Cleveland Rocks!!

On April 17, 2012, Dawn and I went to see Bruce Springsteen in Cleveland.  It was awesome.

We had heard months ago that he was on tour for his new album, Wrecking Ball.  He was playing Buffalo on April 13.  That would have been our most likely spot for seeing him.  The problem was that Geoff and I were going to see the Duke Boys (yes, Bo and Luke!) at the Casino that night.  The next feasible opportunity was the show in Cleveland.   I knew for sure there was one person that would be up for it, and that was Dawn.  It was a birthday present for me!!

Geoff decided that he wanted to come along to Cleveland, since Dawn and I were going to do the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the next day, before coming home.  He didn't have a ticket to the concert (that is a whole other story.  Sheesh!) but would just hang out in the hotel while we were gone.

What Geoff did while we saw Bruce!

It was a great trip.  We had an amazing dinner at the House of Blues (I had jambalaya, which I absolutely love and very rarely get) and I even broke my diet a bit and had some beers.  Dawn and I walked to the arena, and after a little anxiety over the ticket situation (they don't send you tickets to print, they scan your credit card and find your tickets that way.  It worked, but we were worried the whole time!) we were in.

Dawn at the House of Blues

The show was amazing.  He looks great and worked the crowd so well.  He doesn't rely on lights, or smoke or lasers.  He just sings his songs and loves his band and dances and laughs.  I didn't know every song (the man has almost 40 years of songs behind him- I can't know everything!) but it was still awesome to hear him sing Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark, Badlands, and so many others.



Dawn and I, so excited and not at all emotional....yet.

The show was emotional for both of us.  I got teary, like I knew I would, when I heard him sing Born to Run, live and in person.  That's kinda a bucket list thing for me.  Dawn struggled a bit, because Bruce brings up so many memories of her dad.  It didn't dampen the show for either of us, not even a little bit.  If anything, it made it that much more poignant.

This was really a shot of the guy with the Garth Brooks circa 1994 shirt below us. 
But also a good shot of the arena.

Blurry Bruce!!



The man.



The next day, the 3 of us headed to the RnR HoF and stayed there for 6 hours!!!  And we didn't even look at the 2 floors of the Grateful Dead Exhibit!!  There was so much to see and learn and read.  I really liked the old stuff, with all the blues men, and the Sun Record guys.  I had a list of about 20 artists that I gave to Geoff, telling him to find me some songs for my ipod.  He is working on it.

I kept thinking about how much music plays a part in my life (and I am NOTHING compared to Geoff, Dawn and our other friend, Michelle!!)  So many of the displays reminded me of people in my life- my parents, my brother, old friends, my college friends.  It was a pretty amazing walk through my own memories and history, to go through this place.  It was just a little magical. :)

All in all, it was a great time.  I had amazing company, no hassle, no drama.  Thanks to you both, for helping me celebrate in style!

Oh yeah, going to see Bruce again in August in Toronto.  This time, floor seats!!

  

Rosie N. Grey
The N stands for "No Surrender!!"