Born to Run

When I was in high school, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson vied for the title of most beloved musical icon of a generation. By the time I reached college, Jacko had already started his decline into super sicko weirdo-dom, while Bruce continued to amaze us with his talent.

Plus he looked really, really good in those worn Levi's and boots.

I was a fan of Bruce, mostly because of the top 40, poppy songs from Born in the U.S. A. that permeated my teen years. But I didn't truly understand his depth--his specialness--until I saw him in concert for the first time. I was so desperate to go to the sold-out show that when my best friend wasn't able to snake her 2nd ticket away from her boyfriend, I agreed to a "non-date" with a considerably geeky guy on my dorm floor who I barely knew, with the suspicion that I was perhaps the first girl to ever go out with him.

No matter. By the time the nearly three-hour concert was over, we were singing and dancing like old friends. It was an amazing night, and I'll never forget the feeling of having 30,000 people all serenading him as one voice, lights up, with Bruce encouraging us from what felt like the bottom of his heart.

It was some time later--okay, probably15 years later--when I saw him again, this time without the incredible E Street Band. Instead, another friend invited me to see him in a much smaller venue, performing an acoustic show that ran the gamut from his latest release, Devils and Dust, to some of his most beloved standards, to unexpected covers. This time, he was close-up. He played a dozen instruments. He was seasoned, sexy and, it seemed, singing directly to moi.

Now I'm an official, career-spanning, dedicated fan and I can't wait until I see him live again. Since I missed his surprise performance with my favorite band of all time at U2's concert in Philly a few weeks ago, I'll have to settle for my memories....and this funny little hangman game I found to better test my knowledge of his song titles.