10/13/86 - Bridge Benefit Concert
We were living in Mountain View, California in 1986. The entire family was out there for the summer of ‘86, but once school started again it was just me, my brother Jim and my Dad.
I was 21 years old, and working as a construction laborer at a Fairnount Hotel in San Jose.
During that summer Springsteen put out his live album and it basically stopped traffic. He sold so many copies that there were long lines at record stores, and some stores sold out entirely.
But Bruce was nowhere to be found. He took the year off and didn’t appear in public at all. Then, there was an announcement.
Bruce would play a show...in Mountain View, California!
We applied for the lottery...
...and didn’t win.
On the day of the show, we were pretty sad. As the day went on, Jim worked on me.
“Let’s just go down there. We can scalp tickets.”
That was easy for Jim to say. He wasn’t working. If we were going to scalp tickets, it was on me.
I finally broke.
I decided to take a ride down to the amphitheater to check it out. I had $200 in my pocket for the two tickets that were $15 face value.
We drove through the gate and saw an older guy there (he was probably 30).
“You need tickets?” He asked.
“Two,” I said. “How much?”
If he said more than $200 we were dead in the water.
“Fifty bucks for the pair?” He asked. He looked nervous.
I couldn’t get the money out fast enough.
“I could’ve got more, huh?” He asked.
We both laughed.
We ended up on the lawn. Amazing seats for Neil Young, then Nils Lofgren, then Don Henley, then Robin Williams, then Tom Petty, and finally Bruce with Nils.
I recall a few things most of all.
1). Neil Young was great, but he was dirty...looked like he just got done changing the brakes on his car.
2). Robin Williams made us cry laughing.
3). Tom Petty rocked the joint. “Stop chanting Bruce!” He said at one point.
But we were all there for Bruce...
...and he didn’t disappoint.
He played a lot longer than he was supposed to. At 12:45 a.m., Jim said:
“Let’s Stop clapping, maybe he’ll go home.”
4). The show ended with everyone from Crosby Stills Nash and Young on the stage with Bruce as they did ‘Hungry Heart.’
“So,” Jim began. “Was it worth it?”
32 years later...
...uh, yeah!
I was 21 years old, and working as a construction laborer at a Fairnount Hotel in San Jose.
During that summer Springsteen put out his live album and it basically stopped traffic. He sold so many copies that there were long lines at record stores, and some stores sold out entirely.
But Bruce was nowhere to be found. He took the year off and didn’t appear in public at all. Then, there was an announcement.
Bruce would play a show...in Mountain View, California!
We applied for the lottery...
...and didn’t win.
On the day of the show, we were pretty sad. As the day went on, Jim worked on me.
“Let’s just go down there. We can scalp tickets.”
That was easy for Jim to say. He wasn’t working. If we were going to scalp tickets, it was on me.
I finally broke.
I decided to take a ride down to the amphitheater to check it out. I had $200 in my pocket for the two tickets that were $15 face value.
We drove through the gate and saw an older guy there (he was probably 30).
“You need tickets?” He asked.
“Two,” I said. “How much?”
If he said more than $200 we were dead in the water.
“Fifty bucks for the pair?” He asked. He looked nervous.
I couldn’t get the money out fast enough.
“I could’ve got more, huh?” He asked.
We both laughed.
We ended up on the lawn. Amazing seats for Neil Young, then Nils Lofgren, then Don Henley, then Robin Williams, then Tom Petty, and finally Bruce with Nils.
I recall a few things most of all.
1). Neil Young was great, but he was dirty...looked like he just got done changing the brakes on his car.
2). Robin Williams made us cry laughing.
3). Tom Petty rocked the joint. “Stop chanting Bruce!” He said at one point.
But we were all there for Bruce...
...and he didn’t disappoint.
He played a lot longer than he was supposed to. At 12:45 a.m., Jim said:
“Let’s Stop clapping, maybe he’ll go home.”
4). The show ended with everyone from Crosby Stills Nash and Young on the stage with Bruce as they did ‘Hungry Heart.’
“So,” Jim began. “Was it worth it?”
32 years later...
...uh, yeah!
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