CONTINENTAL ARENA N.J. ( August 11/12)

Hello Marco

Yes, I was there. Okay, i can tell you the whole story. Me and my best buddy
stefen went to the first concert in Zürich, Switzerland in 1981 (11. April)
and since the we have this springsteenvirus...! I know it sounds crazy, but
since then i saw him 57 times.

Okay, last wednesday we flow from Zürich to Newark, NJ. After 8 hours
flight, we rented a car at the airport, it was around 2 pm, we started our
ride to New York to get our tickets. Barry - he is the tourmanager from
Bruce, i know him since five years promised me tickets for the two nights.
When we arrived at his office, i gave him four copies of bottlegs-videos
from concert in Italy (one in firenze from 96 and three of this year - 2
milano - 1 bologna) and a bottleg CD from the concert in Zürich. He collect
videos - funny ! Then we had this tickets in our hand, the tickes for
amusement park. Then we were already on the way back to the continental
arena. From far away we saw the sign on the arena "Bruce Springsteen and the
E Street Band 15 concerts sold out!

The first night was great. I think you know the the set list and the concert
was better than all the ones i saw in europe this year!! (I saw him in
munich, cologne, milano (first show), zürich, lyon, london (first and
second), paris (first), offenbach, copenhagen, oslo). The audienz was loud
and verry excited. Even everybody know all the lirics and Bruce and all the
estreeters were in a great mood. Then all this surprises. It was just
wonderful and we were thinking, the last one can't be better ever...!

We sleept in Sea Bright, thats next to Rumson, NJ where Bruce is living. The
other day we have been on the roots of Bruce. We went to his house in Rumson
(just outside to see how he is living - big big house with a lot of space
around and we saw the house he built for his mother). Okay poorman went rich
- but thats okay. Then we tooked a ride to Freehold, to the house were he
was growing up at institute and south, we made a stopover in his favourit
italian restaurant (federicis)where you can see several pictures with him
and the staff. Then we saw the school and his fathers grave. After that, we
went to Asbury Park, we saw the stone pony, where he used to play, its
closed and a new club is there now. we saw the saint, the bordwalk, madame
maries and a lot more. After that, it was time to go back to east
rutherford. On the way on highway 9 steve was asking me: hey which highway
has Bruce to take to come up here to north jersey. I said, he will take also
the new jerey turnpike...! We were looking in all limousins, maybee we can
see him out on the highway (we were booth laughing). After a one hour ride
up to the north, we arrived at the exit sports arena near the continental
arena at the pay toll. Some black guys were selling not official t-shirts.
we stoped and bought two of them for ten box each. In the moment when we
were buying our t-shirts, a big black durango passed us on the left hand
side and a girl with red hair was watching us, how we bought the t-shirts.
Then this car crossed right in front of us and tooked the lane on the right
hand side. After a few seconds we where on the same level. I looked right,
and i can't believe what i was seeing. Bruce, the boss himself, was sitting
next to us, driving in his own car, patty on his side. He raised his hand
and says hello to us....! After 30 seconds he could drive on and we had to
wait in our lane. We couldn't believe, what was happend.

When we came in to the arena, we realized, that we have seats in the second
row in the middle. Great. And the concert was really absolutly increddebel.
The audienz was soooo loud, and i saw never bruce so happy on stage. When he
started with Jungleland, i saw that he was singing but you can't hear it, i
guess it was like in the sixthis, when the beatles played. It was a dream to
see him this time in New Jersey. After this concert you can leave this
planet. I just can say a dream came true. And keep on rocking daddy.

By the way, Barry told me, Bruce is doing a stadium tour in europe next
year. And in the past, all he was saying came true...!

Robert Rosanis

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