnati. Who on earth changes up their sets  that  much? Johnny 99. Photo - Matthew Orel But was it a great show? Let's start with the almighty eternal everlasting ass-kicking power of the night. And there was a  lot  of ass-kicking power last night, from the very first note of the evening. Bruce's blue shirt, black vest, and tucked-in tie are gone, replaced by the Joe Strummer look. And last night, we got a bit of the Joe Strummer sound as well, as the band opened with a hard-drivi...

The first thing I noticed, when launching in to the introduction for Debra Rothenberg's book Bruce Springsteen in Focus 1980-2012 was the instant potential for a good old game of Jewish geography. Ms. Rothenberg and I were born less than 10 weeks apart and grew up a few miles from each other in suburban Northern New Jersey. Her school friends were my camp friends. Her college acquaintances were my relatives. We each saw out first major concerts at the Garden States Arts Center in the mid-70s, were turned on to Bruce Springsteen's music by mentors who preached the Springsteen gospel and knew not to let up, and saw Southside Johnny at the same shows near our homes before finally seeing Bruce perform for the first time during The River tour. Rothenberg's first published photo: September 1981 issue of New Jersey Monthly magazine Rothenberg combined her love for Bruce Springsteen with her dream to become a great photographer, and over the course of 3 decades has chro...