I’d always wanted to attend one of Sting and Trudie’s Rainforest Fund concerts–I support their cause and love Sting’s music, and I’m usually tickled by the creative themes and wide array of artistry on display.
In 2016, I happened to be at the right place at the right time and lucked out with a last-minute ticket right up front in Carnegie Hall. And while that year’s show may have had a more traditional holiday show theme, it was still full of surprises and delights: from opera star Vittorio Grigolo, who brought the house down (I might like opera now), the always-amazing Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector, Sting vamping his way through Wham’s “Last Christmas,” and Idina Mendel fronting a choir for “Let it Go” (which, believe it or not, I’d never heard before then. I think I was the only one in the audience who had no clue what she was singing).
Idina and James Taylor did a cute duet to “Baby, it’s Cold Outside,” (whatever your feelings about the song, their duet was pretty innocent), but Bruce just absolutely set the place on fire.
I’d never seen Bruce in such a small venue before (it was my first time at Carnegie Hall, and I was surprised by how intimate it felt), and I think he spent as much time in the aisles as on stage.
He even made his entrance that way–announcing his arrival at the back of the hall with a hearty “ho ho ho,” giving the entire crowd instant whiplash as we collectively turned in shock to the sight of Bruce Springsteen moseying down the aisle, working the crowd in full Santa mode until he reached the stage, embraced his good friend, and launched into “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” backed by a full orchestra.
Bruce then segued from “Santa” to his other perennial seasonal classic, “Merry Christmas Baby.” He’d only been on stage a few minutes, but he must have been restless, because he very quickly returned to the crowd, giving my row a very close encounter.
And then: the highlight of the night. I’m a big Lisa Fischer fan, and I had no idea she was even going to be at the show, much less share the stage with Bruce (she was not on the bill for the evening). But share the stage she did, for what may be my all-time favorite live performance of “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.” The video can’t do it justice, but watch and listen anyway: Bruce, Lisa, and the orchestra transform Bruce’s 1975 origin story into something that sounds like it was originally issued on the Stax label instead of Columbia. “Tenth Avenue” sounded fresher and more soulfired than ever, and Lisa more than held her own sharing vocals with Bruce.
How do you top that? You don’t even try to–instead, the assembled artists gathered on stage to sing two traditional Christmas carols, led by Jennifer Nettles. First, “Do You Hear What I Hear…”
…and finally, “Joy to the World.” Both songs were live debuts for Bruce.
All in all, a wonderful night for a great cause. I hope Sting and Trudie keep the tradition going.
