{"id":23523,"date":"2020-12-07T04:02:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T12:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/?p=23523"},"modified":"2021-12-01T17:03:43","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T01:03:43","slug":"where-the-band-was-asbury-park-december-7-2010-mariettas-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2020\/12\/07\/where-the-band-was-asbury-park-december-7-2010-mariettas-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the Band Was: Asbury Park, December 7, 2010 (Marietta&#8217;s Story)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[su_box title=&#8221;Editor&#8217;s Note&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong><em>Editor&#8217;s Note:<\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><i>Today&#8217;s guest blogger is my long-time friend (and I&#8217;m pretty sure this blog&#8217;s first subscriber) Marietta Phillips.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><i>Marietta has been to a lot of Springsteen shows over the years, but none as unusual or intimate as this one from a decade ago today. Read on&#8230;<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/su_box]<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all cold along the beach\u2026.the wind\u2019s whipping down the boardwalk\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t Bruce asking the band if they knew it was Christmastime. On this cold, clear December day in Asbury Park ten years ago, it was a few hundred fans swarming the Carousel House in the freezing cold hoping for a way to get inside for a rare and special performance from Bruce Springsteen and some version of the E Street Band.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story<\/em> box set had been released less than a month prior, and the Carousel House event was to be a videotaped performance of songs from the collection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xlremWeb08o?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Even though the overwhelming majority of folks on the boardwalk knew they wouldn\u2019t be among the 59 people invited inside, there was a party mood outside.\u00a0 People began to gather by noon, and a small crowd had assembled up against the barricade when Bruce arrived in the early afternoon and graciously stopped to chat with fans.\u00a0 Those of us who were lucky enough to be among the invited were ushered inside with no idea what to expect, and we waited in the slightly warmer but still cold abandoned casino while the band rehearsed for quite a long time.<\/p>\n<p>A lone porta-potty stood among the lumber piles and rubble, and during this time the security and stage crew briefed us over and over that this was a <em>video shoot<\/em>, not a performance for an audience.\u00a0 \u201cRemember: we don\u2019t <em>need <\/em>an audience for this \u2013 we can escort you out at any time.\u201d\u00a0 While that seemed a tad harsh, it all made sense when we entered the Carousel House at around 5 pm.<\/p>\n<p>Each guest was assigned a specific spot to stand, and the same instructions showing us the floor cables and tracks for camera dollies were repeated by several members of the crew.\u00a0 This was both for our own safety and to make sure we all knew to not get in the way of the film crew.<\/p>\n<p>Much has been written and questioned over the years about the stiffness of the unexcited crowd, so let me dispel the assumptions about that. When we\u2019re at a Bruce show, fans participate so much that we become part of the show. The Promise at the Carousel wasn\u2019t like that&#8211;the guests were observers of a video shoot. We weren\u2019t participants, and it was made very clear to us that if we started swinging from the rafters, we\u2019d be shown the door. It was like being there for an E Street Band rehearsal; why would you interrupt?! That\u2019s not to say, though, that the crowd wasn\u2019t thrilled, in awe, and having a blast, because we were. We weren\u2019t unexcited, we were <em>mesmerized<\/em>.\u00a0 Having a ringside seat to watch Bruce work out songs and arrangements with the band was truly one of the most wonderful nights I\u2019ve experienced.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-X3m6mjtFFs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Bruce and the band performed all songs twice, and with the exception of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2020\/11\/29\/cover-me-blue-christmas\/\">Blue Christmas<\/a>&#8221; to close, all of the songs were from <em>The Promise<\/em>.\u00a0 Hearing Bruce\u2019s direction to the band in between takes was as magnificent as the songs themselves. It took a bit for Steve to get the harmony down for \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/08\/roll-of-the-dice-gotta-get-that-feeling\/\">Gotta Get That Feeling<\/a>,\u201d but he nailed it on the second performance, and it was fantastic.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/itpktRH1iig?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>I think even Mr. Springsteen was a bit confused at times about what to do with his audience of observers, and it was as challenging for him to not play to fans as it was for us to not sing along really loudly.<\/p>\n<p>In between the two takes of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/16\/roll-of-the-dice-save-my-love\/\">Save My Love<\/a>,\u201d he directed us to walk onto the stage floor and surround him when he hit a certain part of a song.\u00a0 We\u2019d had it burned into our brains to stay put, and since Bruce had been talking to only his cohorts thus far, I wasn\u2019t tracking that he was actually speaking to us. I leaned into my friend Lowell, pointed at my chest, did my best DeNiro, and mouthed, \u201cYou talkin\u2019 to me?\u201d Bruce looked right at me, pointed, and said, \u201cYeah, I\u2019m talking to you!\u201d\u00a0 I simultaneously laughed and muttered, \u201cPlease don\u2019t throw me out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It took us a while to shake off the instructions to not move or interfere, but eventually we warmed up and came into the circle of musicians when Bruce waved us in. It was a <em>very<\/em> small space, and only Max, Roy, Charlie, Garry, and the horns were up on risers.\u00a0 It was a bit of a dance to come on in and give Bruce his crowd without bumping into Clarence, Steve, and Garry (when he stepped down).<\/p>\n<p>I successfully fought off my impulse to grab one of the tambourines. Perhaps the audience\u2019s wonder didn\u2019t come across well on camera, but when we were on that floor, there were countless moments of us looking at each other with wide eyes, and saying without words, \u201cCan you believe this?!!\u201d By \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/02\/roll-of-the-dice-aint-good-enough-for-you\/\">Ain\u2019t Good Enough For You<\/a>,\u201d we were all in the groove and rockin\u2019 out with the greatest bar band in the world.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z6OCZFzHmiA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>Two rounds of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2020\/11\/29\/cover-me-blue-christmas\/\">Blue Christmas<\/a>\u201d was a festive way to end an amazing night, and all of those bopping Santa hats are reflective of the fun and pure joy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8MGwtwX6IK0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>The room was so beautiful that evening, and hearing those songs played live (twice!) was pure magic.<\/p>\n<p>As I walked out, I was full of gratitude, knowing we\u2019d just had a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience. Six months later, Clarence was gone, and the Carousel memories became even more profound as I realized it was the last time Bruce and Clarence played together. What a gift it was for us to be there with them, shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart.<\/p>\n<p>[su_box title=&#8221;What&#8217;s your story?&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><em>Want to share your story on E Street Shuffle? <\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><em><a href=\"mailto:ken@estreetshuffle.com\">Drop me a line<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><em> if you&#8217;d like to be our next guest blogger!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/su_box]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ten years ago tonight: Guest blogger Marietta Phillips takes us inside one of Bruce&#8217;s most intimate concerts ever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[152],"tags":[903,62,1963,2992,2993,2991,230],"class_list":["post-23523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-where-the-band-was","tag-aint-good-enough-for-you","tag-asbury-park","tag-blue-christmas","tag-carousel","tag-gotta-get-that-feelin","tag-marietta-phillips","tag-the-promise"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/carousel.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9w3Lk-67p","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62971,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/07\/kingdom-of-days-december-7-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":23523,"position":0},"title":"Kingdom of Days: December 7","author":"Ken","date":"December 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It's a date for tributes, as Bruce salutes Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, and Sting. Plus: two holiday shows, Clarence's last E Street appearance, Bruce plays Sing Sing Prison and more--all on this very, very packed date.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Kingdom of Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Kingdom of Days","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/kingdom-of-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/carousel.jpg?fit=658%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/carousel.jpg?fit=658%2C462&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/carousel.jpg?fit=658%2C462&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63422,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/23\/kingdom-of-days-december-23-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":23523,"position":1},"title":"Kingdom of Days: December 23","author":"Ken","date":"December 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Peace on earth hasn't quite set in--a fight breaks out during an early performance of \"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Kingdom of Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Kingdom of Days","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/kingdom-of-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/newsMerryXmas2015.jpg?fit=550%2C654&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/newsMerryXmas2015.jpg?fit=550%2C654&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/newsMerryXmas2015.jpg?fit=550%2C654&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63383,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/18\/kingdom-of-days-december-18-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":23523,"position":2},"title":"Kingdom of Days: December 18","author":"Ken","date":"December 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bruce plays \"Who'll Stop the Rain\" for the first time. Plus: Listen to Bruce's Asbury Park holiday show from 2000.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Kingdom of Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Kingdom of Days","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/kingdom-of-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/19801218_3_front-e1540706993562.jpg?fit=600%2C524&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/19801218_3_front-e1540706993562.jpg?fit=600%2C524&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/19801218_3_front-e1540706993562.jpg?fit=600%2C524&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27714,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/04\/06\/matr-the-gaslight-anthem-and-bruce-springsteen-american-slang\/","url_meta":{"origin":23523,"position":3},"title":"American Slang","author":"Ken","date":"April 6, 1988","format":false,"excerpt":"When The Gaslight Anthem came through Asbury in 2011, Bruce joined them on their album's title track in a surprise appearance for a hometown crowd.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/americanslang.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/americanslang.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/americanslang.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/americanslang.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, 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19","author":"Ken","date":"December 19, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A holiday SNL appearance, Bruce's first-ever Canadian show, and two raucous holiday shows lead off today's highlights.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Kingdom of Days&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Kingdom of Days","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/kingdom-of-days\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/SNL1692_Bumper_Photos06.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/SNL1692_Bumper_Photos06.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/SNL1692_Bumper_Photos06.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/SNL1692_Bumper_Photos06.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, 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